Gospel: Feast of the Holy Family

Today marks the start of the First Week of Christmastide, continuation of the Christmas Octave, and the Feast of the Holy Family; the Gospel will be proclaimed according to St Luke (click here for the Mass reading from USCCB).

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. This feast coincide with the Christmas season, and we should place today's Gospel in the context of what St Luke's Gospel tells us about the birth of Jesus. St Luke has been answering the question, "Who is Jesus?" through his stories of the births of St John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus. Today's Gospel reading continues this theme. It has no parallel in the other Gospels and is the conclusion of St Luke's Infancy narrative.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, St Joseph, and Jesus are presented in this Gospel as a faithful Jewish family. They are participating in the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, an event shared each year with families and friends. When Jesus is found, st Luke describes him as seated in the Temple in the midst of the Jewish teachers. Although he is young, Jesus seems not to need teaching about his Jewish tradition. In his dialogue with these learned teachers, Jesus astounds them with his insights and understanding. Jesus is a child of Israel. His father is God.

The dialogue between the Virgin Mary and Jesus contains many references to family relationships. In fact, in this Gospel reading Mary and St Joseph are never identified by name. Instead they are referred to by their relationship to Jesus. Ultimately, this emphasizes St Luke's point about the identity of Jesus. When Mary and St Joseph find Jesus in the Temple, they question Jesus and express their anxiety. Jesus replies in words that many may have thought to be disrespectful. Jesus says that he was not lost; he was at home. Jesus is God's Son, and he is in his Father's house. St Luke will continue to suggest that faith in Jesus establishes new family relationships as he describes Jesus' public ministry.

In St Luke's Gospel, the Virgin Mary's importance is even greater than her role as Jesus' mother. Mary is the first disciple and will be present with Jesus' disciples after his resurrection at Pentecost.

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