The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Loving Obedience

One theme common to all three readings today is obedience. Sirach commends the son who obeys his father. St. Paul tells children to obey their parents “in everything.” And the Gospel shows Joseph obedient to the warnings of the angel. Yet all three put obedience in terms of a larger relationship. 
Sirach says that obedience is part of what makes a happy family. As we saw last Sunday, it shows trust in the one who is obeyed. Children trust that their parents have good reason for telling them to do something. Children also learn both discipline and how to contribute to family life. Spouses trust each other not to ask them to do something harmful. Obedience is also a sign of respect for an older family member. Americans tend to look at older people as if they were useless, but Sirach reminds us of the wisdom they can share with us.
St. Paul continues this theme in the second reading. He shows how love of Christ transforms a family. When he talks about wives being subordinate and husbands loving them, he means that husbands and wives should defer to each other and love each other. Children and parents have duties to each other: Children are to obey parents and parents are to be reasonable (“do not provoke”) and loving. 
Parents might look at the Gospel for support in encouraging obedience. Joseph obeyed the messages from the angel and saved the life of the infant Jesus. So families can learn that stressing obedience can protect the child as well as teach. Parents can also remind children that God asks for obedience for our good, not on a whim. When we obey God’s law, we learn to trust God more deeply and to appreciate that God’s law enables us to live more freely. As children we think that rules restrict us, but as we mature, we learn that we are more restricted by our misguided desires and beliefs. We learn to adjust those desires to be in line with God’s plan for us. We grow by replacing misguided beliefs (i.e., that material things bring true happiness, that revenge is sweet, etc.) with faith in a loving God who wants the best for us and who doesn’t magically take away our sufferings, but supports us through them.
Tom Schmidt

Short Version

One theme common to all three readings today is obedience. Sirach commends the son who obeys his father. St. Paul tells children to obey their parents “in everything.” And the Gospel shows Joseph obedient to the warnings of the angel. Yet all three put obedience in terms of a larger relationship.
Sirach says that obedience is part of what makes a happy family. Children trust that their parents have good reason for telling them to do something. Children also learn both discipline and how to contribute to family life. 
St. Paul shows how love of Christ transforms a family. When he talks about wives being subordinate and husbands loving them, he means that husbands and wives should defer to each other and love each other. 
Parents might look at the gospel for support in encouraging obedience. Families can learn that stressing obedience can protect the child as well as teach. Parents can also remind children that God asks for obedience for our good, not on a whim. When we obey God’s law, we learn to trust God more deeply and to appreciate that God’s law enables us to live more freely. 
Tom Schmidt, Copyright