Great light

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Yr B

Today’s Gospel is about Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ family. We call them the Holy Family. The Gospels do not give us much information about this family, however, the little we know, provides each Christian family with a lot of insight. Mary and Joseph, take baby Jesus to present him to God in the Temple. There, they meet with Simeon and Anna; both are old, and both have great faith in God.

Mary and Joseph, obey the law and as was requested, they take Jesus to present him in the temple. As Christian parents, you took your children and presented them to God through their baptism. This is a good thing and an important step in the Christian journey. The very last part of the Gospel also throws light on what is expected from a Christian family. Jesus spent his childhood with Mary and Joseph, it was only later, when he grew up, that he left home to teach his people about God. This shows that childhood, moulds the character of the children. Parents are among those who are closest to the children and who will greatly influence the future of the children. Children learn from the behaviour and manners of the adults around them. They learn from the activities they are involved in. Children’s faith is nourished by the way the parents live their faith, by the way they pray, by the way they speak to the children, through their example.

Let us remember the fourth commandment: honour your father and mother. This commandment is not addressed only to the children. Children will come to respect their parents when they are given the attention, care and love needed, they come to respect their parents when they witness the sacrifices parents do for them. Christian parents take care of their children because they recognise that they are the main educators of their children, they are especially important in teaching their children about Jesus. It is the parents who provide for their children, both for what is material and spiritual. There is help; the parents are not left on their own, but the help given, even from the Church, can never replace the importance of the parents. 

Every family will encounter difficulties and moments of crisis. Even the Holy Family was not spared from these moments. Family life is not a bed of roses. The difference for a Christian family, is where and from where to seek help. We need to allow God to guide us, we allow him to be part of our family, we also become familiar with the help offered from the Church, especially help from the parish where we live, particularly with regards to Christian formation. Christian formation is not to be limited only to children; formation is also available for adults.

A reading from the Gospel of Luke (Lk 2, 22-40) 

When the days were completed for their purification 
according to the law of Moses, 
They took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord, 
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, 
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, 
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel, 
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit 
that he should not see death 
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple; 
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus 
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, 
He took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 
“Behold, this child is destined 
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted 
—and you yourself a sword will pierce— 
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

There was also a prophetess, Anna, 
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years, 
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, 
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple, 
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time, 
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child 
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. 

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; 
and the favour of God was upon him.

The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

  1. Read the Gospel story so that you are familiar with it.
  2. Reflect on what the Gospel story is saying to you. Which points would you highlight and why?
  3. Think about your role as a parent. How can you be better?
  4. Think about your role as a Christian parent, what can be made better?
  5. The Holy Spirit helped Simeon to recognise Jesus as the Messiah. In baptism we become temples of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, he is waiting to be asked for help. Pray to the Holy Spirit so that you receive help and wisdom to be a Christian parent as God wishes you to be.
  6. Pray Psalm 121
    I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 
    My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 
    He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 
    indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 
    The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 
    the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 
    The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 
    the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
  7. Together with your family find the right time to read this gospel. The environment helps, so before you start, prepare:
    i. The Bible reading from St Luke (2, 22-40)
    ii. The crib
    iii. A candle
    iv. Cover the table with white cloth
    v. A computer/laptop with the reading and clips
  8. Go through the steps with your children (2 age groups are being suggested)
  9. Feel free to adapt to your situation
  10. Be creative 😊
  11. Go to the Prayer Spaces section to continue praying as a family

Did you ever see your baptism photos? On the occasion of your baptism, your parents took you to church, and there, you became part of God’s family. Your parents love you and they know that it is important for you to be part of God’s family, that is why they asked for your baptism you when you were still a baby. Jesus’ parents loved him too. When he was still a baby, they took Jesus to the Temple and presented him to God.

  • Jesus was a boy like us, and he loved and obeyed his parents
  • A long rope

After presenting Jesus in the temple, Mary and Joseph returned home. Jesus continued to live with them for many years. He was a good boy, and he obeyed his parents. He helped Joseph, who was a carpenter. Jesus learned about carpentry. He helped Mary in the house, he went with her to the well to bring water. Jesus played with his friends and he learnt a lot from his parents. Mary taught him about God, she taught him that God loved him and helped him, she taught him how to pray. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus used to go to the Synagogue together, similarly as you go to church with your parents. 

Would you like to be like Jesus?
Jesus loved and obeyed Mary and Joseph, and because he loved them and obeyed them, he was happy.
Are you like Jesus? Are you happy when you love and obey mummy and daddy?
When we do not obey, we are not happy, even mummy and daddy will not be happy. When we are happy, it is like mummy and daddy are hugging us. But when we do something which is not right, when we do not obey, it is as if we have moved far from them, so they cannot hug us.

