FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY

What does Christmas mean to you?  When Pope Francis was asked this question back in 2013, his response was simple:

• Christmas is God visiting his people.
• Christmas is God walking with us.  He takes our hand as parents do with their children.
• Christmas is God coming to earth as a baby, entirely dependent upon the care of a father and mother.

On this Feast of the Holy Family, our Gospel from Matthew tells the story of Joseph and Mary, a father and mother, taking their newborn child when they are forced to flee to Egypt for the child’s safety.

The story is told of Sam, whose parents read him the Bible story of the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt.   

Sam was an inquisitive child and asked, “Is that story really true? Did Herod really want to kill the baby Jesus, and is that why they had to hide in Egypt?” 

It was past Sam’s bedtime, and his father really did not want to get into a long explanation, so he simply told Sam it was time to go to sleep.  Tired from all the Christmas activities, Sam immediately drifted off to sleep.   And then he had a dream of his own.

In his dream, there were no songs of the angels on high as all the angels had returned to heaven.  The shepherds were back in the fields with their flock.  The bright star in the sky was gone.  It was just baby Jesus, asleep between Joseph and Mary.

All of a sudden, there was the sound of Roman soldiers in the distance.  Joseph woke up and quietly woke Mary.   She clutched Jesus to her chest, and quietly, the family of three slipped out into the darkness.

Still dreaming, Sam joined them in their journey through the dark night.  He marveled at how Joseph and Mary protected their baby from the cold, ignoring their own fatigue and fear.

Sam wanted to help, so he took off his new jacket, a Christmas gift, and offered it to Mary to help keep the baby warm.  Mary smiled and graciously thanked him.

During the entire journey, Sam noticed how meek and humble the family was, never expecting any help from anyone.  Nevertheless, strangers welcomed the family along the way, providing them with food, water and shelter until they arrived safely in Egypt.  The family was always grateful for the help, no matter how small.

Sam woke suddenly from his dream, aware that he was crying but with tears of joy, not fear or sadness.  He believed the Bible story that his parents had read him the night before.  Now he felt incredibly special because he was able to see firsthand the love the Holy Family had for everyone they encountered, and the love that was returned to them.

As we stand on the threshold of a new calendar year, looking over the past and into the future, how would you rate your Christmas?  Did you get what you wanted?  How grateful are you for the gifts you received? On this feast of the Holy Family, how grateful are you for your own family, our extended families and our parish family?

Christmas doesn't end with the beautiful Hallmark card of the birth of the Christ child.  It continues with the desperate flight into Egypt.  What strikes me in this gospel are the verses that are left out of the reading.  These verses describe the massacre of newborn boys by King Herod.

Jesus was hunted down like a common criminal from the day of his birth.  It was 33 years later that they finally killed him.  Children continue to be targeted, tyrannized, oppressed and killed around the world.  The children of Gaza, Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Sierra Leone, and many other countries are suffering. Too many children in our own country, the United States of America, live in poverty without adequate food and health care.  Far too many live in homeless shelters or on the streets. 

Across the globe, children are often seen as expendable.  Children are subject to physical abuse, sexual violence, child trafficking and child labor.  They are aborted.  They are denied food, shelter, education and health care. 

Joseph and Mary spent their lives protecting their child.  And their child, Jesus, grew up protecting all children, feeding the hungry and caring for the sick.  We too must defend the children and strive to eliminate policies and laws that do not uphold the rights and dignity of every child on this planet.

As you decide on your resolutions for the New Year, resolve to do something meaningful to support children and families in our community, our country and our world.