The celebration of the Holy Family makes us pause on multiple figures, whose faith is emphasized, as does the passage from the letter to the Hebrews, punctuated by the refrain “by faith … by faith …”. The gaze lingers not only on Mary, Joseph and Jesus, but also on Abraham, Sarah, Simeon, Anna. It is an important suggestion: the life of a family, in order to breathe and not die of asphyxiation, needs to fit into a wider relational fabric, to live beautiful and profound encounters, to perceive itself supported by the faith and human proximity of many others. It was the same for Mary and Joseph, who understood God’s plan better and glimpsed something more about their son, meditating on what Simeon and Anna say about him. This is an attitude that becomes more necessary in moments of crisis, when we struggle to decipher God’s will. The first reading tells us of Abraham, who does not see the promise of descent fulfilled. God pulls him out of the crisis by inviting him to raise his eyes to the sky to contemplate the stars, incalculable. God’s plan is infinitely greater than Abraham’s hope. Together with the stars, however, we must contemplate the faces of others, listen to their words, because what nourishes our family or community relationships is not an intimate gaze turned on oneself, but a broad and welcoming gaze.

Commentary by Comunità di Dumenza

Translation by f. Mark Hargreaves, Prinknash Abbey