Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
SUNDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS (Cycle A)
FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
Readings:
Sirach 3:2-7, 12-14
Psalm 128:1-5
Colossians 3:12-21 or 3:12-27
Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
All Scripture passages are from the New American Bible unless designated NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name YHWH (Yahweh).
God revealed His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments, and that is why we read and relive the events of salvation history contained in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of this Sunday's Readings: The Holy Institution of the Family
God instituted marriage and the family when He created the
first man and woman. He blessed marriage and the family and endowed both with
their necessary function for the common good of its members and of society as a
whole. Both marriage and the family have a significant role in God's plan for humanity's
salvation. The "promised seed" of Genesis 3:15, from which the Redeemer-Messiah
was to come, was generated and protected down through salvation history by
marriage and the family. The line was protected and flourished in the families
of the descendants of Seth, son of Adam and Eve, and his descendant Abraham and
his wife Sarah. Their son Isaac continued the line of the "promised seed" in
his marriage to Rebekah as God continued the Abrahamic covenant through their
son Jacob-Israel. St. Matthew and St. Luke traced that family line in Jesus'
genealogy in Matthew 1:1-18 and Luke 3:23-38. It is a line that culminated in
the Holy Family of Joseph and Mary of Nazareth and Mary's son, conceived by the
Holy Spirit, the "promised seed" sent to undo the work of Satan; He who is the Redeemer-Messiah,
Jesus Christ.
In the ecclesial community, we experience the Christian family, which constitutes a specific revelation and realization of that which is called the "domestic church." The Christian family is a communion of persons in the Body of Christ and "a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit" (CCC 2205). In the procreation and raising of children in the Christian family, it reflects the Father's work of creation. The spiritually reborn children of God in the Christian family still have a mission to fulfill in salvation history. God calls the Christian family to partake of the prayer and sacrifice of Jesus Christ and take on the mission to evangelize within the family and outside the family to other human families in the world.
The First Reading reminds us of the fourth of the Ten Commandments: Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you. Significantly, it is the only one of the Ten Commandments associated with a promised blessing for obedience. The inspired writer establishes the theme of this passage when he equates "fear of the LORD" with respect for one's parents. He tells us that our signs of honor and respect toward our parents are promised blessings beyond a good earthly life. So important is one's conduct towards parents that God promises that He will always hear the prayers of an obedient and caring child, and acts of kindness towards one's parents have the power to atone for sins.
In the Responsorial Psalm, the psalmist declares that children are a gift from God and describes blessings based on happiness in the family. The psalm ends with a blessing formula invoking the Lord God in His Temple on Mt. Zion, where the united family of the covenant people come to worship the Lord God and receive His blessings.
The Second Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians in which he urges them to be images of Christ to one another. He calls upon the Colossian Christians to take on a total transformation in body and soul in imitating Christ. The interior transformation begins with a spiritual conversion in the Sacrament of Baptism in which the Christian receives the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit. It is a step that calls for the resolution to renounce sin to lead a life that is in imitation of the life of Christ. That commitment leads to an exterior transformation in dealing with families, friends, and even strangers.
In the Gospel Reading, an angel warns Joseph to take the Holy Family and flee to Egypt, quoting from Exodus 4:23. Matthew calls this verse a "fulfillment statement," showing the parallel between Jesus' mission and the life of the Israelites when God sent Moses to call them out of slavery in Egypt. The children of Israel were reborn on their Exodus out of Egypt and transformed from a slave people who served the Egyptian Pharaoh to a free nation created to serve Yahweh their great King. Matthew's point is that Jesus has come to lead a new exodus out of slavery to sin to create a new Israel and a reborn people to serve Christ, the King of the everlasting Kingdom of God.
The First Reading Sirach 3:2-7, 12-14 ~ The Duty of a
Child Toward His/Her Parents
2 GOD sets a father
in honor over his children; a mother's authority he confirms over her sons. 3 Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and
preserves himself from them. When he prays, he is heard; 4 he stores up riches who reveres his mother. 5 Whoever honors his father is gladdened by
children, and when he prays he is heard. 6
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he obeys his father
who brings comfort to his mother. He who fears the LORD honors his father, and
serves his parents as rulers. [...] 12 My
son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he
lives. 13 Even if his mind fails,
be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his life; 14 kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
firmly planted against the debt of your sins, a house raised in justice to you.
The first three of the Ten Commandments instruct us in the conduct of our relationship with God. The last seven characterize our relationship with our "neighbor/fellow men-women," the foremost of which is our conduct toward our parents (Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16). The inspired writer reminds us of the fourth of the Ten Commandments: Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you in verse 6. Significantly, it is the only one of the Ten Commandments associated with a promised blessing for obedience, and that blessing is a long life. In our passage, the inspired writer establishes the theme of this passage when he equates "fear of the LORD" with respect for one's parents (6b). He tells us that our signs of honor and respect toward our parents are promised blessings beyond a good life. So important is one's conduct towards parents that God promises that God will always hear the prayers of an obedient and caring child, and acts of kindness towards one's parents will atone for sins (verses 3 and 14).
