1. Feast of the Holy Family. The feast of the Holy Family comes within the Christmas Octave. The whole Christmas Octave is still an extension of the Liturgical feast of Christ the King. The Liturgy still teaches how to prepare oneself for the general judgment at the end of the world.
We have seen how the feast of Christ the King and the entire Christmas octave are preparations for the second coming of Christ. We are no longer preparing for the first coming of Christ because that is over. In which case, the Christmas octave must be viewed eschatologically and not historically.
2. Eschatological view of the feast of the Holy Family.
The Holy Family is the type of the Catholic Church. Like the Holy Family, the Church will have Christ with her at her birth. But there will be times when it seems the Church will lose the ‘face of God.’ And this had happened through the church’s history. There were many times when He is lost like today.
Of course, the Liturgy is rescinding from the fact that Christ is never lost from the Church. He is always with the Church……among the wheat. But He is often lost from the cockles and often blurred with the wheat. This comes sometimes in the form of a chastisement and sometimes as a test or trial. But it does happen.
In the case of Joseph and Mary it was not a chastisement for wrong done. It was meant, as St. Paul would say, for everyone’s instructions; all should know that He is about His Father’s business.
Anyway, the lesson is clear. For His own reasons Christ does disappears. Definitely not because He is lost in the temple. God never gets lost. He does it intentionally for our benefit.
3. Christ did not do something wrong.
The first impression many have is that Jesus did something wrong and, therefore, caused Mary and Joseph to be worried. Well, that was what Pope Francis thought. Christ cannot do anything wrong. Not even venial sins because that would be contrary to His nature.
4. Christ was teaching us several lessons.
First, that the Catholic Church should expect some times when they will feel that He cannot be found. And this will often happen up to the end of times. This is the eschatological dimension of the Gospel. Jesus had to do it to Joseph and Mary because they were the Church. So the lesson is clear that the Church will occasionally lose the face of God. Thus the psalm cries out; ‘do not hide Your face from us.’
Secondly; He wants to teach us how to look for Him. St. Augustine states that Mary, being the figure of the Church, is voicing the question of the Church in such circumstance; ‘why have you done this to us? And Christ gave an answer that was addressed to the whole Church. ‘That you may learn the lesson that we must all be about our Father’s business.’ Not concerned with the business of the world. Joseph and Mary knew that. But they had to voice what will be the questions of the future Church when this happens to her. This is all part of God’s pedagogy, the way He knows how best teach us.
Thirdly, then Christ teaches the next lesson. Joseph and Mary looked for Christ among their relatives. And St. Thomas of Aquinas remarks; the Gospel says you will never find Christ among your relatives. Then Joseph and Mary looked for Him among their friends. And again St. Thomas comments; you will never find Christ among you friends. So don’t dream you can really find Christ amongst your relatives and friends.
Fourthly, then Joseph and Mary goes to the temple. Ahhh…If you are looking for Christ, go to Church. Go to the Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church. But to do so you have to enter the right Church. You must check that they have the four visible signs enumerated in the Nicene Creed; One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. When Joseph and Mary entered the temple, the Church, they did not find Christ right away. He was still nowhere.
Fifthly, they found Christ with the teachers; not with the priest, bishops, the miracle workers, the administrators nor the cardinals. They found Him with the teachers. To find Christ we must look for Him in the teachings of the real teachers of the Catholic Church; which the Church had declared to be the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. This is the important lesson on how to find Christ.
5. What is a good teacher.
A good teacher is one who knows his art well; who can practice his art well; and who can teach his art well. It is not enough for a cook to cook well. He must, also, know how to teach others how to cook well. It is not enough for the apostles to know the truths of Christ. They, also, had to know how to teach those same truths well.
These kind of teachers are rare today, that is why many cannot find Christ. Pope Benedict gave the example on how Blessed John Newman found the true Christ. As an Anglican he knew the wrong Christ. But when John Newman went to the official teachers of the Catholic Church, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church he was not only converted to Catholicism. He even became a Catholic priest, a Catholic Cardinal and now a Catholic Blessed. That is how to do things right. Just like Joseph and Mary. They looked for Christ in the Catholic church among the teachers, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Nowhere else.
6. So?
Expect to loss Christ. It is part of our test of Faith. When that happens look for Him. Where? First, look for the true Church of Christ. It has four visible signs mentioned in the Nicene Creed; One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Or consult the expanded version of the four visible signs in the 15 Marks of the true Church by a Doctor of the Church, St. Robert Bellarmine. When you have found the Church enter her. And within her look for the works of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Study them further. And you will surely find Christ.
From there, bring him back home with you that you may grow in age and grace.