Sunday Connection - HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH – SUNDAY DECEMBER 29, 2024
Gospel Reading: Luke 2:41-52
The boy Jesus is found in the Temple.
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Family. This Solemnity is part of the Christmas Season, and we should place today’s Gospel in the context of what Luke’s Gospel tells us about the Birth of Jesus. Luke has been answering the question “who is Jesus?” through his stories of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. Today’s Gospel reading continues this theme. It has no parallel in the other Gospels and is the conclusion of Luke’s Infancy Narrative.
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are presented in this Gospel as a faithful Jewish family. They are participating in the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, an event shared each year with family and friends. When Jesus was found, Luke describes Him as seated in the Temple in the midst of the Jewish teachers. Although He is young, Jesus seems not to need teaching about His Jewish tradition. In His dialogue with these learned teachers, Jesus astounds them with His insight and understanding. Jesus is a child of Israel. His Father is God.
The dialogue between Mary and Jesus contains many references to family relationships. In fact, in this Gospel reading Mary and Joseph are never identified by name. Instead, they are referred to by their relationship to Jesus. Ultimately, this emphasizes Luke’s point about the identity of Jesus. When Mary and Joseph find Jesus in the Temple, they question Jesus and express their anxiety. Jesus replies in words that many have thought to be disrespectful. Jesus says that He was never lost; He was at home. Jesus is God’s Son, and He is in His Father’s House. Luke will continue to suggest that faith in Jesus establishes new family relationships as he describes Jesus’ public ministry.
In Luke’s Gospel, Mary’s importance is even greater than her role as Jesus’ mother. Mary is the first disciple and will be present with Jesus’ disciples after His Resurrection at Pentecost.
