HOMILY
OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
HOLY MASS FOR
FAMILIES
Vatican Basilica
Sunday, 27 December 2015
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Sunday, 27 December 2015
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
The biblical readings which we just heard presented
us with the image of two families on pilgrimage to the house of God.
Elkanah and Hannah bring their son Samuel to the Temple of Shiloh and
consecrate him to the Lord (cf. 1 Sam 1:20-22, 24-28). In the
same way, Joseph and Mary, in the company of Jesus, go as pilgrims to Jerusalem
for the feast of Passover (cf. Lk2:41-52).
We often see pilgrims journeying to shrines and
places dear to popular piety. These days, many of them are making their
way to the Holy Door opened in all the cathedrals of the world and in many
shrines. But the most beautiful thing which emerges from the word of God today
is that the whole family goes on pilgrimage. Fathers, mothers and
children together go to the house of the Lord, in order to sanctify the holy
day with prayer. It is an important teaching, which is meant for our own
families as well. Indeed, we could say that family life is a series of
pilgrimages, both small and big.
For example, how comforting it is for us to reflect
on Mary and Joseph teaching Jesus how to pray! This is a sort
of pilgrimage, the pilgrimage of education in prayer. And it is comforting also
to know that throughout the day they would pray together, and then go each
Sabbath to the synagogue to listen to readings from the Law and the Prophets,
and to praise the Lord with the assembly. Certainly, during their pilgrimage to
Jerusalem, they prayed by singing the Psalm: “I was glad when they said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’ Our feet are standing within your gates,
O Jerusalem (122:1-2).
How important it is for our families to
journey together towards a single goal! We know that we have a road to
travel together; a road along which we encounter difficulties but also enjoy
moments of joy and consolation. And on this pilgrimage of life we also share in
moments of prayer. What can be more beautiful than for a father and mother to
bless their children at the beginning and end of each day, to
trace on their forehead the sign of the cross, as they did on the day of
their baptism? Is this not the simplest prayer which parents can offer for
their children? To bless them, that is, to entrust them to the Lord, just like
Elkanah and Anna, Joseph and Mary, so that he can be their protection and
support throughout the day. In the same way, it is important for families to
join in a brief prayer before meals, in order to thank the Lord for
these gifts and to learn how to share what we have received with those in
greater need. These are all little gestures, yet they point to the great
formative role played by the family in the pilgrimage of every day life.
At the end of that pilgrimage, Jesus returned to
Nazareth and was obedient to his parents (cf. Lk 2:51). This
image also contains a beautiful teaching about our families. A pilgrimage does
not end when we arrive at our destination, but when we return home and
resume our everyday lives, putting into practice the spiritual fruits of
our experience. We know what Jesus did on that occasion. Instead of returning
home with his family, he stayed in Jerusalem, in the Temple, causing great
distress to Mary and Joseph who were unable to find him. For this little
“escapade”, Jesus probably had to beg forgiveness of his parents. The Gospel
doesn’t say this, but I believe that we can presume it. Mary’s question,
moreover, contains a certain reproach, revealing the concern and anguish which
she and Joseph felt. Returning home, Jesus surely remained close to them, as a
sign of his complete affection and obedience. Moments like these become part of
the pilgrimage of each family; the Lord transforms the moments into
opportunities to grow, to ask for and to receive forgiveness, to show love and
obedience.
In the Year of Mercy, every Christian family can
become a privileged place on this pilgrimage for experiencing the joy
of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the essence of the love which can understand
mistakes and mend them. How miserable we would be if God did not forgive us!
Within the family we learn how to forgive, because we are certain that we are
understood and supported, whatever the mistakes we make.
Let us not lose confidence in the family! It is beautiful
when we can always open our hearts to one another, and hide nothing. Where
there is love, there is also understanding and forgiveness. To all of you, dear
families, I entrust this most important mission - the domestic pilgrimage of
daily family life - which the world and the Church need, now more than ever.
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