“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?” (Lk 2:48-49)
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.
It helps us to reflect upon our own families.
So often, we feel that there is no way that we can measure up to the Holy Family because we are, after all, tainted by sin.
However, the Holy Family appeared to have stresses of its own.
After all, as a very young family, they were uprooted from where they were living and had to go to another country because Herod was attempting to kill Jesus.
They had many trials, as all new families do.
Even in his later youth, we see a problem arise as reflected in today’s Gospel: the perfect family lost their Son!
Mary thought Jesus was with Joseph. Joseph thought Jesus was with Mary.
They were very frightened and, when they found Jesus a few days later in the temple, the expressed their consternation that He would have left them.
Jesus’ answer? “Did you not know I must be in my Father’s house?”
There is the answer, by the way.
When we are lost or lonely or upset or forsaken or a myriad of other problems that afflict us, there is one person to whom we can go: our Father.
God cares for us immensely.
Go to His house. Go to Him. Let Him care for you.
FAITH ACTION: Sometimes, families can be “less than ideal.” In your prayer today, pray for families that are struggling. Pray that they allow God to comfort them, to heal them, to unite them.