A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 5, n. 5)
Feast of the Holy Family, Year C – December 31, 2006
“Dedicated to the Lord …”
BIBLE READINGS
I Sm 1:20-22, 24-28 // I Jn 3:1-2, 21-24 // Lk 2:41-52
N.B. Series 5 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year C from the perspective of the First Reading. For another set of reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year C, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US and open Series 2.
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
On February 2,1993 – the Feast of the Lord’s Presentation in the temple – the PDDM Sisters organized in the Diocese of Antipolo (Philippines) the MARY MOTHER OF THE CHURCH: PRAYER ASSOCIATION FOR PRIESTS, composed of mothers of priests and other persons who care for the welfare of priests. In one of the prayer meetings of this marvelous group, the mother of Fr. Eymard shared her experience about him. When she would rock him to sleep as an infant, she would sing a lullaby with an improvised text that was, in fact, dedicating him to the Lord. She would pray that the gracious God would deign to choose her son, when he grew up, and ordain him to be his priest. Her son grew up to be an artist and, in answer to her devout prayers, entered the seminary and became a priest in the Antipolo diocese.
This Sunday’s Feast of the Holy Family invites us to contemplate Jesus, the Son of Mary, as the totally consecrated One. The Old Testament story of Hannah’s dedication of her son Samuel at the temple of the Lord in Shiloh (I Sm 1:20-22, 24-28) gives greater depth and meaning to Luke’s Infancy Narrative of the Finding of Jesus in the temple (Lk 2:41-52). The biblical scholar, Paula Bowes, comments: “The First Book of Samuel opens with a double need: the longing of Hannah for a son and the counterpart, Israel’s spiritual need for the word of God. This word of the Lord, so necessary for Israel’s life, is, according to the Deuteronomistic tradition, Israel’s greatest blessing, just as the greatest blessing of a woman in Israel is a child. Israel’s need is not disclosed until readers have first savored Hannah’s suffering. Understanding this will prepare them to appreciate the magnanimity of the Lord in supplying both needs. As is true for other birth announcements in the Bible, this one begins with a short genealogy of Hannah’s husband Elkanah … Here the barren, despised (by all but Elkanah) wife, Hannah, is set over against her fertile and scornful rival Peninnah … While she bears her reproach, not even Elkanah’s patient, loving attempts to comfort Hannah can stop her from weeping and being unable to eat. From these depths, the action can only rise, in hope of change and relief. The biblical author has described what happens in this family year after year. Now he narrows to a particular day in Shiloh. Eli, from his seat by the door of the temple, observes the distraught Hannah at prayer. She bargains: if she is given a son, she will consecrate him to the Lord as a nazirite. Such a vow entailed abstinence from wine, strong drink, the cutting of the hair and contact with a dead body … Hannah offers this condition of her own accord, showing considerable renunciation, since the child would be with her only three years … Eli endorses her request … When Hannah bears her son, she named him Samuel, explaining that she had asked him of the Lord … Hannah little suspects that the boy Samuel will supply not only her need to be a mother, but also Israel’s need for a prophet to bring the people the word of the Lord.”
Hannah’s dedication of Samuel as a perpetual nazirite evokes Mary’s own presentation of the child Jesus at the temple of Jerusalem. This Sunday’s Gospel episode of the finding of Jesus in the temple underlines the tremendous implication of Jesus as the totally consecrated One – fully dedicated at the service of the Father’s saving plan. After three days of anxious searching, Joseph and Mary found the twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard them were amazed at his intelligent answers. Even in their relief, Mary could not refrain from reproaching him for his conduct: he should have realized that by staying in Jerusalem without informing them would have cause them great pain and anxiety. Jesus’ answer to their reproach was even more perplexing: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 1, explain: “We can look at the story in several ways: the attitude of the parents of an unusual adolescent; the problem posed by such surprising conduct in a young boy, in all other ways a model of submissiveness to his parents; the inevitable conflict of duties between obedience owed to parents versus the call of God; etc. But such a reading misunderstands the nature and clear intention of the Gospel. It is not a collage of historical events meant to move or edify us; it is a narrative of salvation events in which the person and personality of Jesus are revealed.” The Gospel episode of the feast of the Holy Family reveals Jesus as the totally dedicated one and celebrates his consecration to God the Father’s saving will. Just as Hannah’s son, Samuel, would be dedicated to the Lord as long as he lived, so Jesus was to be totally at God the Father’s gracious disposal and service. When Jesus declared to her, “I must be in my Father’s house”, his mother Mary knew in that instant that, although he would return with her to Nazareth, he would no longer be hers. Indeed, in the episode of the loss and the finding of the boy Jesus in the temple, the Easter event of the Son of God’s total obedience to his heavenly Father and his radical submission to his paschal destiny of death and rising for the ransom of the family of nations was already in the horizon.
