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Cycle B Feast Holy Family

by | Jan 20, 2009 | 2009, Cycle B, Feast of Holy Family, Ordinary |

Catholic Homily for Cycle B Feast of HOLY FAMILY

by Fred Karpuk

We went to a wedding last weekend. One thing that I thought was very sweet came at the end of the movie created in the couples honor. They said in THANKING their parents, “We will imitate your lives, not so much for the things you preached, but for the way in which you lived them.” I would like to build my homily upon this thought.

1. This is a wonderful time for families. In this Christmas Season, families annually come together in many traditional ways to RECHARGE the batteries of their personal and extended family relationships. But in celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family at this time, we also have the opportunity to USE this Battery recharging time, to keep the Spiritual life of our Families upper most in our hearts as well.

As Catholics, we have the serious responsibility from our BAPTISMAL call to live a HOLY LIFE, for both individuals and families. Therefore what the Holy Family has to say to us, in the way they lived their daily lives and inspiration they lent to the teachings of the Church is important.

2. What the Holy Family showed us and the church teaches is we need to base family life on LOVE and COMMON PURPOSE. If we do not hold fast to the Love of Christ and stay unified in purpose of His church, we as family will find it tough to survive. Let me remind you, a divided, apathetic Christian family is no match for the enemy. The enemy, the DEVIL is real. He hates Christ and he aims to ruin the heart of God’s beneficial Plan for us and that is… FAMILY.

3. The Enemy wants to destroy marriage, by distorting any good thing that keeps it together and underlies the basis for it. The honor, respect and authority of spouses and parents for starters. The enemy wants to destroy the wholesome concept of our sexuality. By promoting casual sex, Living Together before marriage, Adultery, Contraception, Abortion, same sex Marriages, and pornography. None of these actions show the LOVE that God intended for our sexuality and they are all against the common PURPOSE of the Christ’s Church. For the benefit of Society, we as members of the body of Christ have every need to secure the Family Unit.

4. Our readings reflect on many positives of FAMILY LIFE. High on the list is how we have a profound duty to parents. Wisdom teaches us many benefits come from obedience to and care for parents. Even though at times, emotionally and physically, it can be a hard thing to do. Included in the DUTIES and BLESSINGS that come about according to St. Paul is the importance of living a Virtuous Life for the benefit of Society. Virtuous Acts, when preached but especially lived, of Mercy, Kindness, Humility, Meekness, Patience and Forgiveness, when done for Love of Christ, are the ’PERFECT’ Actions that we strive for and can accomplish. And we must get any notion out of our heads that we cannot do it. It’s doable.

And paramount to it all is how our families grow in understanding what it means for a family to have a relationship with God. Especially in the many forms of prayer (Grace, Rosary, Scripture, Song) and going to mass on Sundays.

5. While we don’t think of it this way, God has always been about family. The First Family we should consider imitating for its’ love and common purpose is the Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The very nature of their names designate relationship and purpose. So when Adam and Eve sinned and fell from the Grace of God, Scriptures expressed the unrelenting love that the Father has for the Human Family, in a series of Covenants. He made these agreements with them so as to bring all back to living in his common Purpose for creation.

  • With Adam the relationship of husband and wife in MARRIAGE was at the heart of the 1st Covenant.
  • With Noah, the FAMILY and the importance for continuation of Life on earth was at the heart of the second Covenant.
  • Abraham was placed at the head of a NATION of people that would form God’s CHOSEN People.
  • Moses was called to lead this same people out of Bondage and help them become a HOLY PEOPLE. Living by God’s Law.
  • And…To King David the last OT covenant was to establish a Royal blood line making those who belong to it…SONS of God.

You can see the progression of God’s Plan for Family. That is why the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus becomes so important for us. They are the model for living the Covenants with God. They are the perfect domestic family, belonging to God’s Spiritual Family. In Scripture they did LITTLE PREACHING, but showed us a lot of living God’s Plan.

  • Mary & Joseph exemplify the covenant of marriage.
  • They exemplify the fruitfulness of family, most especially is terms Building spiritual family.
  • They Exemplify the Family who lived in Gods’ Chosen community. Longing for the fulfillment of His Promises.
  • Mary & Joseph Exemplified living the Law and being Holy Individuals, parents and Nation. (We saw this clearly in The Gospel of the day.)
  • They Exemplified the people who believed God Cared for them.

6. This Christmas season let the sweetness of the Holy Family enter our lives, not so much for Words Preached by the Holy Family, but for their Lives lived in accordance to God’s Love and Purpose. Let all Families imitate the Holy Family.