HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH (7)
HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH
HOMILY THEME: FAITH, THE SUSTAINING FACTOR
BY: Fr. Joseph Nyarko Asare
Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3
Ps 105
Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19
Lk 2:22-40
Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Simeon and Anna are figures presented to us as we celebrate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Joseph and Mary’s was a family that sacrificed the conjugal act in order allow the will of God to take the centre stage of their lives. Abraham waited for too long before receiving the gift of Isaac from the Lord. The greatest challenge in the family of Abraham, I guess, was not the initial childlessness. The struggle was to let go Isaac in respect to the will of God.
In the Gospel, we see Simeon waiting for one thing before death. The prayer to be received to eternity there and then indicates how eager Simeon was awaiting his last days. He desired to join the family of the elect, the family we must all work to embrace in future. Anna had her own struggles too. She had husband for merely seven years. And for a woman of eighty four years, she had been widowed for the better part of her life. In the presence of Jesus, she exercises prophecy and reveals Jesus to all in the Temple at the time.
It is the feast of Holy Family and we meet families and personalities with challenges. Yet, in the presence of the Lord, each one of them is either empowered with what is lacking or made to enjoy the benefits of the Lord. We have our challenges as individuals and families. We have an opportunity to present our challenges to the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Let us draw closer to them and make them inspirers and intercessors. It does not matter how bad the past has been, it shall be glorious in God’s own time. Yes, it is well.
PRAYER POINTS
~For the grace to be faithful in our tough moments
~That God will supply that which we lack as individuals and families ~For the grace to make it to the family in heaven
(Rev Fr Joseph Nyarko Asare of the Catholic Diocese of Obuasi)
