Dare to take a leap of faith

December 31: Holy Family. Readings: 1. Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3; Psalm: 128; 2. Hebrews 11:8,11-12,17-19; Gospel: Luke 2:22-40.

A child is central to each reading today. And for a couple who find themselves in a most unusual situation, he is a special gift from God. Divine intervention is the source of a blessing that ensures each family’s future.

The familiar story of Abraham and Sarah, a childless elderly couple, stands out as a sad tale of a husband and wife whose line is destined to die out. Then Isaac’s birth comes about miraculously. And it happens because of their faith in the promise made to them. Thus, the Genesis text brilliantly illustrates God’s power supernaturally enabling these human beings to achieve what otherwise seemed unattainable.

Abraham and Sarah’s miracle of new life also occupies the author’s mind in this text from Hebrews. It emphasises Abraham’s incredible act of trust in God’s Word, and the blessed reward that comes of it. Putting his faith in the divine promise therefore secures him a son, Isaac, and a line of heirs that will testify to the incomparable power that generation after generation works wonders.

In Luke, the arrival of the child Jesus and his parents in the temple draws us into a scene where this particular family attracts the attention of two special individuals, Simeon and Anna. The description of the encounter informs us of the child’s singular identity, and the blessed state of the mother and father. This holy family (like that of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac) is a model of trusting faith, a shining example of God’s extraordinary power guiding people through most unusual circumstances.

As we joyfully gather to observe the feast of the Holy Family, we hear that what is impossible humanly speaking becomes possible through the hand of God. That is a scenario that invites us to be people who dare to take a leap of faith.