Pod Apostle presents Father Michael O'Connor. This homily is based on the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Lectionary: 17. December 30, 2018

Reading 1 Sir 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children;a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.Whoever honors his father atones for sins,and preserves himself from them.When he prays, he is heard;he stores up riches who reveres his mother.Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,and, when he prays, is heard.Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.My son, take care of your father when he is old;grieve him not as long as he lives.Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;revile him not all the days of his life;kindness to a father will not be forgotten,firmly planted against the debt of your sins—a house raised in justice to you.or 1Sm 1:20-22, 24-28

In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a sonwhom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.The next time her husband Elkanah was going upwith the rest of his householdto offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows,Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband,“Once the child is weaned,I will take him to appear before the LORDand to remain there forever;I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite.”Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her,along with a three-year-old bull,an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:“Pardon, my lord!As you live, my lord,I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”Hannah left Samuel there.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5.

R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,who walks in his ways!For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;blessed shall you be, and favored.R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.Your wife shall be like a fruitful vinein the recesses of your home;your children like olive plantsaround your table.R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.Behold, thus is the man blessedwho fears the LORD.The LORD bless you from Zion:may you see the prosperity of Jerusalemall the days of your life.R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.or Ps 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10.

R. (cf. 5a) Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD.My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.Happy they who dwell in your house!Continually they praise you.Happy the men whose strength you are!Their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.O LORD of hosts, hear our prayer;hearken, O God of Jacob!O God, behold our shield,and look upon the face of your anointed.R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Reading 2 Col 3:12-21

Brothers and sisters:Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.And be thankful.Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord.Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them.Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.or COL 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.And be thankful.Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. or 1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24

Beloved:See what love the Father has bestowed on usthat we may be called the children of God.And so we are.The reason the world does not know usis that it did not know him.Beloved, we are God’s children now;what we shall be has not yet been revealed.We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,for we shall see him as he is.Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask,because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.And his commandment is this:we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,and love one another just as he commanded us.Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,and the way we know that he remains in usis from the Spirit he gave us.Alleluia Col 3:15a, 16a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.R. Alleluia, alleluia.Or Cf. Acts 16:14b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Open our hearts, O Lord,to listen to the words of your Son.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 2:41-52

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feastof Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom.After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.Thinking that he was in the caravan,they journeyed for a dayand looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him,they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.When his parents saw him,they were astonished, and 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 not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”But they did not understand what he said to them.He went down with them and came to Nazareth,and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favorbefore God and man.