Making our Families Holy like that of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Homily for December 31, 2017.


“And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.” Luke 2:40. 

Our celebration of this feast draws our attention to the fact that Jesus wasn’t simply born a child, he was born into a human family. As far as human life is concerned, the family plays an indispensable role so much so that from the very beginning of human life on earth, God himself observed that it is not good for man to be alone.

That is to say, we humans are relational creatures; we were not built to live by ourselves; there is something in us that constantly longs for the company of others. We realize our full potentials only within the context of a family structure; we cannot do without the family.

God himself in whose image and likeness we are made is Family. In one God, there are three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Again in bringing his only Son, Jesus to the world, God had the option of dropping Jesus to us straight from the skies, God could have made Jesus suddenly appear in our midst without a father or mother, without a family but God went out of his way to ensure that Jesus was born into a human family.

Even when Joseph having heard that Mary was pregnant and was planning to divorce her quietly, God sent an Angel to him to instruct him to proceed with the marriage. Mary would have raised Jesus as a single Mother, after all, Joseph did not even contribute in the process (conjugal union) but God insisted that Jesus must have a father and mother and grow up within the circle of a human family. In this way, God shows us his own respect for the indispensable role of the family.

The fact that Jesus was raised in a family not only points to his true humanity, it also highlights the fact that when a family functions properly, it becomes a breeding ground for the best of the best. Except if we agree that Jesus was not truly human, we cannot remove the fact that Joseph and Mary trained him, taught him, spanked him at times; yes, they must have disciplined Jesus; they actually moulded him for solid thirty years quietly before Jesus came out publicly to begin his ministry.

We may want to ask ourselves today: How strong is my family? Is it still a breeding ground for the best of the best? Am I still committed as a parent or a child to showing good example? Or have I given up on my family?

Our Gospel passage today tells us of how Jesus was dedicated in the temple with a pair of turtledoves and two young pigeons and how Simeon and Anna prophesied about the child. It rounds off by saying that Mary and Joseph took the child home to Nazareth and “the child grew and became strong; filled with wisdom…” This was another way of telling us that Mary and Joseph took Jesus home to feed him, to train him, to teach him and nurture him. It must have been challenging for them because Jesus matured in age just like every other child yet Mary and Joseph took him as their own child.

Dear friends, maintaining a family is not easy; living with people under the same roof (people you have come to know their weaknesses and limitations), requires a lot of sacrifices. Do not be deceived, there is no perfect family out there. There is no family that does not have its own unique challenge(s) or its own set of problems.

At times, we get into the thinking that it is better for us to just quit the family and live entirely on our own but the truth is that no matter how bad the family may be, it remains the best place for our human survival. There is no place like home – there is no place like family. If God himself preferred the human family, who are we to try to push the family aside?

Like I have just noted, there is no family without its unique challenges and difficulties. In our first reading this morning, we see that Abraham’s Family was childless. Childlessness is a big issue in families (especially for us Africans). But you see, Abraham took his challenge to God directly, he did not go consulting native doctors, and he continued to love his wife Sarah; Abraham was faithful to God and he believed that God would keep his promise of granting him a child even at old age.

I encourage young couples who are yet to have children; continue to love each other. Let not your childlessness become a source of marital discord; do not envy your mates who are married with kids – they too have their own challenges that you are not aware of. Continue trusting in God, practice kindness and hospitality to everyone. And when you pray, remember Abraham and Sarah, Elkannah and Hannah, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Blessed Virgin Mary, remind yourself that you are praying to a God for whom nothing is impossible. Children are not products of human efforts; they are gifts from God. And to in-laws, uncles and aunties, do not make life difficult for couples because of childlessness. God alone knows why he delays children at times.

Finally, our second reading tells us that Abraham always obedient to God, he willingly left his father’s house when God asked him to, he was willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac trusting that God had the power to give him more children thereby passing the test. How obedient am I to God? As a family, do we listen to God’s voice daily so as to walk in his light? Do we still observe family times in our homes or are we living like strangers under the same roof? Have we allowed our phones divide us such that everyone is now living in his or her own world?


Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, renew my family in your grace and power. Amen.

Happy Sunday. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Feast of the Holy Family. Year B. Bible Study: Genesis 15:1-6.21:1-3, Hebrew 11:8-19 and Luke 2:22-40).

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