Episode 58: Year B – Feast of Holy Family
In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, I focus on five details that come from all three readings for this upcoming Feast of the Holy Family, Year B. The first detail is Abraham’s faith and the righteousness that is credited to him spoken of in the first reading option taken from Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3. When this detail is read in tandem with the second reading option taken from Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, and 17-19, the related apologetical topic that comes to the fore is justification and the idea that it’s not a one-time event in the past but has multiple stages. The second and third details come from the second reading option taken from Colossians 3:12-21. The related topics are the meaning of a wife’s submission to her husband and the limits of a child’s obedience to his parents. Finally, the last two details come from the Gospel reading, taken from Luke 22:39-40. The related topics are the good of obeying Church disciplinary precepts and the theology of grace as found in Christ’s human soul.
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Hey everyone,
Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word, a podcast where we reflect on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings and pick out the details that are relevant for explaining and defending our Catholic faith.
I’m Karlo Broussard, staff apologist and speaker for Catholic Answers, and the host for this podcast.
In this episode, I’m going to focus on five details that come from all three readings for this upcoming Feast of the Holy Family, Year B. The first detail is Abraham’s faith and the righteousness that is credited to him spoken of in the first reading option taken from Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3. When this detail is read in tandem with the second reading option taken from Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, and 17-19, the related apologetical topic that comes to the fore is justification and the idea that it’s not a one-time event in the past but has multiple stages. The second and third details come from the second reading option taken from Colossians 3:12-21. The related topics are the meaning of a wife’s submission to her husband and the limits of a child’s obedience to his parents. Finally, the last two details come from the Gospel reading, taken from Luke 22:39-40. The related topics are the good of obeying Church disciplinary precepts and the theology of grace as found in Christ’s human soul.
Let’s start with the detail of Abraham’s faith and righteousness. This is recorded in Genesis 15:1-6, which is a portion of the first reading option from Genesis 15. The text reads,
The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield; I will make your reward very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being childless and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?” Abram continued, “See, you have given me no offspring, and so one of my servants will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “No, that one shall not be your heir; your own issue shall be your heir.” The Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.” Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
For Christians, this is a go-to passage for belief that we are justified by faith, and rightfully so. Paul appeals to it several times: Romans 4:3-5, 9, Galatians 3:6. James appeals to it in James 2:23.
However, many Christians believe that the justification we receive in virtue of this initial expression of faith is a one-time event of the past, something completed and finished.
But the second reading option from Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, and 17-19 proves otherwise. Here’s what the verses read:
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
–and Sarah herself was sterile–
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises was ready to offer
his only son,
of whom it was said,
“Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”
He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,
and he received Isaac back as a symbol
Notice the author of Hebrews considers Abraham exercising “faith” when he was initially called by God, which took place in Genesis 12. He also considers Abraham exercising “faith” when he offered Isaac, which took place in Genesis 22.
Now, which kind of “faith” does the author have in mind here? According to verse 2 of the same chapter, chapter 11, it’s the faith by which “men of old received divine approval.” In other words, it’s the kind of faith that justifies. This is confirmed by James in James 2:22 when he says Abraham was “justified” by offering his son Isaac in obedience to God.
So, when Genesis 15:6 is read in tandem with Hebrews 11:8 and 17, we see that Abraham was justified multiple times: initially when he obeyed God in Genesis 12, when he believed God’s promise to have descendants as numerous as the starts in Genesis 15, and when he offered his son Isaac in obedience to God’s command in Genesis 22. This reveals to us that justification is not a one-time event in the past, something complete and finished. Rather, there are stages to justification.
This biblical understanding of justification maps on with the Church’s teaching on the different stages of justification. In chapter ten of its decree, “The Increase of the Justification Received,” the Council of Trent speaks of those who have “been thus justified and made the friends and domestics of God,” thereby recognizing an initial stage of justification in which a person first comes into relationship with Christ.
The council then says that such justified Christians “increase in that justice received through the grace of Christ and are further justified” through the “observance of the commandments of God and of the Church” and by “faith cooperating with good works.” This “increase in justice” that makes a Christian “further justified” signifies an ongoing stage of justification.
For Protestants who think justification is a one-time event in the past, this teaching is absurd. But, as we’ve argued, the Council of Trent’s teaching maps on perfectly with what the Bible teaches about the stages of Abraham’s justification.
We can now move to the second reading option, which is taken from Colossians 3:12-21. There are two details that I want to highlight here. They don’t necessarily pertain to apologetics. But they do raise questions that are worth considering.
The first is Paul’s teaching, “Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord.”
The question that arises here is, “Does the husband actually have headship over his wife?” The answer is yes. But not with regard to nature, since both are equally human. Rather, the headship concerns the role the husband plays as head of the family. Every society must have a principle of unity, or head, lest it fall apart.
Now, the role the husband plays within the family is governor, which means he must direct or order members of the family toward their ultimate end, or goal (that’s what a governor does). That end or goal is their perfection as human beings, which is ultimately found in union with God.
This is why Paul says immediately afterward, “husbands, love your wives” (v.19). What is love but to will the good of the other.
