Greeting (See the Second Reading)
We are already the children of God; we need not be afraid in his presence. May the Lord Jesus be always with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction In the House of the Father
It may come as a real surprise to us to hear Jesus ask Mary
and Joseph: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be
where my Father is?” Even Joseph and Mary had still to learn and to grow in
their faith. Like the Holy Family, our families and each of us have also to
grow in the faith. Perhaps it is through painful trials like the one of Mary
and Joseph that our faith may become mature. We too are asked: Did you not
know…?
Busy with the Father’s Affairs
It is perhaps hard for us to imagine that Jesus, God’s own
Son, was really human, that he grew up not only physically but matured as a
person and discovered little by little who he was. Of course, the whole Holy
Family sought to do the will of God but we see Jesus affirm today that he has
become aware that he is especially close to the Father and that God’s loving
will is all that matters. Isn’t that all that matters for us, too, and should
also we not grow closer to God? Let Jesus here in this Eucharist help us to
become mature in God’s love.
Penitential Act Are we still willing to grow in our
faith? Let us examine ourselves before the Lord. (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you accepted to live under the authority of Mary
and Joseph: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, your mother pondered in her heart the events
happening in her life: Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, with Mary and Joseph you sought above everything
the will of the Father in heaven: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have
mercy.
Lord, forgive us our sins and our lack of understanding. Make
us mature in our faith and love. Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer Let us pray that the Lord Jesus may
grow up in us (PAUSE)
God our Father, we give you all thanks and praise that you
chose for your Son a human family. Through the prayers and example of Mary and
Joseph, may we too learn to make room for Jesus in our life, that he may grow
up in us day after day and make us more like him. We ask this in the name of
Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
Reading 1: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Reading 2: Colossians 3:12-21
Gospel: Luke 2:41-52
Intercessions
With the Holy Family of Nazareth, we trust in the Lord, who
knows all our needs, and we ask him to bless all our human families. Let us
say: R/ Lord, bless your people.
– For the family of the Church, that it
may be a mother and a home for all people in need, let us pray: R/ Lord,
bless your people.
– For all married couples, that they may
keep the freshness of their first love or rediscover it, let us pray: R/
Lord, bless your people.
– For all the families of the world, that
they may keep growing in mutual appreciation and service, let us pray: R/
Lord, bless your people.
– For children and young people, that
their parents may be to them grownups concerned about their growth and
happiness, let us pray: R/ Lord, bless your people.
– For separated couples and their
children, that they may meet warm-hearted people whose understanding helps them
to overcome the failures of their home life, let us pray: R/ Lord, bless
your people.
– For our Christian communities, that as
members of one family we may learn to carry each other’s burdens and to share
each other’s joys, let us pray: R/ Lord, bless your people. Father, we
trust in you. May we not deny one another all the love you show us in Jesus
Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father, you invite us to share the family table of
Jesus your Son. May the food and drink he gives us change us into gifts to one
another, that we may become each other’s bread and wine, life and joy. Let
serving love and respect be our offering to one another, today and tomorrow and
every day, on account of your Son in our midst, Jesus Christ our Lord. R/
Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
Today we thank our Father for having given us the Holy
Family as a model of loving service for our homes. May this Eucharist make us
responsive to God’s love.
Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer
United before God as his sons and daughters, we pray the
prayer taught us by his son, Jesus of Nazareth. R/
Our Father…
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil and let the peace of
Christ live in our hearts and our homes. Keep us from all that divides us or
encloses us within ourselves. Give us compassion, gentleness and patience, that
we may prepare in hope and joy for the full coming among us of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom…
Invitation to Communion This is Jesus the Lord, who
comes to unite us as the sons and daughters of the Father. Happy are we to be
invited at the family table of the Lord. R/ Lord, I am not worthy…
Prayer after Communion God our Father, Jesus your Son
made himself near to us in this Eucharistic celebration. He has been here for
us approachable and available to all. May he keep on living in our homes and
our communities. Let him make us also approachable and available to one
another, even at the cost of personal comfort and, with Mary and Joseph, ready
for any task you may entrust to us. For we can do anything in the name of Jesus
the Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing It has been good to be together as the
family of God’s people and to pray with the Holy Family of Nazareth for what is
dear to all of us: our homes, our families, the Christian community, the family
of our nation and people. May God bless you all and keep you in his love: the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen. Go in the peace
of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.
