(The Holy Family: Pinterest)
Luke 2: 22-40
"Over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection."
The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/123123.cfm
A very popular book written by author Robert Fulghum was entitled: All I Really need to know I learned in Kindergarten. It was popular because everyone knew that those earliest years of life teach us the basics upon which everything else is based. Among the many things we learn are the following:
2. Play fair.
3. Don't hit people.
4. Put things back where you found them.
5. CLEAN UP YOUR OWN MESS.
6. Don't take things that aren't yours.
7. Say you're SORRY when you HURT somebody.
8. Wash your hands before you eat.
9. Flush.
10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
If we think about it, there is great wisdom in these fundamental lessons that appear so basic. This Sunday after Christmas, the Feast of the Holy Family is a lesson for us not only in the basics but likewise in the call to holiness that we all must pursue. The Church views the family not only as a social construct but as a group of persons whose very vocation is established by God as a holy unit. The holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph both in their common Jewish life stand as a universal sign of unity and a powerful icon of the importance of faith in human relationships.
Yet, who among all the families we know could ever reach the level of this unique Biblical family in ancient Nazareth? With the Immaculate Conception as Mother, the Son of God as the child, and the ever patient and faithful St. Joseph as the Father, of course they were holy! Some may wonder not about the importance of this family unit in salvation history but how could they be a model for all other more "normal" family relationships?
What can be learned? Pope Francis has said, “. . . We are made by God to be saints and not to settle for a bland and mediocre existence.” The Holy Family shows us the way to become saintly.
Life was not by any means easy for this unique couple and their child. From the beginning, Mary encountered suspicion from Joseph as to the origin of her pregnancy with her very life endangered. Their journey to Bethlehem in the south from Nazareth in the north was burdensome and dangerous and on top of this, Mary is close to giving birth. Shortly after Jesus was born a very real threat to his life rises from Herod. Fleeing to Egypt as the angel directed them was not a pleasant ride across the desert and their return to Nazareth was even longer than before. The point of this is that real families are not just randomly chosen in birth. Strong family life comes about through real life experiences and shared sacrifice. Bonded to ones faith in God the results prove that unity is achieved through grace and trust. Mary and Joseph never wavered in what God asked of them it seems. The same is true for family life today.
“No” to God was not in their vocabulary and the young child Jesus was formed through their example and inspiration. Yes, he is God but in order to enter into the full human experience for our redemption, Jesus placed his divinity on the back burner as it were for a while. Through the embrace of the realities of life, comes holiness.
Therefore, the common glue that held them together was that their existence was always seen in relationship to a higher purpose and meaning. That glue for them was seen in relationship to their obedience to God’s will. For this family, as for all families, God and the pursuit of living out the Gospel as we know it must have a place in our lives that is more than just an afterthought, an occasional experience, and a secondary choice in relationship to everything else that busy families do today.
If we ever think that this particular family never had a reason to just give up, become discouraged, stand there in confusion, doubt or question the events of their lives we would be greatly disappointed. Above all life brought to them both great challenges and questions. The Scriptures share much about Mary's own joy and anguish as the public ministry of Jesus began. In today’s Gospel itself we hear Simeon’s prediction to Mary that: “. . . and you yourself a sword will pierce . . .” As those words were spoken we can only imagine what may have been in the mind of Mary.
There is our biological family of origin but that family is not a closed society. Rather it is open to a larger world and recognizes that its identity and strength can be found in a broader human and spiritual connection. The family of the Church is really a collection of diverse families yet joined together in a common purpose: to give praise and thanks to God as our common Father as his beloved sons and daughters in Christ Jesus, energized by the Holy Spirit.
As St. Paul reminds us in the second reading to the Colossians our families are called to pursue higher values. To, “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another . . . and over all these put on love, that is the bond of perfection.”(Col 3: 12). If there ever was a blueprint for family dynamics and family health and healing it would be these words of Paul.
The lesson is clear for any family unit. The reality is that family life today and by association marriage itself is experiencing challenges unheard of before. With marriage itself being questioned, the effects easily trickle down to relationships within the family itself. The lessons are timeless though. If the parents are strong and faithful the chances of the children becoming so are many times greater than if they were not. If the Church has a consistent and regular place in the life of the family so will the children benefit. Children follow the lead of the parents. Boys look to their fathers for an example and girls to their mothers. If they see parents who love and respect each other, if they know that discipline will be firm, fair, and consistent it all comes together in an excellent formula for holiness. If God is an afterthought, an occasional experience, and if the Church is not present actively, the Christian family will grow weaker.
Heroic single parents today indeed deserve our love and support as they struggle to remain faithful and do what they feel is right and know is right for their children. Yet, with the place of a faith community as a major priority in their lives, it can go a long way to assisting them in their call to holiness as well. It is sad to see that when the Church can be most a help some parents may fall away due to personal issues. Yet, if we remain a community of welcome we can indeed become what Pope Francis has termed a “field hospital.” A place to find health in the midst of what may seem the battle ground of life.
May we all be holy as Joseph, Mary and Jesus were holy and may our marriages and families, so questioned and challenged in our day, find healing. May Christ and his Church become a regular home for all homes. May all married couples, regardless of age or years, be blessed with the grace of fidelity and seek God's will for them daily.
Bring those you refresh with this heavenly Sacrament,
most merciful Father,
to imitate constantly the example of the Holy Family,
so that, after the trials of this world,
we may share their company for ever.
Through Christ our Lord.
(Feast: Prayer after Communion)
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