Our festival this weekend centres on the Holy Family in Bethlehem, and then in Nazareth, and then in exile in Egypt to escape the wicked king Herod, and then in the later flourishing in Nazareth. In the circle of the Immaculate Virgin, her silent but certain protector S. Joseph and the God-man Christ passing gradually from infancy and childhood to maturity, we may now meditate upon the virtues of family life and seek their benedictions for ourselves and our own families. In our first reading this weekend, we find the benediction of the Holy One for Abraham and Sarah, who were without children.
“And now, true to His undertaking, the Lord visited Sara and fulfilled His promise; old as she was, she conceived and bore a son at the very time God had foretold. To this son whom Sara had borne him, Abraham gave the name of Isaac, and circumcised him, as God had commanded, when he was eight days old. He himself was then a hundred years old; so great an age had he reached before Isaac was born to him. And Sara cried out, ‘God has made me laugh for joy; whoever hears of this will laugh (Isaac) with me. Who would have thought,’ she added, ‘that Abraham would ever be told, Sara is nursing a son, born to thee in thy old age?'”
Genesis, 21:1-7 [link]
It is God Who brings us the children that we have, it is God Who blesses us with posterity. May we always be welcoming of this blessing and nurture the young life carefully. The letter to the Hebrews which gives us our second reading this weekend comments on the story of Abraham and Sarah, to say that their miracle child – given to them in old age – was theirs on account of their faith in the God Who had promised them this gift. There is a swift mention of Abraham’s determination to his miracle son Isaac; this horrible act is justified by the sacred author on account of Abraham’s faith in God’s Own fidelity, that God would bring about a happy ending for him.
“…he to whom the name of Abraham was given shewed faith when he left his home, obediently, for the country which was to be his inheritance; left it without knowing where his journey would take him. Faith taught him to live as a stranger in the land he had been promised for his own, encamping there with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of a common hope; looking forward all the while to that city which has true foundations, which is God’s design and God’s fashioning. It was faith that enabled Sara, barren till then, to conceive offspring, although she was past the age of child-bearing; she believed that God would be faithful to His word.”
Letter of S. Paul to the Hebrews, 11: 8-11 [link]
We too should be as trusting when we or members of our families are in threat of health or of life. This has never been easy, but God invites it. But the priority of the devout life is worship of God, by which we render praise to God, and thanks, for His generosity to us as families. We see the liturgical devotion of the Holy Family as the Child is presented in the Temple in our gospel reading. We hear the joy of the parents and the prophets Simeon and Anna, and the solemn prophecy of the sorrows the Blessed Virgin would have to endure some thirty years later. Family life can be joyful, family life can be sorrowful. In all things, however, may the Holy One be praised.
“The father and mother of the Child were still wondering over all that was said of Him, when Simeon blessed them, and said to His Mother Mary, ‘Behold, this Child is destined to bring about the fall of many and the rise of many in Israel; to be a sign which men will refuse to acknowledge; and so the thoughts of many hearts shall be made manifest; as for thy own soul, it shall have a sword to pierce it.'”
Gospel of S. Luke, 2: 33-35 [link]
Catholic Louth and Mablethorpe 