In the Gospel today, Mary and Joseph have been with the 12 year old Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. It was a custom for all Jewish males to visit the Temple three times a year, to commemorate three major festivals: Passover, Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles. By recording this journey, St. Luke shows us the commitment that Mary and Joseph had to the practice of their faith and fidelity to its law.
The “holy†family is a family that is willing patiently and lovingly to bear with each other at every stage of life.
As we celebrate this feast of the Holy Family, let us pay particular attention to the young people in our midst; and pray that as families and as a society we will have the confidence to embrace them warmly and generously and with understanding.
“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord, your God, has commanded you, that you may have a long life and prosperity in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you†(Deuteronomy 5:16)