On Cycle C of the Liturgical Calendar, the Gospel Reading of the Feast of the Holy Family (Luke 2:41-52) is somewhat challenging as many people see Jesus in this Gospel narrative as defiant to Mary for saying, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”(v.49), in response to Mary’s admonishing words to him for not staying with his family group, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety”(v. 48).
On the way back to Nazareth, Mary and Joseph realized that their son, Jesus, was not with them. Imagine how they had felt.
They searched Jesus with great anxiety but with diligence for 3 days. They traced their path back to Jerusalem and came to the Temple, where they were for Passover observance. There, they found their son, Jesus, amidst teachers, listening to them and asking them questions (v. 46). Though he was a 12-year-old boy from Nazareth, Jesus astounded these teachers with his understanding and responses to their questions (v.47).
Seeing their son, impressing teachers in the Temple, Mary and Joseph must have been astonished, too. But Mary’s maternal love for her son was verbally expressed to remind him how Mary and Joseph had to look for him (v. 48).
But Jesus’ response did not verbally show his concern for Mary and Joseph but only explicitly expressed the priority of the Father (v. 49). And Mary and Joseph did not understand what he said to them (v. 50).
So what is a lesson we can learn from the Holy Family here?
The First Reading (Ben Sira 3:2-6, 12-14) expounds on one of the Ten Commandments, to honor parents (Exodus 20:12). In light of this, for triggering great anxiety of Mary and Joseph for not sticking to them when they were leaving Jerusalem, was Jesus not honoring Mary and Joseph, his earthly parents?
Perhaps, it depends on how we see Jesus.
If we see Jesus as a mere son of Mary and Joseph, then, his response to Mary (vv.48-49) rather seems disrespectful and defiant. However, if we see Jesus as the Son of God, the Father, then, he was demonstrating his priority to the Father in heaven, from whom he came (John 7:28-29; cf. John 20:21). In fact, Jesus was practicing what he teaches about the priority, which is God. That is why he teaches that we must love Christ more than our earthly families (i.e. Luke 14:26).
Just because we are called to love Jesus more than our earthly families, it does not mean that we neglect to honor our parents. For Jesus, the Father is the one he loves more than anyone else. Nevertheless, he loves us so dearly – to the point of laying down his own life, showing the greatest love for us (John 15:13). In fact, he showed this greatest love for us because it was in his Father’s will (Luke 22:42).
This is what Mary did not understand at that time and had to learn.
After all, Jesus grew up being obedient to Mary and Joseph, while growing in wisdom as being favored by God the Father and people (vv. 51-52), while Mary was contemplating on all of these (v.50).
From this Gospel text in honoring the Holy Family, we are reminded that God is the most important factor of a family of the faithful. Honoring parents and parents loving their children are predicated by keeping God as the center of our families. This is why we must love our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) first and foremost.
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