December 27, 2020 – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122720.cfm)

Homily

Once I receive a Christmas card that say: “A child is born in our midst”. Well, that’s okay because that is the core message of Christmas. But what made me suspect then was that card was sent from the sisters’ convent. Imagine the sisters’ sending me a message that a child is born in their midst”. Me batang ipinanganak sa kanila. Hmmm???

Christmas reminds us that God has blessed us with a Child. Yes, God comes into our lives as a Child – not as fully grown man or as superman or as god, but as a poor child on a manger. For a child to live and grow in life, God’s child needs also a human parent and family like any other child. Jesus Christ, God’s son has to be taken, accepted, adopted and above all chosen by human parents and family. He grew up then in, with & through his family who adopted and chosen Him to be their own. And in a Family Jesus was born, loved, lived and has grown as a Person. Not in a Monastery or Convent.

Yes, God’s son has a family, a foster parents and family who chose Him to be their own. And He is now our own as well. Jesus is part of our family. He is our adopted and chosen brother, kapatid, igsoon, (우리 형이에요)

Today we honor the Holy Family, the very first family who welcomes and willingly accepts the Immanuel “the God with us” into our lives. Mary and Joseph are the very first parents who adopted and chosen the child of God Jesus to be their very own as member of their family. Our gospel today gives us a description on how Mary and Joseph do their best to parent the child Jesus into their own lives as they observe their own local cultural and religious traditions, while conscious of the mysterious unique experience of adopting and choosing God’s blessing into their lives. Yes, Jesus with Mary & Joseph they become a normal human family However, Jesus with Mary & Joseph they also become a HOLY family – now member of God’s family.

Honoring the Holy Family on Christmas season posts the on-going ever-present challenge for us, like Mary and Joseph, to adopt and parent Jesus, God’s child by choice into our lives now and always. Since God’s gift of grace comes to us as a Child – not as fully grown man or as superman or as god, but as a poor child on a manger, somebody has to take care of the Child & be responsible for the child to grow & mature into our very lives, so that His grace & blessing be revealed, given & share to all.

Taking care & responsibility for Jesus by willingly accepting, adopting & choosing Him into our lives to be our own, part of our own lives as family and community, we come to know also that we also are and becoming God’s adopted and chosen children and people, part of His Holy Family. Sa ating pag-angkin kay Hesus na ating kapamilya, tayo ay naging at maging ka-anak/kapamilya rin ng Dios at kamag-anak ng anak ng Dios. As we consider Jesus as our chosen brother, as our family member, we are and also become God’s children and Jesus family, part of the God’s Holy Family.

With the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Jospeh, may this Christmas season, and the coming New Year remind us always that even in times of darkness, crisis, quarantine or pandemic, God comes into our lives always & comes to us as a Child, who can bring us hope, promise & better life, as we willingly choose to adopt, take care & parent Him now as part of our human & holy family.

Have a Blessed Christmas & new Year to us all. Amen.