What happens when we are sorry?
When we say that we are sorry, we will be happy again, we will move close to mummy and daddy and they can give us a big hug.
Now we have a game that shows us how it feels when we do not obey, and how we are happy when we love and obey our parents.

Use the rope to make a big circle. Everyone stays in the circle. One of the parents will give examples of good and bad behaviour. When the example is of good behaviour, everyone remains in the circle and the parents hug their children. When the example is of bad behaviour, the children go out of the circle. When they say that they are sorry, they return to the circle and the parents hug them. It is best that the examples given are taken from what the children do, so that they can identify with the different situations. They can also understand better why they need to ask to be forgiven.

Some examples which may be used are the following, however the more relevant the examples are to the children’s own behaviour, the better.

When I return from school, or when mummy and daddy return from work, I leave whatever I am doing and go and kiss them
I play with my brothers and sisters
I pray with my parents
I ask mummy or daddy before I take sweets from the cupboard
I say thank you to mummy or daddy for cooking the food
I give the dog food and water
I get angry and stamp my feet when mummy and daddy do not buy what I ask for
I go and play when mummy asks me to pick up the clothes from my roomWhen daddy asks me to go and help with washing the dishes, I tell him that I have a tummy ache, and it is not true
I say rude words
When mummy and daddy are not in the room, I go and take sweets, without asking for permission
It is raining outside; I go inside without wiping my feet and I leave footprints everywhere

Sign of the cross.

Thank you, Jesus, for my family. Thank you, Jesus, for giving me a family that loves me and cares for me. Jesus, I want you to bless (everyone mentions a member of the family). Help us to love each other more. Jesus, we love you.

We sing, Baby Jesus we love you.

Christmas has arrived and we celebrated Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. In Jesus’ time, after forty days, Jewish parents went to the temple to present their babies to God. In today’s Gospel, we see how Mary and Joseph obey this law and go with baby Jesus to the temple. There, they meet Simeon and Anna. These two old people tell them things which leave a deep impression in Mary’s and Joseph’s minds.

  • Jesus became man and like us, he was brought up in a family
  • Printout of the chatterbox
  • Colours
PrintoutDownload

After Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, they returned home, and Jesus lived with them and he continued to grow up. Mary and Joseph loved Jesus and they taught him all that they knew. Mary and Joseph also loved God, so they also taught Jesus about God, they prayed together, and they went to the Synagogue. The family of Jesus was not rich. In fact, when they presented Jesus, they offered “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” This was an offering of the poor; the rich offered a lamb.

How do you imagine Jesus’ childhood?
What did Jesus do as a little boy?
Do you think he was naughty?
Did he obey?
Did he pray?
What do you think he learnt from Mary and Joseph?What did you learn from your parents?

Jesus was a very good boy. He obeyed and respected his parents. Do you know the commandments? Do you know the fourth commandment? (Honour your father and mother, to honour means to love and respect).

Jesus surely obeyed this commandment. Commandments are not there to highlight our wrong doings. They are there to show us how we can have joy in our hearts. We know that when we make wrong choices, we are not happy. The commandments remind us what we must do to be friends with God and with others. Friendship brings joy and peace.

What can you do to obey this commandment? How do you show your parents that you love and respect them? How do you show love and respect to those who care for you?

In this week’s activity we are going to make a chatterbox. This will help us remember how we can show our parents love and respect. During this week, ask your mother and father so that they chose one of the numbers on the chatterbox. During the day, see that you do what is written in the number chosen. Try to remember what numbers were chosen, so that every day a different number is chosen. 

You can see how to make a chatterbox in this clip.

We are in the Christmas season, whilst making this activity, listen to: 

Jesus Saviour of the world
Jump for joy
Do you hear what I hear
Born is the King, it’s Christmas
Joy to the world
O come all ye faithful
Sent from above

Sign of the cross.

Jesus, please bless our family. Help us to love each other more. We want to pray for other families too (everyone can mention families, they wish to pray for, for example, families where there are members who are sick, poor families, families where there is a lack of love).

Thank you, Jesus, for loving us and for becoming a boy like us.

1. In today's Gospel, we read that Joseph and Mary took baby Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem so that the child could be presented to the Lord. Who was the man who took the child in his arms while blessing and praising the Lord?

Correct! Wrong!

2. What was Mary and Joseph's initial reaction when she listened to what this man had to say?

Correct! Wrong!

3. During the presentation of Jesus, there was a prophetess who recognized the greatness of the baby which Mary and Joseph presented to the Lord. What was this woman's name?

Correct! Wrong!

4. This part of the Gospel ends with St. Luke informing the readers that Jesus had upon him...

Correct! Wrong!

How to use this space

God speaks to us in many ways, including through the Sunday Scripture readings. Here you will find useful background and activities to better understand the upcoming Sunday's Scripture readings, helping you to connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.