Jesus spoke of the duty to honor one's parents and to be grateful to them in Mark 7:10-13a when He condemned the actions of the scribes and Pharisees, saying: "For Moses said, 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'Whoever curses father or mother shall die.' Yet you say, 'If a person says to father or mother, "Any support you might have had from me is qorban"' (meaning dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God ...." Notice that the fourth commandment and Jesus' statement does not demand that we love our parents. God knew there would be bad parents who would fail to image His relationship as a divine, loving Father. However, having a bad parent does not negate the command to behave in a caring and respectful manner to one's parents. Jesus' statement supports our passage in Sirach in that one who truly revers God will respect and care for his parents because it is a standard of behavior that God asks of those who love Him.
Responsorial Psalm 128:1-5 ~ The Happy Home of the Just
The response is: "Blessed are those who fear the Lord and
walk in his ways."
1 Blessed is everyone
who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! 2
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be and
favored.
3 Your wife shall be
like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive
plants around your table. 4 Behold,
thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. 5 The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of
Jerusalem all the days of your life.
A repeated refrain in the Old Testament is the admonition to "fear the LORD and to walk in his ways," meaning to revere God and to be obedient to His commands. A reverent fear of offending God is a healthy spiritual condition. It assures that one will avoid the causes of sin, and that fellowship with God will be carefully cherished. In this psalm, we have the promise that God will faithfully bless the reverent (verse 1). His blessing includes a happy home life, prosperity, a fertile spouse, and abundant children (verses 2-4). The last verse extends God's special blessing to those who reverently fear to offend Him in the faith community, which is also called in Scripture the "household of God" our heavenly Father (Gal 6:10; Eph 2:19).
The Second Reading Colossians 3:12-21 ~ Rules of
Christian Behavior towards One's Neighbor and Within One's Family
12 Put on, as God's
chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing
with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against
another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. 14 And over all these put on love, that is, the
bond of perfection. 15 And let the
peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called
in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish
one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your
hearts to God the Father through him. 17 And
whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, be subordinated to your husbands, as
is proper with the Lord. 19 Husbands,
love your wives and avoid bitterness toward them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for
this is pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers,
do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.
In this passage St. Paul lists a set of virtues for "God's chosen ones" that contrast the list of vices in 3:5-11: heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. The result of exhibiting such virtues is that we act with love in bearing with one another and forgiving one another. In St. Paul's letters, these terms not only refer to human virtues but also the acts of God the Father and God the Son (for example 2 Cor 6:6; Gal 5:22; Eph 2:7; Phil 2:1; etc.). Those who exercise these virtues Paul says are emulating divine love by letting "the peace of Christ control your hearts" (verse 16; also see Eph 4:3).
St. Paul lists the key aspects of Christian behavior: And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you (verses 15-16). That we are "called in one body" repeats the concept that in Christ, we are God's "chosen ones" in the same way He called Israel to be His covenant people at Mount Sinai (see 3:12). It is one of five references St. Paul makes to the Church as the Body of Christ in Colossians (see 1:18-20, 21-22; 2:9-10, 19). If a Christian is living in imitation of Christ within the Christian community and the world, he must be kind, gentle, and loving with others. It is the love of Christ that is "the bond of perfection" for the Church.
Verses 16-17 provide a description of a faithful Christian community in whom the "word of Christ dwells richly." Concerning this kind of assembly of the faithful, Paul writes, in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God the Father through him. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Next, St. Paul turns from the "household of God" to the "household" of marriage and the family using three pairings in his teaching: husband and wives, children and parents, and fathers and their children. In verse 18, reflecting the cultural norms of the times, Paul urges wives to submit to the decisions of their husbands as the head of the family. In Ephesians 5:21-22, the verb Paul uses is softened to suggest a mutual submission of husbands and wives. The comparison Paul makes is that a wife should be willing to obey her husband as the Church follows the Lord as the head of the Body of Christ. Paul softens his teaching by reminding husbands not to abuse their leadership in the family but to love your wives, and avoid bitterness toward them. Paul's command "to love" one's wife also implies the necessity "to respect" the wife as a person with feelings and ideas.
The second pairing is between children and parents: 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. The importance of the obedience of children is rooted in the fourth of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16; also cited in Eph 6:2). It is interesting to note that St. Paul addresses children directly in verse 20, suggesting he expected them to be present in the assembly when their pastor read his letter to the community.
The third pairing is between fathers and children: 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged. Verse 21 is the second reminder to men not to abuse their leadership role in the marriage and the family. Greco-Roman society at the time Paul wrote his letter gave an extreme form of power to fathers and husbands, the extent of which is shocking to modern standards. Paul is reminding fathers and parents in general that children are precious to God, who is their heavenly Father. Fathers are to nurture children and encourage them in Christian virtues in the same way God loves and encourages all His human children to choose the right path in their faith journeys. It is also St. Paul's gentle reminder of the critical role of the Christian family in the life of the Church.
