Holy Family 31 Dec 2023 Sermon

Holy Family 31 December 2023   Standards of holiness

It is an interesting thing about human nature how we find ways of cutting corners.

For example, in traffic, if the speed limit is 25 most people will do say, 40. It becomes a kind of unspoken conspiracy that this is just what one does. It is a sort of compromise we make with ourselves that if we keep most laws most of the time it is ok to break a few here and there.

This can apply also to matters of the faith: Jesus tells us, But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Lk 6,27-31)

We translate that as meaning I will treat others as they treat me. If they are good to me I will be good to them; if they harm me I will harm them, or at least not do them any good.

Jesus offers us something beyond the normal ways of doing things. He gives us a way of keeping the rules which will make us happier than we would be by relaxing them.

The key to the whole operation is that God treats us better than we treat Him, and He wants us to apply the same logic to each other.

Today we honour the Holy family, where the ideal was achieved, and that family forever becomes the model for all families.

One might protest that the Holy Family is too holy to be a realistic model. It is true no one else can be that good, but we can at least learn the principle of how it works.

That principle is that if all members of a family give more than they receive then an abundance of good things will come from that.

If everyone does what he/she should it will work. cf second reading: Colossians 3,12-21, each give way to the other.

This is how marriage is supposed to work, and all the other relationships in a family. This is going to be a happy home and fruitful for the surrounding community.

Whatever you are, be the best you can be (father, sister, grandmother etc). Here there is a danger of watering down the demands, like not obeying the traffic rules – giving less rather than more.

Being normal, like everyone, is not enough! We must be like Christ, or Mary, or Joseph. We strive for excellence in other areas (sport, study, appearance etc). We can do the same at home - we push ourselves harder in terms of kindness, courtesy etc.

And we do not seek a medal for being good. It is only our duty (cf Lk 17,9-10). However, there is a ‘medal’ and it comes in the form of eternal life.

The way of Christ is different from the ways of the world; His way might seem impossible but is not so. It just takes a little reorientation.

It is not only possible to go His way but necessary.

All of the above can be forgiven where we fail. So we can think of ourselves as apprentices, getting it better each time, always aiming higher.

The Holy Family welcomes us to come and knock on their door! They have much to teach us.