Holy Family or Sunday after Christmas Year B 2023

Title

The Grace of Releasing to God

Outline

Our earthly heritage is in our families

Sometimes I am called to a nursing home to give last rites to someone who was registered as Catholic but is dying alone, not a relative in sight. How sad. And how different even from the celibate priest or religious who dies with religious family, even generations of them, around them.

Sometimes I meet couples who do not want children, but choose to live for themselves. How short sighted. What will their pleasures or power mean when they are alone.

Abraham knew the issue. He had left family at the sake of God. He had many retainers, but no family, even after God promised. It would take 30 years of waiting and a number of byways before Sarah bore him a son. Now that is trust in God (often translated “faith”), trust in God for his future, for the only type of eternal reward he knew.

And then, after sending away the only possible alternative to Isaac, at age 100, “Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac.” God was testing Abraham’s trust and commitment. Hebrews tells us Abraham could only do it because he trusted, that is “by faith”.

When our third daughter died of crib death 6 days after her dedication, our eldest daughter, aged 7, referring to the dedication, asked, “When we said that we gave Elizabeth to God, we didn’t mean for Him to take her, did we Dad?” Well, Abraham did mean for God to have Isaac - Hebrews says he hoped for some type of resurrection - but was stopped, as God substituted a ram, that we see as a type of Jesus (the “horned lamb” of Rev ch 5). Isaac, as we, was saved by the Lamb of God.

And Abraham did receive myriads of decedents, not just those of physical Jewish ancestry but all those from every nation whom Paul says are now children of Abraham or “circumcised in tie circumcision of Christ,” which we celebrate today. Yet in this world Abraham never saw that hope fulfilled.

God was faithful. He gave him a family, and the realer family is us and those with us in Christ.

And now, turning to our Gospel.

When Christ was circumcised, on the 8th day, he was named by and counted as their son and heir of Joseph. God had created family, just as in Genesis, but this was not the broken family we find in Genesis.

But 32 days later we find him brought to Jerusalem by Joseph and Mary “to present him to the Lord” - there was a sacrifice, but unlike the OT it was not to redeem him, but to offer him, as Samuel was offered, a sacrifice of consecration. Nothing is made of Mary’s purification, I might add; in fact it is made plural, “their purification.” We often note the poverty of the sacrifice, but not that it is a sacrifice of consecration. Thus Simeon sees not just that the infant is the Messiah, the Savior, but that there will be conflict and loss “be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce).” They are indeed giving away to God the son who was just born, giving him away with the trust that he would be Messiah and Savior despite the seeming conflicting warning of contradiction and sword.

Brothers and Sisters, this is for us

We enter into the biblical world of giving away our greatest hopes and joys, for which we gave up many of the pleasures of the world.

This may be laying down our lives in one way or another for our families. This may be laying down our careers as God calls us to something different. This be a literal loss.

But in God’s real world this leads to deeper fruition, deeper identification with Christ, and with deeper unity with the Holy Family.

But it only does so if we accept it.

Readings

First Reading

Catholic Daily Readings 12-31-2023: Holy Family

Genesis 15:1–6, 21:1–3

1 Some time afterward, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: Do not fear, Abram! I am your shield; I will make your reward very great.

2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what can you give me, if I die childless and have only a servant of my household, Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a servant of my household will be my heir.” 4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: No, that one will not be your heir; your own offspring will be your heir. 5 He took him outside and said: Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so, he added, will your descendants be. 6 Abram put his faith in the LORD, who attributed it to him as an act of righteousness.

1 The LORD took note of Sarah as he had said he would; the LORD did for her as he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time that God had stated. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his whom Sarah bore him.

Catholic Daily Readings 12-31-2023: Holy Family

RESPONSE

Psalm 105:7a, 8a

7 He the LORD, is our God

whose judgments reach through all the earth.

8 He remembers forever his covenant,

the word he commanded for a thousand generations,

PSALM

Psalm 105:1–9

1 Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;

make known among the peoples his deeds!

2 Sing praise to him, play music;

proclaim all his wondrous deeds!

3 Glory in his holy name;

let hearts that seek the LORD rejoice!

4 Seek out the LORD and his might;

constantly seek his face.

5 Recall the wondrous deeds he has done,

his wonders and words of judgment,

6 You descendants of Abraham his servant,

offspring of Jacob the chosen one!

7 He the LORD, is our God

whose judgments reach through all the earth.

8 He remembers forever his covenant,

the word he commanded for a thousand generations,

9 Which he made with Abraham,

and swore to Isaac,

Catholic Daily Readings 12-31-2023: Holy Family

Hebrews 11:8, 11–12, 17–19

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go.

11 By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age—and Sarah herself was sterile—for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy. 12 So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore.

17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.” 19 He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol.

Catholic Daily Readings 12-31-2023: Holy Family

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Hebrews 1:1–2

CHAPTER 1

1 In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; 2 in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe,

GOSPEL

Option A

Luke 2:22–40

22 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, 23 just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” 24 and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. 27 He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, 28 he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

29 “Now, Master, you may let your servant go

in peace, according to your word,

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and glory for your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted 35 (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” 36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. 38 And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Notes

DWM 192 Gloria, Creed

Catholic Daily Readings 12-31-2023: Holy Family

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | CHRISTMAS

HOLY FAMILY

Sunday within the Octave of Christmas

YEAR B | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Sirach 3:2–6, 12–14 or Genesis 15:1–6, 21:1–3

Response & Psalm, Option I

Response Psalm 128:1

Psalm Psalm 128:1–5

or

Response & Psalm, Option II

Response Psalm 105:7a, 8a

Psalm Psalm 105:1–9

Second Reading Colossians 3:12–21 or Colossians 3:12–17 or Hebrews 11:8, 11–12, 17–19

Gospel Acclamation Hebrews 1:1–2

Gospel Luke 2:22–40 or Luke 2:22, 39–40