Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. In today’s gospel passage, we see Joseph and Mary go to the Jerusalem temple to offer Jesus, their firstborn, to Yahweh. They have to offer a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons to consecrate him to the Lord. We see that the Holy Family fulfils this obligation. This particular incident shows the centrality of God in their lives. When we analyse the faith journey of the Holy Family, we realise that they had a series of difficulties, one after the other.Let us reflect on some of the challenging moments of the faith journey of the Holy Family.

First, let us reflect on the challenges encountered by Blessed Virgin Mary. The annunciation of the blessed virgin Mary was an unexpected one. She was asked to be the mother of the Son of God. However, she was surrounded by lots of uncertainties, such as: would she be accepted by her future husband, Joseph? Again, her family members and society: do they accept her? The punishment that awaits such a person who becomes pregnant outside the marriage bond is being stoned to death. In spite of all these fears, she gives her complete fiat. In addition to these challenges, she did not enjoy any extra comfort connected to the birth of the Son of God. She had to undertake a tiresome journey to Bethlehem before his birth. They did not get a place in the inn, and finally she has to be satisfied with a manager. Nevertheless, she did not receive even the most basic necessities, such as a safe and hygienic environment, to deliver her child. There were ample reasons for her to complain to God.

Let us reflect on the battles that St. Joseph fought in his faith journey. He receives God’s message in his dream to accept Mary as his wife and to be the foster father of the Son of God. All those who were closely associated with Joseph and Mary knew that they had not lived together so far. Therefore, everyone could easily imagine that the child Mary carries in her womb is not that of Joseph. When she was about to deliver her child, he had to take her to Bethlehem to fulfil God’s plan. Mary did not have the fortune to have a midwife beside her as she began her birth. Literally, St. Joseph took on the role of a midwife and assisted Mary to give birth to the Son of God. Again, we see King Herod wanting to kill the newly born child. St. Joseph had to take lots of risks. Finally, they flew from Bethlehem to Egypt. If they were caught by Herod’s soldiers, Joseph would be the first one to be killed.

Let us understand the hardships experienced by Jesus in his faith journey. Jesus did not even have the basic facilities when he was born in a manger. He had to live as a migrant in Egypt immediately after his birth. He had to experience the constant threat of King Herod. Thus, the members of the Holy Family had a series of difficulties. They had lots of reason to grumble anyhow, but the Holy Family remained faithful in their fidelity to Yahweh. Having experienced all the difficulties, they came to the Lord’s presence to offer their firstborn son and express their gratitude to God.

Along with the Holy Family, we also reflect on the faith journey of the other two individuals, Simeon and Prophetess Anna. Simeon was a righteous and devout man who received the promise from the Lord that he would not die until he met the salvation destined to save the entire world. He could see the Saviour after a long period of waiting, but he did not have any complaints. As soon as he met Jesus, he said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.” It reveals his heartfelt gratitude to the Lord. Similarly, we encounter prophetess Anna, who spent a large span of her life in the Jerusalem temple, praying and fasting to meet the Savior. She lost her husband at an early stage of her married life, yet without any complaint, she remained faithful to Yahweh and served him.

As we continue our faith journey, let us wait for the Lord patiently. As we wait for him, let us remain grateful to him for all the blessings that he has showered in our lives as well as upon our families. Let us trust in his providence that the Lord will intervene in our lives at the correct time. Let us carry on our faith journey in the hope that we are called to create and transform ordinary family surroundings like those of the Holy Family.