The Gospel of Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 ~ The Holy
Family's Flight to Egypt and their Return
13 When they
had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
"Rise, and take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I
tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." 14 Joseph rose and took the child and his
mother by night and departed for Egypt. 15
He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had
said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son." [...]
19 When Herod had died,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20 and said, "Rise, take the
child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the
child's life are dead." 21 He
rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that
Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to
go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the
region of Galilee. 23 He
went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through
the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazorean."
For a second time, an angel came to speak to Joseph in a dream (see Mt 1:18-25). Joseph was immediately obedient to the angel's message that the child Jesus was in danger, and he must take Jesus and Mary and flee to safety in the land of Egypt. Verse 15 is the third fulfillment formula statement in Matthew's Gospel. The fulfillment statement is a quote from Hosea 11:1, and it is an allusion to Exodus 4:22-23 when Yahweh instructed Moses to tell the Pharaoh that Israel is God's "first-born son" and to "let my son go that he may serve me," identifying Jesus with the nation of Israel and the story of the Exodus liberation.
It was not unusual for the angel to command Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to safety in Egypt. The nation of Egypt was a traditional place of refuge in the Bible:
Travel to Egypt by the ancient roads from Bethlehem to the Wadi el-Arish, "River of Egypt" (1Kng 8:65; Jdt 1:9), took about 3-4 days for the c. 100-mile journey (Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, Jesus and Paul: Parallel Lives, page 14). The expensive gifts of the Magi (Mt 2:10-11) probably provided the funds they needed for the journey and establishing a life in Egypt.
Matthew 2:19-23 ~ The Holy Family Returns from Egypt
When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and
said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel,
for those who sought the child's life are dead." 21 He rose, took the child and his
mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place
of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been
warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. 23 He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth,
so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall
be called a Nazorean."
When Herod died, the angel appeared to Joseph a third time and told him to return to his homeland. The children of Israel, who were the "firstborn sons" of God out of the nations of the earth (Ex 4:22), returned to the Promised Land of Canaan after their sojourn in Egypt. In the same way, the Holy Family returned to their homeland as God called "His firstborn Son out of Egypt" (Mt 2:15, 20-21). Again, Joseph was obedient, but he did not return to Bethlehem for two reasons. He feared Herod's son Archelaus, and the angel told him to go the Nazareth in the Galilee. When Herod the Great died, the Romans honored Herod's will and appointed his son Archelaus to rule from Jerusalem as ethnarch over the regions of Judea, Samaria, and Idumaea, while Herod's son Herod Antipas became tetrarch of the Galilee and Perea. Archelaus was every bit as cunning and cruel as his father but with none of his father's administrative skills. He ruled Judea for only about two years before the Romans removed him and made Judea a Roman province administrated by a Roman procurator under the authority of the Roman legate of Syria.
23 He went
and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the
prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazorean."
Verse 23 is the fourth formula fulfillment statement in
Matthew's Gospel. This passage has mystified Biblical scholars since there is
no explicit text in the Old Testament that states the Messiah would be called a
Nazorean. However, unlike the other quotes which refer to what is spoken by
"the prophet," this passage does not mention a single prophet but to what
had been spoken through the prophets, plural. Therefore, Matthew may not
be referring to a single Old Testament passage but to a theme in the prophetic
texts. He may also be making a word-play on the Hebrew word netzer, which
means "branch," which may be the root word for Nazareth in Hebrew, Nazara/Nasrat.
Netzer, "branch," is a Messianic title most notably in the prophetic
passage in Isaiah 11:1 ~ But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud [netzer] shall blossom. It is a prophecy that
identifies the Messiah as coming from the family of Jesse, son of Obed, son of
Ruth and Boaz, who was the father of the great King David. It was with David
that God made an eternal covenant that promised his throne would be forever
secure and that the Messiah would come from the family of David
(1 Sam 7:16; 23:5; Ez 34:23-24).
Families have always been prominent in God's plan of salvation. That plan began with the family of Adam and Eve from which the human family was born, to the family of Abraham and Sarah that gave birth to the nation of Israel, to the family of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus the promised Redeemer-Messiah. Your family also plays a role in God's plan for the salvation of humanity. It is your children who will continue as Jesus' emissaries to the world, carrying on His mission to spread the Gospel of salvation and to prepare the next generations for the return of Christ our Savior.
Catechism References (* indicated Scripture quoted or
paraphrased in the citation):
Sirach 3:2-7 (CCC 2218);
3:12 (CCC 2218)
Colossians 3:14 (CCC 815, 1827, 1844); 3:16-17 (CCC 1156*, 2633*); 3:16 (CCC 2641); 3:18-21 (CCC 2204*); 3:20 (CCC 2217); 3:21 (CCC 2286*)
Matthew 2:13 (CCC 333*); 2:15 (CCC 530*); 2:19 (CCC 333*)
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2013, revised 2019 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.