Scripture Reflections for the Feast of the Holy Family
Year C, Lectionary 17
A family isn't complete without God. Mary and Joseph could not proceed with their daily lives without Jesus within their family. We too must return to God's Temple to carry Christ into the world. In doing so, we join into God's holy family and even though we will still face struggles, we face them with Jesus guiding us through it all.
Hate feeling lost on Sundays at church? Searching for a better explanation of the Bible than what you hear from your pastor's sermon? Check out the following collection of audio, video, and text commentaries from various Christian experts for a better understanding of today's scripture that deal with: Child • Children • Commandment • Communicate • Community • Courage • Cross • Elder • Fair • Family • Fear • Forgive • Gift • Hannah • Holy • Initiation • Jesus • Joseph • Justice • Listen • Love • Mary • Mission • Obedience • Order • Parent • Parents • Passover • Patience • Prayer • Redemption • Relationship • Remember • Sacrifice • Samuel • St. Joseph • Struggle • Suffering • Temple • Trust • Virtue • Vocation • Wisdom •
“If you see someone who has a healthy relationship with their own father or their own parents the likelihood that they'll have a healthy relationship with their children is increased”
“Discipleship often involves the unexpected”
“if you are afraid your whole life you won't do anything, you won't be honest and relationships can't grow and be authentic if we're afraid”
“we are meant to be a part of that Holy Family, we are meant to be a part of that picture, we are called to share in the glory of the incarnate word and the eternal God”
“That is a holy family. It is not a family without problems, it is a family where the strong do not abandon or laugh at the weak but help the weak.”
“ultimately the holiest of families wasn't perfect and I don't think we can find a perfect family in all of sacred scripture. Now we can find a holy family and what makes a family holy is how you deal with the issues that come your way.”
“the devil knows that the best way to bring down the world is to attack individual families...we fight back like Joseph and Mary did, to go back and bring Jesus into the family. For any family that does not have Jesus is not complete.”
“Jesus wants you to know that he's had those same experiences as you, that you're not alone. When you think about those struggles in your own family you can close your eyes and say 'my Savior knows this feeling'”
“Children have so much to teach us...We should take the time to listen to them and engage with them. If we do so with humility, gentleness and patience the children in our lives may just help us to transform into the people God has called us to be.”
“All families have problems. How we deal with those problems is what can change an ordinary family into a holy family.”
“None of us can love in a perfect way as God can love so we accept our humanity and we realize that we need God to help us fill that love, that perfect love”
“May we choose to trust that when we act out of love for one another, that love will be shared in return and enkindle in us the desire to only love more deeply”
“What is Luke doing in his account of Jesus, finding of Jesus in the Temple? He's revealing to us that Jesus is like a new Samuel. He is the new boy-prophet who is going to speak the word of the Lord in the house of the Lord and whose life is going to be totally dedicated to God.”
“Today's readings are about being in right relationship with one another and with God. The readings tell us to take care of one another, be considerate, let peace control our hearts even when it causes great anxiety as Luke's gospel notes.”
“in these readings I'm reminded that although I carried them and birthed them, my children ultimately are not my own. They, like Samuel, are dedicated to the Lord. They come from God and my job is to guide them back to God.”
