27/12/2009 - Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Ist. Reading 1Sam 1,20-22.24-28 Psalm 83 IInd. Reading 1Jn 3,1-2.21-24 Gospel Lk 2,41-52
"You gave him power over every human being, so that he gives eternal life
to all those you gave him". After he asked for the glory, and he knows that
it is the cross, Jesus continues to contemplate the Father and enjoys what he received
from him. What did the Father gave him? "You gave him power over every human
being": what kind of power was he given? It's the power of God, a power that
does not know of violence or force. The power of God is the infinite capacity to
give each and every human being love. To each and every human being: we know that
each and every human being is weak, unable, overcome by various vices, subject even
to the devil, God's enemy. Even to these Jesus succeeds to give love. History is
an infinite sequences of such stories: sinners whose lives are changed, persons
who knew only hatred, turn to love, selfish and mean persons become generous. Already
in the life of Jesus we read of such episodes: have a look at the story of Zaccheus
at Jericho (Lk 19, 1ss) and that of st. Paul (Acts 9).
Jesus uses the power given to him on every human being to give eternal life to all
those who the Father has given him. This is how he himself express what he received
from the Father: to give eternal life! Upon hearing this expression we might automatically
think of a life that has no end, a life that is forever. But Eternal Life means
much more: it's the life of God that has an eternal characteristic, and divine life
is not of an infinite durations, but also of the possibility of infinite love, and
therefore fullness of meaning and fullness of joy. Those who get closer to Jesus
know what this means. The ones who put Jesus at the center of heart is already experiencing
eternal life, even if it is accompanied by the cross, which on this earth we cannot
avoid completely. Often it's the presence of the cross that make us aware that in
us shines a life that goes over and above that of this world, a life that belongs
to a higher world, that make precious even the moments of pain and suffering.
The family should be the first place where we learn the Word of Jesus. We can are
to reflect the light of God with the persons with whom we are in touch and with
whom we are tied up with ties of love and respect. This is what we see as we look
at that the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph: we see three members of a family who
are committed to give to each other signs of faithfulness, of peace, of grace that
come from the same God.
Look at Joseph and we are to see the purity of married love, the strength and the
wisdom of a faithful and generous guardian, the readiness of faith of a mature man.
Look at Mary and we are to see the grace and tenderness of a love that forgets oneself
to see the joy of the man and the growth of the son. Look at Jesus and we are to
see the loving obedience of the Son of God who wants to do only and always the will
of the Father.
Love, even in the diverse expressions, unites in God's heart the three persons of
the holy family. For each and every one of them God is the most important person,
and because of this they welcome one another as a gift of God.
The secret of the unity and the harmony of a family lies in this: each and every
one in his heart puts God in the first place. With this everyone has the power to
love the other without waiting any recompense and everyone see the presence of the
other as an unworthy gift; a gift for which one is always grateful.
The Reading from God's Word today, want to help us move in this direction. The mother
of Samuel, Anna, has welcomed from God the gift of a son and wanted to give him
back to God: such was her maternity brought to perfection. The Evangelist wants
us to see the holy family in one of its difficult moments, more beautiful: Jesus
is different than from they imagined him to be. They suffer like all parents when
they realize that their son does not belong to them anymore. It is the moment in
which they see that their deep desires are fulfilled: the son accepts his being
of God and behaves as one.
Their love is not to do what one likes, but to do what God wants, what God asks:
this is the love that they give faithfully. John helps us to keep our eyes turned
to the Father, to see the love by which we are loved, that love that we can give
to one another, that love that is incarnated in the Son Jesus. It is in him that
the love of our families is to be shared, between couples, between children and
parents, between brothers and sisters. If our love is not shared through Jesus,
it will not overcome the trails of our weakness, of our limits and sins. But if
our love is shared through Jesus, not even the serious falls will ever succeed to
separate us and make us enemies of one another. Fill your heart with the love of
Jesus, and your family will receive the power of unity and peace.