The Family Values

30-12-2017 HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH (FEAST).

SCRIPTURAL READING:

1. Gen. 15:1-6; 21:1-3
2. Psalm 105:1-2.3-4.5-6.8-9 (R. 7a.8a).
3. Hebrews 11:8.11-12.17-19. Gospel Accl; Heb. 1:1-2.
4. Gospel Luke 2:22-40.

Please dear friends I would like you to repeat these words after me;

Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, I give my heart, help me welcome you.

Lord Jesus, I give you my ears, help me hear your voice,

Lord Jesus, I give you my mind, help me understand.

Holy Spirit rekindle in me the fire of your love. Amen.

THEME: THE FAMILY VALUES

Values are important in life. Values define what we stand for and how we make meaning out of life and they attract people of our likes to us. A valueless life is a directionless life. It simply means that for you as a person anything goes. We make values to help us achieve our set goals consistent with our purpose in life.

Every government, institutions, firms as well as persons have got set of values that enable them achieve their set goals in life, mission and purpose either as a company or an institution. To achieve this, they must make every effort possible to enable them live out this value. These values are standards or principles one considers to be important to him or her. Some of these values include; fairness, justice, truth, honesty, prayer, generosity, selfless service and dedication, hard work, affection, agility, calmness and repose, innovation and community involvement and a host of other values that people embrace to help steer the ship of their world to safe harbor.

Families today have values that define them and set their generations in the right perspective. They make sure generations to come fit into these set of Families values. They are always careful with those they mingle with so as to ensure that these values are not adulterated or treated with levity. They also go to any extent to see that these values are safe guarded.

Two incidents occurred on the same day Last Thursday precisely the 28^th of December, 2017; while I went for a Christian wake of Late Mama Anastacia Kehinde Reis at 5pm at St. Finbarr’s college hall, upon arrival at the scene of the Christian wake, I was presented with a bible written in Portuguese which served as the centre of the family prayer whenever they gathered for prayers in the family. The bible was placed on top of the table where I sat to conduct the Christian wake. I was rightly informed that this has been a tradition since 1876 handed on to later generations by their grandfather. While the interaction went on between General Reis and Myself, I said in my heart what a wonderful woman she was to have ensured that the tradition continued.

Again in the morning of the same Thursday 28^th of December, 2017, a member of Chaplaincy called me and asked if I was in, I told her yes ma’m, she said father please don’t go out I am coming with something for you. I said okay ma’m and we ended the call. At 11:30am, I peeped through my window having returned from the office, I saw a man trying to drag a very big cow out of the truck and he fell in the process, while I laughed and at the same time curious, I came out behold the woman standing right in front of the priests residence. I exclaimed what’s happening here and she said father I have come to make our family annual offering to the Lord. I was speechless and I said and it is a Cow. Though not to her but silently…I also said who am I that should have such a big gift from the Lord. I thought I was speaking to myself when she said father it’s our family tradition and it is for the Lord and I said thanks be to God and may the Lord bless you abundantly and she said a very big amen. She told me, that her father began the tradition before he died and passed it on to the mother and now down to the children after her death. The reason is that he offers this as a gesture of thanks to God for that of his life and children in line with what Job did for his children on the 1^st day of January, yearly.

Another in line with their family tradition, offered God last year 20 big Rams and this year they have increased it to 50 big Rams for what God has done in their lives and what he will keep doing for them. dear friends, we can go on and on citing examples after examples of family values that have defined most families today and would keep defining them.

These values were also present in the days of Jesus. The family of Jesus followed the already laid down values for every Jew. At the time of his birth as the gospel passage relates to us, three events belong to the fortieth day: the “purification” of Mary, the “redemption” of the first-born child Jesus through an offering prescribed by the law, and the “presentation” of Jesus in the Temple.

In the Book of Leviticus it is laid down that, after giving birth to a male child, a woman is impure for seven days (that is, she is excluded from taking part in worship), that the boy is to be circumcised on the eight day, and that the woman must then remain at home a further thirty-three days for her blood to be purified (cf. lev. 12:1-4). After this she is to present a purification sacrifice: a lamb for a burnt-offering and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin offering. Poor people need bring only two turtle-doves or two young pigeons.

Let us note that the eight day is the day of circumcision, when Jesus is formally taken up into the community of the promises extending back to Abraham: now he is legally a member of the people of Israel.

Mary presented the offering of the poor (cf. Lk 2:24). Luke, whose entire Gospel is shot through with a theology of the poor and a theology of the poverty, with this illustration, makes it abundantly clear that Jesus’ family belonged to the poor of Israel, and that it was among such as them that the promises would be fulfilled.

With reference to the purification of Mary, Mary does not need to be purified from the birth of Jesus: his birth ushers in the purification of the world. But she obeys the Law, and in this way she serves the fulfillment of the promises.

The second aspect here is the redemption of the first born, who belongs unreservedly to God. The price of the redemption was 5 shekels, and one could pay it to any priest one chose throughout the land.

