Family Ties

READINGS

1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28  1 John 3:1-2, 21-24  Luke 2:41-52

During the Christmas season, we are encouraged to grow closer together as family.  When we shop for Christmas gifts, it's often with a list of those we are shopping for: brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, fathers, mothers, etc.  This week we are asked not only to remember our own personal families, but to recall that we are also part of a greater family: the Christian family of the church.

The readings remind us that family is a sacred and holy gift from God, and we should be ever thankful for it.  Each family has its trials, it's complications, and even its rifts, but as children of God, we are called to patience, reconciliation, and compassion when dealing with our family.  And we are encouraged to give thanks to God for the family he has blessed us with.

When God blesses Hannah with a  child, she names him Samuel: a name which mean

s, "God listens."  He is a constant symbol of God's attention to His faithful ones, and it is only after Hannah's prayer and petition to the Lord that her request is granted.  There are plenty of other stories like this, not the least of which is Sara giving birth to Isaac.  Yet in both cases, the child is then called to be given back to God.  There is a subtle difference, however.

In the case of Abraham, God demanded that Isaac be sacrificed upon His altar.  It's only after Abraham shows a readiness to do this that God rewards his faith by relinquishing the child back to him.  Hannah, on the other hand, readily returns Samuel to the temple where she leaves him under Eli's tutelage.  It almost seems callous to end the passage with the words, "Hannah left Samuel there," because the immediate feeling we get is one of abandon.  But taken in context, we realize that God would raise Samuel up as the last Judge of Israel (a figure with executive, priestly, and judicial power), and it is through Samuel that David also would be raised to favor in God's eyes.  Finally, it is through David's bloodline that Jesus would be born.

The message here isn't only that each family should be dedicated to God in its own way, but that God rewards that dedication with His grace.

Again, in the first letter from Saint John, we are reminded of the sanctity of the family.  The letter stresses that the institution of family is a blessing from the Lord, and that in addition to being members of the human family, we are also members of the holy family of the church when call ourselves children of God.  In that way, we are reminded that we are more than just human beings: we are as beloved by God as Jesus Himself was when he was in our human form.  Once more we are assured that living according to God's law will reap great reward (much like Hannah) for us, and that we have the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts in this endeavor.

The story of Jesus in the temple is well known.  It's easy to imagine His parents' distress at finding he

was not with them, particularly in a time where children have become innocent targets.  The language of this reading is often confused, as it is sometimes said that they found Jesus "teaching" the men in the temple.  In the latest translation it merely says that Jesus listened and was "asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded by his understanding and his answers."  In this way, the Gospel paints the picture of a Jesus who is exceptionally attentive and attuned, rather than a prodigy.

Mary's reaction is probably my favorite part of the entire passage simply because it's a moment where we see these people whom we hold in such high and holy esteem as simply human.  It's worth noting that Jesus' reply marks the first time he acknowledges God as His Father (at least that we have recorded.)

It's also interesting that Joseph and Mary search for Jesus for three days: the same amount of time Jesus will spend in the tomb.  In this way, it's an early sign to Mary that her son's life will spin on the axis of God's will, and prepare her for the sacrifices to come.  This is also the only story we have of Jesus as a child after his infancy but before the beginning of his ministry.  It is likely included to show that He knew, even from a young age, that He was called to serve His heavenly Father.

For us, the story is a reminder that God is at the center of our lives, and that we should recognize His presence both within the human family, and the family of the church.  By continuing to recognize God's work in each other, we strengthen the bond between ourselves and our ability to reach out to others.  It is the foundation on which God's kingdom here on earth is raised.