So, by “submission,” Paul means the wife must put herself under that ordering by the husband, allowing herself to be directed by the husband to her ultimate good, which is union with God. In other words, she must allow herself to be loved by her husband.
Of course, this raises a few pertinent questions: Does this mean the wife has no role to play in ordering the members of the family to their ultimate good? Does mean that the wife must obey the husband in everything he says?
The answer to both questions is no. Concerning the first, the wife does have a role to play—namely, to help the husband in his governing activity. This is rooted in Genesis where we read that God created Eve to be Adam’s “helpmate”: “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Gen. 2:18).
The head of the family is not infallible. He is subject to error in his reasoning as how to best order the family life. Therefore, he needs help, he needs counsel. This is where the wife comes into play. She is meant to help the husband discern what’s best for the family, which involves her sharing her own insights and wisdom.
Ultimately, the husband does have legitimate authority to make final decisions for family life. But he would do well to take his wife’s insights and wisdom into consideration when making such decisions. For to neglect her contribution would be to go against the very reason why God created woman in the first place. And, surely, we don’t want to go against God’s design.
The second detail from the second reading option taken from Colossians 3:12-21 is Paul’s teaching, “children, obey your parents in everything.”
The question here is, “Does this mean that children must obey their parents in everything, even sin?” Of course, the answer is no. The assumption behind Paul’s command here is commands that are ordinances of reason, which means obedience is not due for commands contrary to reason. In other words, children don’t have to obey commands that involve sinful behavior.
The last two details that we’re going to look at in this episode come from the shorten version of the Gospel reading, taken from Luke 22:39-40. Here’s what we read,
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.
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 favor of God was upon him.
The first detail here is Joseph and Mary’s obedience to the Mosaic precept. The law of Moses stipulated that every firstborn male was to be dedicated to God. Joseph and Mary were obedient to that precept, even though it was disciplinary in nature.
This provides us Catholics a model for obedience to Church precepts. Given the judicial authority that the Pope and bishops in union with him have, we are bound to obey such precepts even though they are disciplinary in nature. This is rooted in Christ’s instruction for them to “bind and loose” (Matt. 18:18).
We see this play out in the first century when the apostles and elders convened at the Council of Jerusalem stipulated that Gentile converts abstain from meats offered to idols and meats not fully drained of blood. Even though these precepts were disciplinary in nature, the Gentile Christians were still expected to follow them.
The second detail in this Gospel worth highlighting is Luke’s line: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” There’s a bit of ambiguity as how to translate this verse.
The above translation from the Lectionary suggests that the “favor of God,” or grace, was simply with Jesus. There’s no problem here. Jesus, in his human nature, had sanctifying grace and such a state of affair can be adequately described as having favor with God.
Some translations, however, translate this line in a way that suggests Christ grew in grace. For example, the New American Bible reads, “Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man.” Notice that in this translation, unlike in the Lectionary translation, the verb “to grow” governs all three items in the list: wisdom, age, and grace.
On this translation, Luke seems to be saying that Christ “grew in grace.” “But,” it might be argued, “Christ can’t grow in grace. John tells us that Christ was ‘full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14). To be full of grace is to be completed in grace without any more room for growth.”
Aquinas deals with this very objection in the third part of his Summa Theologiae, question seven, article 12, objection 3. This suggests the translation found in the New American Bible was floating around at the time of Aquinas.
Aquinas takes for granted this translation and responds accordingly. Here’s what he writes,
Anyone may increase in wisdom and grace in two ways. First inasmuch as the very habits of wisdom and grace are increased; and in this way Christ did not increase. Secondly, as regards the effects, i.e. inasmuch as they do wiser and greater works; and in this way Christ increased in wisdom and grace even as in age, since in the course of time He did more perfect works, to prove Himself true man, both in the things of God, and in the things of man.
So, for Aquinas, Christ didn’t increase in sanctifying grace itself. Rather, the effects of sanctifying grace outwardly manifested through his behavior grew or increased as he did greater things that pertain to God, like expressing his love for God, showing devotion for God’s Word, piously obeying Mosaic precepts, etc.
At least this is how Aquinas deals with the question, and I think plausibly so.
Well, my friends, that does it for this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word. The readings for this upcoming Feast of the Holy Family is not shy of details when it comes to apologetical topics and interesting theological questions. We have opportunity to reflect on:
- The nature of justification as a process rather than a one-time event of the past,
- The relationship between a wife and her husband as head of the family,
- The scope of obedience from children that is due to parents,
- The good of obeying Church precepts, and
- Sanctifying grace as it dwells in the human soul of Christ.
As always, I want to thank you for subscribing to the podcast. And please be sure to tell your friends about it and invite them to subscribe as well at sundaycatholicword.com. You might also want to check out the other great podcasts in our Catholic Answers podcast network: Cy Kellet’s Catholic Answers Focus, Trent Horn’s The Counsel of Trent, Joe Heschmeyer’s Shameless Popery, and Jimmy Akin’s A Daily Defense, all of which can be found at catholic.com.
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I hope you have a blessed Feast of the Holy Family. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, pray for us.