Reflections from the December 27 Gospel
Luke 2:41-52
Although Jesus apparently understood from a tender age how he related to God (“Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”), he also knew that he owed appropriate respect to his parents. This is why he stayed in their home in Nazareth and was obedient to them. Their direction, their teachings, their example, and their rules would all have shaped Jesus in his humanity. It was thanks in no small part to the matriarch and patriarch of the Holy Family that Jesus “advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.” We should be advancing in these ways too! The Holy Family serves as a beautiful model for us in this regard. They help us learn how to submit our lives to the loving leadership of our heavenly Father. But more than this, Mary and Joseph also serve as intercessors who, like any faithful family member or friend, want to pray with us and for us. Let us turn, then, to the intercession of the Holy Family asking that our families may be holy too.
Questions of the Week
Luke 2:41-52: What do you imagine the twelve-year-old Jesus did for the three days in Jerusalem?
1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28: How do you express your gratitude to God for your family?
1 John 3:1-2, 21-24: John defines “children of God” as those who believe in Jesus as the Son of God and who love one another. What would you add to this definition?