Commentary Make your family your
confessional
On the last Sunday of the calendar year, we celebrate the
Feast of the Holy Family. On this feast day, we are offering our own families
and all the members on the altar to ask God to bless them and to obtain for
them the guidance of the Holy Family. Today's Gospel describes the fifth joyful
mystery in the Rosary prayer. Only St Luke (2:41-50) reports the event of the
child Jesus being lost and then found in the temple. They travel around 80-90
km from Nazareth to Jerusalem. We are surprised by the behaviour of Jesus: he
stayed in Jerusalem without informing his parents. Has it not occurred to him
what anguish he would have caused his parents? And when they found him, Jesus
seemed surprised that they got worried. Perhaps we forgot for a moment that
what we are looking at is not a chronicle! How is it that they find him after
'three days'? How is it that they did not seek him in the temple first? Indeed
this is a theology text composed of biblical images. Luke wants us to interpret
the text in the story correctly. In the story, he never names Mary and Joseph.
He always says, 'the parents', 'the father' and 'the mother'. And in Jewish
culture, the term 'parents' or 'father' represents the link with tradition. And
for an Israelite, the mother is Israel: the one who has begotten her people. We
also find this 'mother' in other Gospels. In the Gospel of John, Mary is not
named. It is said that the mother was present at the foot of the cross, but it
does not say Mary is the mother. We must pay attention to this expression. Luke
introduces into the narrative these parents as representatives of tradition. The
parents look for him, and after three days, they find him in the temple. That
three-day search is a clear allusion to another desperate three-day search:
that of the women who find him on the third day of Easter. They will seek Jesus
in the wrong place, among the dead, defeated, and condemned in history.
Instead, the God of surprises surprised everyone by showing that he is alive
and has conquered death. While celebrating the feast of the Holy Family of
Nazareth in 2013, Pope Francis pointed to the Holy Family as "the example
for our families, helping us to become families of love and reconciliation,
where there is tenderness, mutual help, and mutual forgiveness. For your
reflection Remember the three keywords that Pope Francis suggests for peace and
joy in the family: "may I", "thank you" and
"sorry". When in a family, one realises he has done something wrong
and knows how to say "sorry", in that family, there is peace and
joy," said the pope.
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29 December 2024 Luke 2:41-52 Seeking God in Contemporary
Life Why does Luke include this story of Jesus in his Gospel? Perhaps it’s
because, within these few verses, we encounter a timeless tension that
resonates deeply with our lives today. At the heart of the narrative lies a
pivotal question: Who or what holds the central place in our hearts? Luke
invites us to reflect on the balance between earthly relationships and divine
purpose. Jesus’ stay in the Temple is more than a moment of youthful
independence; it reveals the priorities that define His mission—obedience to
the Father above all. In our modern world, where families often face
complexity—from blended households to multicultural communities—we, too,
wrestle with these tensions. Misunderstandings arise, relationships are tested,
and we may seek independence or self-affirmation. However, this passage invites
us to reflect: How should we prioritise our relationships, values, and
responsibilities? Who or what should come first? For Jesus, the answer is
unequivocal: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” His
purpose is deeply rooted in his steadfast connection with God’s will. The
Gospel invites us to prioritise our lives. It begins by reaching
out to God through prayer, much like Jesus’ parents did in Jerusalem. This
journey can be challenging; like Mary and Joseph, we might encounter anxiety
and uncertainty. Yet, when we come to God with trust, we find clarity and
purpose. Despite astonishing the teachers with His knowledge, He humbly
returns to His parents, submitting to their authority and growing “in wisdom
and stature.” In our own journeys, we are reminded that faith grows within the
ordinary rhythms of life. Like Mary, we are called to ponder God’s mysteries in
our hearts.
