“Spiritual Talk” – The Feast of the Holy Family – Fr. Anthony Ho

by Kenny Cheng
2020-12-26

This weekend, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family, honouring Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and St. Joseph. Pope Francis declared this year to be the Year of St. Joseph, the 150th anniversary of his declaration as the Patron of the Universal Church and also of Workers and the Protector of the Saviour in later years. Pope Francis reminds us that during the pandemic, frontline workers toil behind the scenes like Joseph to offer up their work and sacrifices for the needs of the world. He also suggests that those who have lost their jobs during the pandemic should ask St. Joseph for help in finding work. Joseph is a good example, for not only is he faithful in prayer and work, but also truly loves Jesus and Mary. He does not seek to control them but selflessly seeks their good. He is also deeply needed by our modern society as a model of chastity and fatherhood. In today’s Gospel, Joseph and Mary dedicate Jesus in the Temple. This fourth Joyful Mystery shows that Joseph and Mary recognize the sovereignty of God over Jesus. Hence, we should not see other people as goods to be possessed, for all are children of God, entrusted to us in order to help them live good and holy lives. When children are baptized, they are consecrated to God, so they are merely entrusted to their parents, who must constantly discern the will of God for their children.

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