The Dominican spiritual writer, Geoffrey Preston asserts: “The loss takes place at Jerusalem at Passovertide, when and where the Lord was to be crucified. It must be, as the passion and death of Jesus must be. People involved in this incident fail to understand what he is about, seek him, and find him on the third day; as his own will do when he is killed and raised. At the finding there is the same sort of questioning: Why were you looking for me – Why are you looking for the living among the dead? In the infancy stories there is already present the passion, death and resurrection of Christ: Jesus the child grows in stature, and in growing learns to die.”
The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 1, exhort us: “We must meditate constantly on the Gospel of the infancy and the texts used in the celebration of the Holy Family. They illuminate the rest of the Gospel, the increasing revelation of the mystery of Jesus, the meaning of his mission in the light of the fulfillment of the ancient promises, the end when Christ will be all in all … Beyond preaching about familial virtues, about the relations that must exist in the Christian community, the feast of the Holy Family celebrates the Christ who is revealed in daily realities because he is the Son of God, a man among us all.”
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Lk 2:48-49
By Rev. Msgr. Patrick McCormick
Pastor: St. Patrick Parish
Merced, CA-U.S.A.
His mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
I am an identical twin and I spent the early part of my young life asking the question “who am I?” People around my family always looked upon my brother and myself as one. After all we look alike and we dressed alike. So we were often looked upon as one. So struggling with the question “Who am I?” was a major issue for me. I believe that this struggle is not just one that belongs to an identical twin, but also belongs to just about every one who lives. Even Jesus struggled with the question “Who am I?” From his perspective the decision to try out his identity as divine teacher through dialogue with the elders in the temple would be appropriate and compelling. Though we cannot know his reasons for going ahead without informing his parents, his failure to do so surely gave Mary and Joseph a scare. His mother’s response when he is found is direct and honest: “What were you thinking! We were so worried about you!” Jesus is equally honest: “Can’t you understand that I needed to do this? That this choice had to do with who I am?”
Not only raising a child or being a child in a family, but also living as adults in families and communities with others we cannot fully understand, is a challenging vocation. Sometimes it is baffling and anxiety producing. The path to mutual loving acceptance has its rough spots. Today’s gospel gives us some insight about dealing with these in ways that foster our growth as the unique manifestations God wishes each to be in our world: respectfully and honestly owning and expressing our perceptions and feelings about ourselves and the way another’s behavior affects us; staying open and accepting of the other even when we do not understand; cultivating the flexibility and generosity to adjust our behavior and responses to the legitimate needs and expectations of others.
Here are some questions that you might ask yourself during this coming week. Then spend some time meditating on them for your own personal spiritual growth. Think of some challenging relationship in which you are engaged. What would you like honestly to say to the other person? Are you willing to hear what the other has to say? Let go and entrust all to God.
Prayer:
Jesus, your family life with Mary and Joseph had challenges like the ones we experience in our own family and community. Help us be respectfully and sensitively open and honest with each other, while adjusting to other’s needs in ways that promote true harmony and peace.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
A. What are our experiences of great helplessness, humiliation and distress? Like the distraught Hannah, did we turn to God for recourse and saving help? Are we willing to intensify our prayers to God with concrete acts of sacrifice? Like Hannah, are we willing to dedicate and offer something really precious to the Lord?
B. What are some moments of crisis that we experience in our family and religious community? How do we come to grips with moments of loss and distress? Do we imitate the faith and diligence of Joseph and Mary in the seeking of the boy Jesus in the temple? When we are anxious do we turn to the Lord?
C. Do we perceive the Easter-paschal mystery that is contained in the Gospel episode of the loss and finding of Jesus in the temple? Do we contemplate the meaning and implication of Jesus being the totally consecrated One to the heavenly Father’s saving will? Like Jesus are we willing to be called to his Father’s house and be obedient to the divine Easter plan? Like Jesus do we strive “to advance in wisdom and age and favor before God and man”? Do we endeavor to expand our horizon beyond the level of domestic family and community towards the greater family of nations and the expanse of God’s beloved creation?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
(Adapted from M. Coste, cf. Days of the Lord, vol. 1, p. 241)
Leader: He came among his own, the Messiah of the poor;
he came the child promised for centuries!
He took flesh on our earth.
Assembly: O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. (sung)
Leader: He comes to us in these days, the resurrected Christ of Easter;
he comes to us the Lamb, the first fruits of another age!
He gives life to all his brethren.
Assembly: O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. (sung)
Leader: He will return at the last day, the Lord of glory;
he will return, the King, conqueror among the angels!
He will bring us to his Father.
Assembly: O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. (sung)
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“As long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord. ” (I Sm 1:28)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. ACTION PLAN: Pray that there may be a favorable family environment conducive to the increase and perseverance of priestly and religious vocations. Assist priests and religious, in any way you can, that they may be totally dedicated to their ministry and help those who are deeply troubled and distressed. Pray also for greater sanctity in family life and endeavor to promote the vocation and mission of the Holy Family Institute, founded by Blessed James Alberione.
B. ACTION PLAN: To help us contemplate more deeply the implication of the advent of Jesus who calls us to experience true “joy in the Lord”, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 3, n. 5): A Weekly Pastoral Tool.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
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