1Sam 1, 20-22. 24-28 / Sal 83 / 1Gv 3, 1-2. 21-24 / Lc 2, 41- 52

Welcome… as children

The day after Christmas we celebrate the holiness with which Mary, Joseph and Jesus transfigured their living together as a family among other families of friends and acquaintances. The Gospel shows us the young man Jesus who enjoys a beautiful freedom of movement within his family, as well as portraying him in one of the most delicate moments of growth through the risk of detachment and autonomy, obedient because he is faithful. In the first reading, Anna is already an icon of this capacity to rejoice without holding back, on the contrary, recognizing God that she is the true and absolute point of reference in Samuel’s life. Every family is called to generate children of God and, of course, the family of Nazareth is the model of how much love and detachment are necessary to raise a child capable of saying: . It must be recognized that the Holy Family of Nazareth, whose mystery of relationship and love we celebrate today, sometimes risks transforming the model into a sort of screen on which we project our illusions about love and relationship. Reading carefully the texts that the Liturgy offers us we cannot underestimate the dramatic element that accompanies the life of Mary, Joseph and Jesus called to relate and learn to know each other not without some misunderstanding … certainly not small: (Lk 2:50). Perhaps these young and inexperienced parents would not have passed the eligibility exam we are used to today! Indeed, they lose the most precious treasure that has been so kindly entrusted to their care. In reality, one of the founding aspects of the relationship in the family of Nazareth is the drama of freedom that becomes respect for the decision of others and an area of ​​growth in autonomy that also takes into account failure and misunderstanding.

Commentary by b. Michael David, osb Community of the Koinonia de la Visitation

Translation by f. Mark Hargreaves, Prinknash Abbey