30 December 2023 – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph (Year B) (Sunset Mass)

by Fr Joachim Robert

Dear friends,

I am sure all of you had a beautiful Christmas celebration, together with family, friends, relatives and all those close to you. And after the whole celebrative mood of Christmas, this is the first Sunday after Christmas that we are celebrating. And today’s theme of the church invites us to contemplate on this theme of the Holy Family, The Holy Family of Nazareth. And it is an invitation for us to take a deep look at our own families and our relationship with one another because God came to dwell among us and He offers us this relationship of love so that we can be drawn into that relationship with God.

And as we look at the Gospel today, we see Mary and Joseph bringing the child Jesus into the temple and presenting it to Simeon. And here we see how God reveals Himself to Simeon and also to the parents. And here we see, dear friends, Mary and Joseph as an example of obedience to the Law and they offer what they had, the firstborn child, in the temple to God.

As I was reflecting on that whole journey into the temple, I am sure you know the whole history of the Annunciation, of how Mary was announced to be the Mother of God. And after that ‘Yes’ that she made, she was betrothed to Joseph. And after betrothing to Joseph, we see how the whole dynamics of she having to deal with the whole situation of being conceived by the Holy Spirit. And after that, the whole journey of both Mary and Joseph saying ‘Yes’ to God and fleeing to Egypt because of their child.

And after all that they have gone through, after all the difficult circumstances and the hardship that they had to endure because they have said ‘Yes’, we see them coming back to the temple to give praise and glory to God and offer that child to God for God’s blessing.

Because very often we only focus on this whole aspect of what happens at the temple itself. But what happens at the temple makes us also realise of the journey and the challenges and the obstacles that both Mary and Joseph had to go through, knocking at the doors of the inn where there was no room for Jesus. And then allowing the child to be born in the manger and after being born in the manger, we see that deep level of trust and conviction that the parents had of what God has blessed them with. And they offer that child back to God.

And I am not sure, dear friends, how many of you will be able to do the same. Very often when we face challenges, obstacles in life, very often we choose to go at different paths all together, wanting to get answers, wanting to do things ourselves, wanting to be in control of all that we can control. But this whole experience of this whole celebration of that tiny family entering into the temple is something that perhaps that we need to deepen and reflect upon. 

And even as they enter the temple as well, temple being such a big temple, these two husband and wife comes together with the child and brings it forward. I am not sure how would they have felt bringing that child together with two turtledoves into the temple. And even they were insignificant, in that whole courtyard of the temple with so many people bustling all around, they entered the temple insignificant though they were, not distinguished, not noticeable, but they did what they could because of their deep commitment and their trust in this God who have called them into a mission.

But we see how the two elders, both Simeon and Anna, comes towards them, approaches them and they praise God for this child. And after praising God for the child, they were able to recognise that this child is the Messiah. All the prophecies of old which was foretold is being fulfilled. And all these happened, dear friends, with a simple encounter. Encounter of Jesus meeting them in the temple.

And as we look at this whole story of the Presentation, we come to a deeper realisation as well. Because of that simple encounter, how that prophecies of old which was filled with faith and how the two young couple convinced with what God has done in their life and both of them were united at the temple because of the child Jesus. And Jesus becomes a meeting point for both of them, the young and the old alike.

In our families, dear friends, very often when we are faced with challenges and obstacles of life, when we are faced with disagreement, we are faced with disillusionment, when we are faced with differences of life, differences of opinion around us, where do we turn our hearts to?

Do we seek our own solutions to our problems or do we fix our focus on Jesus who brings us this light to a renewed relationship?

And doing so, we look even at the crib dear friends, the focus of Mary and Joseph is on that child Jesus. And today as we celebrate this Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, you and I are called to keep our focus on Jesus once again. It is an invitation for us to allow that light that is shining in the child Jesus to radiate and permeate in our lives and allow that darkness of our lives to fade away and to allow the light to shine because as the Responsorial Psalm says today:

He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers His covenant forever.

Even though we may forget the covenant that we have made with God, God always is faithful, God always secures His covenant because of His deep love for us.

And today, dear friends, like Mary and Joseph coming into the temple, offering 5 loaves and 2 fish and bringing Jesus into the temple, the question we have to ask ourselves is:
What are we bringing to the temple today?
Who are we bringing into the temple today?

And as we enter into the temple asking for God’s love, mercy and forgiveness in our lives, let us pray that as we remember our families, that God may continue to shower His abundant blessings upon each and every one of us. And like Simeon was able to see the manifestation of God in his life, as he says:
Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all nations to see, a light to enlighten the gentiles and to glory of your people Israel.

As we bring forward our presentations, dear friends, let us ask the Lord to open our minds to see salvation of God in our lives and to open our eyes to see the saving work of God in and through our lives and our families.

Click below to listen to the homily and watch the video:-

Click to live-stream Mass on 30 December 2023