Luke begins by specifically quoting the law regarding the consecration of the firstborn: “every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord” (cf. Luke 2:23; cf. Ex. 13:2; 13:12f.,15). What is unusual about this account is that instead of then relating the redemption of Jesus, it speaks of a third event: Jesus’ presentation. Evidently luke intends to say that instead of been “redeemed” and restored to his parents, this child was personally and publicly handed over to God in the Temple, given to God completely. The theme of his priesthood and the language of sacrificial offering is present here as a pointer to the fact that he who is presented to God is both priest and the victim of our redemption.

Following this, is the prophecy of Simeon and the prophetess Anna prompted by the spirit of God, who are also present in the temple as representatives of faithful Israel their sole purpose was to greet the “Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26).

Three things are said of Simeon-he is a devout man; meaning his whole person is oriented toward God. He is inwardly close to the Temple, he lives the encounter with God and awaits the “consolation of Israel.” He loves for the Redeemer, for the one who is to come.

Simeon is also a man of hope and expectation, and has the Holy Spirit upon him. We could say that he is a spiritual man and is therefore attuned to God’s call, to his presence. So on this occasion, he speaks as a prophet. First he takes the child Jesus into his arms and praises God, saying: “At last, all-powerful Master, you give leave to your servant to go in peace, according to your promise…” (Lk 2:29). These are powerful prayers which the church has adopted in her liturgy of hours. In this prayer addressed to God, the child Jesus is spoken of as “your salvation” echoing the word Redeemer, Saviour which is also found in the angel’s message on the Holy Night he appeared to Mary.

The canticle contains two important statements that are Christ centered: Jesus is the “light to enlighten the Gentiles,” and he gives “glory to your people Israel” (cf. Lk 2:32). Both expressions are taken from the prophet Isaiah. The reference to the Light to enlighten the Gentiles comes from the first and second suffering servant songs (Is. 42:6; 49:6). Jesus is identified as Isaiah’s suffering servant-a mysterious figure pointing toward the future. A messiah through whom the light of the Lord would reach the gentiles and hope restored to Israel.

Having praised God with the child in his arms, simeon turns to Mary with a prophetic saying: Jesus is “set for the fall and rising of many in Israel,” for a sign of contradiction. Simeon concludes with a very personal prophecy to the child’s mother: “a sword will pierce though your own.” Here we the theme of glory and cross are inseparably linked. Yet it is in the darkness of the Cross that this mission is fulfilled. We also learn from Mary the act of compassion for her Son for nay contradiction against the Son is also directed against the Mother and it cuts her to the heart.

This for become a lesson to also feel compassion for others who are in dear need of acceptance, whose dignity has been trampled upon by others, victims of injustice and war. This virtue and value of compassion can be learnt in the family.

Alongside the prophet Simeon, there now appears the prophetess Anna, an 84-year-old woman, who after seven years of marriage, had lived for decades as a widow. “She did not depart from the Temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day” (Lk 2:37). She is the model of the truly devout person. She is quite simply at home in the Temple. She lives with God and for God, body and soul. So she is truly a spirit-filled woman, a prophetess. Because she spends her life in the Temple-in adoration-she is there at the hour of Jesus’ appearing. “coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:38). Her prophecy consists in her proclamation-in passing on to others the hope by which she lives.

Luke concludes his account of Jesus’ birth, which included the fulfillment of all the requirements of the law (cf. 2:39), by announcing the return of the Holy Family to Nazareth. “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40).

The family is the bed rock of values and so we must make efforts to train our children in the right way and in the fear of God. Training of a child is not just a family thing it is a community thing like our fore fathers did in times past where everyone was concerned about the welfare of the other. This act of concern for others is the only way we can break the idea of individualism and narcissism and selfishness in our society which seems to separate us from others and isolate us.

We need to teach our children so many virtues that will help them manage their own homes.

1. Teach them how to eat moderately-for a man who eats too much hardly can he practice self control and restrain under intense pressure and provocation.
2. Teach them how to handle conflicts. Conflicts are good because they also reveal you to yourself and others to you. And it indeed reveals the truth about us to each other.
3. Teach them the virtue of patience against the temptation to react under every impulse, get whatever they want and however they want it.
4. Teach them the virtue of honesty as it is the only way to integrity.
5. Teach them the value of hard work as it is the only way to excel in life and break the circle of laziness which weakens us and denies us of joy that comes from hard work.
6. Teach them the culture of studying for knowledge is power.
7. Teach them humility because pride goes before a fall.
8. Teach them to turn to God immediately when they have erred for dwelling in sin is the way to hell and been held in bondage by Satan.
9. Teach them the value of prayer for it is the only weapon against the forces of darkness and victory over hell’s assault and getting into good relationship with the Lord.
10. Teach them manners for it enables them win the hearts of men.
11. Teach how to build good and lasting friendships for it makes life more meaningful.
12. Teach them the three words of courtesy-I am sorry, thank you, excuse me.

Dear friends as we celebrate the feast of Holy family, we pray for peace in troubled homes and for grace to be more loving. May the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph bless and heal wounds and hurts that exist in the family we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.