Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Lectionary: 17
26 DEC 2021 A.D.


Reading I
Sir 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children;
   a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
   and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard;
   he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,
   and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;
   he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My son, take care of your father when he is old;
   grieve him not as long as he lives.
Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;
   revile him not all the days of his life;
kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
   firmly planted against the debt of your sins
   —a house raised in justice to you.


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
  who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
  blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
  in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
  around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Behold, thus is the man blessed
  who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
  may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
  all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.


Reading II
Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.  

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands,
as is proper in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives,
and avoid any bitterness toward them.
Children, obey your parents in everything,
for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children,
so they may not become discouraged.


Alleluia
Col 3:15a, 16a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel
Lk 2:41-52

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast
of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man.

Overview of the Gospel:

• The Feast of the Holy Family, which developed in the 17th century, honors the family group of
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Built on the Gospel accounts, this family is looked upon as a model
of ideal family life. To promote family life and build up devotion to the Holy Family, Pope
Benedict XV established this feast for the Universal Church in 1921.

• This story, which we know as the Fifth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary (like many other stories
found in the “infancy narratives”) appears only in Luke’s Gospel. The infancy narratives end in
the same location as they began, in the Jerusalem Temple (Luke 1:8).

• All male Jews ages twelve and older were required to make three pilgrimages to Jerusalem
every year—at the feasts of Passover, Weeks (Pentecost), and Booths (Tabernacles). Custom
excused those who lived far away from the feasts of Weeks and Booths, but not Passover.
Even though only older males were under obligation, often the entire family would go, traveling
in large parties or caravans (males and females with small children traveling separately until
making camp at evening) for convenience, fellowship, and safety.

• This is the first time we hear about Jesus since the return of the Holy Family to Nazareth from
Egypt, where they fled to escape the wrath of King Herod (Matthew 2:16-23). It is the last time
we hear about him until his appearance at the Jordan to be baptized by John (Luke 3:1ff). This
undocumented period of time is often called “the hidden years” of Jesus’ life.
[courtesy of Vince Contreras: "Sunday Scripture Study for Catholics"]


"I turn to you, dear parents, and implore you to imitate the Holy Family of Nazareth." ~St. John Vianney

The Pilgrim Falily