The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Homily Video
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Homily Transcript
>>I’m very grateful to have this opportunity to be with you today as we celebrate the Holy Family. And next week, as we celebrate Epiphany and the following week, when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. What a great joy to be with you three weeks in a rowand my homilies will build upon themselves. So make sure you tune in for the next two weeks. It was actually just about two months ago, the Feast of All Souls Day, November 2nd. It was that Feast Day on November 2nd that my grandmother went home to the Lord. Now, you know, obviously we’re saddened by that. But she had 95 wonderful years, 95 years and lived a wonderful life and even gave us a couple extra years in the past two years when we thought she was going to pass two years ago. She gave us two more years to be able to be with her and relish in these last years of her life. What a great celebration of her life and what a great woman. What I realize is that in our family, we find our identity. What do I mean by that? I mean that with my grandmother’s passing two months ago, I have to go to my aunts and uncles now if I have any questions, if I want to know more about my great, about my grandfather or great grandparents, I have to go to my aunts and uncles. It is in our parents, it is in our grandparents, is amongst our brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles and cousins that we all find out kind of who we are. We’re nothing but then brothers and sisters to our siblings, children to our parents, grandchildren to our grandparents. I talk about identitybecause today in the gospel, we hear Jesus learning more about his identity. He went to Jerusalem with his family, had a wonderful visit in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover and found himself very much call to stay in the temple and to engage in questions and answers with the teachers and those temple officials. He found himself growing closer and closer into his identity as a good Jewish boy, but also as God’s son among us. Jesus found his identity as he went with his family to the feast of the Passover. I also want to suggest that we find our identity, especially as we heard from the letter of Saint John. He reminded us that we are children of God. We are. And if we’re children to God and Jesus is God’s son, we’re also brother and sister to Jesus. Friends, that is our identity. Children of God and brothers and sisters to Jesus. And further, if I push that even further, that only children of God and brothers and sisters to Jesus, but we’re also called Jesus’ disciples and as Jesus’ disciples were called to follow him in every everything that we do, we’re called to follow Jesus. As disciples, a good definition for me is somebody who prays well, who serves with their whole heart, and who shares their faith and all that they have with others. Is that what we’re doing in our identity as Jesus disciples? Are we praying well? Are we serving well? Are we sharing all that we have? It’s a simple definition that I like to remind myself, as I remember that I am Jesus’ disciple and his brother and a son of God. Let us relish in our identity as Jesus relished in his identity. Let us relish in ours. Amen.
Readings
First Reading:
Sir 3:2-6, 12-14
Second Reading:
Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17
Gospel:
Lk 2:41-52
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