The Holy Family is a model of communication We have a really beautiful day today… Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The designation “saints” places this family in the realm of holiness, which as such is a gift of God, but also a free and responsible consent to God’s plan. This was the case of the Nazareth family: it was fully at the disposal of God’s will.
Who could not be amazed at, for example, Mary’s submission to the actions of the Holy Spirit, who asked her to become the mother of the Messiah? After all, Maria, like every young woman of that time, had before her the realization of her life plan, that is, to marry Jozef. But when she realizes that God is calling her to a special task, she does not hesitate to call herself his “servant” (cf. Lk 1:38). Jesus highlights her greatness not so much for her role as a mother, but for her obedience to God. Jesus says: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:28), just like Mary. And even if Mary does not fully understand the events that affect her, she silently contemplates, ponders, and adores God’s actions. Her presence under the cross finally sanctifies this complete surrender of hers.
But as far as Joseph is concerned, the Gospel does not capture a single word of his. He does not speak, but acts in obedience. He is a man of silence, a man of obedience. In today’s Gospel (cf. Mt 2:13-15, 19-23), this obedience of the righteous Joseph is captured three times – during the flight to Egypt and the return to Israel. Under the guidance of God, represented by an angel, Joseph takes his family out of the reach of Herod’s threats and saves them. The Holy Family thus identifies itself in solidarity with all the families of the world who are forced to emigrate, it identifies with all those who are forced to leave their land because of oppression, violence, and war.
After all, the third figure of the Holy Family is Jesus. He is the will of the Father: in him, says St. Paul, there is not both “yes” and “no”, but only “yes” (cf. 2 Cor 1:19). And this was manifested in many moments of his earthly life. For example, in the event in the temple, when he answers to his parents, who were anxiously looking for him: “Did you not know that I am supposed to be where my Father is?” (Lk 2:49); or his repeated statement: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me” (Jn 4:34); or his prayer in the garden on the Mount of Olives: “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from me and I must drink it, let you will be done” (Mt 26:42). All these events are a perfect realization of the very words of Christ, who says: “You did not want a sacrifice or a gift… Then I said: ‘Behold, I come… to do your will, O God.'” (Hebrews 10,5-7; Ps 40.7-9).
Maria, Joseph, Jesus: this is the Holy Family of Nazareth, which represents the congregational response to the Father’s will: the three members of this family help each other to discover God’s plan. They prayed, worked, and communicated with each other. And I ask: Do you know how to communicate with your family, or are you like those kids who are at the table and everyone is chatting with a cell phone in their hand? At such a table there is silence as at mass… but they do not communicate with each other. We have to start a new dialogue in families: parents, children, grandparents, and siblings have to communicate with each other… This is today’s homework, just on the day of the Holy Family. May the Holy Family be a model for our families, so that parents and children support each other in faithfulness to the Gospel, which is the basis of the sanctity of the family.
FROM Let us believe in Our Lady, the “Queen of the Family”, all the families of the world, especially those that are tested by suffering or difficulties, and let us ask for her maternal protection.
