spect. How have you shown love and respect to your family

members? How have you expected such treatment in return?

For Responsorial Psalm:

Q: How is your family a blessing to you?

Thank God for the blessing of your family. Ask blessing on

your immediate and extended family.

For Reading 2:

Q: What do you bring to Mass on Sunday? Baggage and a

fighting spirit? Or a thankful heart? Honestly reflect on the

quality of your worship. Ask God to heal the hurt. Place all

burdens in his hands. And thank him for his grace.

For the Gospel

Q: Do you look forward to the end of the Christmas season?

Why?

Q: God revealed a life of pressure to the Holy Family. Have your

post-Christmas experiences been pressured? Have they taken

a downturn? How can they be God's will?

Q: Review the holidays. Place the joys and sorrows of the holi-

days before the Lord. How do you see God working with you

this past season. How is he working with you now?

Sources: dailyscripture.net; usccb.org; word-Sunday.org

W e e k l y R e f l e c t i o n

First Reading: Sirach 3: 2-6

God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he

confirms over her sons.

Responsorial: Psalm 128: 1-5

R: Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in His ways.

Second Reading: Colossians 3: 12-21

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Gospel: Luke 2: 22-40

He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth

F O R D E C E M B E R 2 7 , 2 0 2 0

The Feast o f th e Ho ly Fami ly

"Out of Egypt I called my Son.”

"Lord, make me a faithful servant of your word and guardian of your truth. Help me to obey you willingly, like Joseph and Mary, with unques-tioning trust and with joyful hope."

Question of the Week: What spiritual impact does your family have in your life?

Page 2

When the days were completed for their purification according to

the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him

to the Lord.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they

returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and be-

came strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Another Christmas has passed. The glow of the season dimly lingers on.

While many pack up their lights for another season, others want to hold on,

even for the briefest moments, to the promise of Christmas. Peace on

earth. Goodwill toward all people.

To those who know Christ firmly hold that the Spirit of the season lives on,

for that peace and goodwill is Jesus. In Luke's gospel, the Spirit of Christmas

not only lingers, it grows stronger. For God favors his child with wisdom

and grace. And through his child he favors us all.

In Luke's gospel, Joseph and Mary brought the child Jesus to the Temple for

two reasons: the child's presentation and the mother's purification. Luke

used the ceremonies, the place, and the witnesses to further proclaim Je-

sus as the Christ.

According to Leviticus 12:3-4, boys were circumcised eight days after birth..

According to Jewish tradition, this ceremony declared the son legitimate

(i.e., "presented") before God and the community. [2:22-23] A child's

mother was unclean for thirty-three days. Only after that period could the

mother celebrate the rite of purification with an offering. [2:24] While Luke

referred to the circumcision of Jesus eight days after his birth in 2:21, he

combined the presentation aspect of circumcision with the purification of

Gospel Reading: Luke 2: 22, 39-40

Gospel Meditation

Page 3

Mary in one ceremony, extending it to the family (see 2:22; "their

cleansing"). Luke, in fact, used the purification ceremony to emphasize

the presentation of Jesus, just as Hannah presented (i.e., dedicated)

Samuel to God at the Temple (1 Samuel 1:22-28). The question re-

mained, what type of service would Jesus give? Luke portrayed the

rituals in the Temple to advance his theme. Jesus would serve God as

the Jewish Christ of the underclass.

Jesus' presentation at the Temple represents his unity with his people

and his place as the First Born of the Father. As a circumcised Jew, Je-

sus was a true son of Abraham. He followed the Law, worshiped God

in the Temple, and extended himself to his fellow countrymen.

Jesus was also the unique first born of his Father, the "light to the na-

tions" and "the glory of Israel." But his status would come at a price.

He would be opposed by the leadership and would suffer death, sym-

bolized by the dagger in Mary's heart. Yet, the public nature of his

death would be the sign of universal salvation, "in sight of all nations."

Have you ever experienced God in church, but in way unexpected?

Has God ever caught you by surprise, yet in a way that gave new in-

sight? Have children ever caused you to wonder? What happened?

In the place of God's dwelling, a child is presented and given a mission.

In the experience of a child, God gave the world Good News. In the

sight of a family, the world saw the presence of God with his people.

Yes, the Spirit of the season lingers on. And it grows stronger as long

as we hold the Christ Child close to us.

For Reading 1:

Q: The fourth commandment is based upon a deeper command

from God: love others as self. Love assumes and builds up re-

Reflection Questions