So many scenarios today when parents ask questions to their children like Mary asked Jesus: “Son, why have you done this to us?”, out of concern for them. But children and youth of today seem too much irritated about questions from their parents or other adults, that even parents stop asking their children. The answer I desire from the youth of today is that of Jesus: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” What an answer! Knowing where he was, for sure, Mary and Joseph relaxed, because He was not doing bad things, he was occupied in God’s things. Hopefully, all the youth of today could answer the same question to the parents when they are worried about their children’s whereabouts.

The feast of the Holy Family reminds all of us to take seriously the life of family; after all, it is in this context of Christmas that we have this celebration. Father Palau said: “I have celebrated Christmas here together with the Child Jesus, who preferred a cave to kingly palaces. These are the cave’s feasts; since God chose a cave for himself, he is the Son and the master of these palaces” (Letter 76). It is a teaching about celebrating Christmas, with the Child Jesus as the center, because He is the reason for this season. And this is a lesson about how to live not only Christmas but our lives, in poverty; “Be contented with what God gives you”.

The center of the gospel today is Jesus, and his parents: the whole family. How I wish that all the youth of today would be obedient to their parents, and grow “in wisdom and age, and in divine and human favor”.

Let us recall our family’s way of living to go back to the real meaning of family, and to appreciate the family we have. There is not perfect family, of course; each one strives for overcoming challenges; let us make the Nazareth family our inspiration and hope.