Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Relating to the Feast of the Holy Family may be a challenge today. There appears to be so much that sets them apart from ordinary families. Especially today, when there is such a diversity of family structures. The perfection of the Holy Family provides a model impossible to attain.
When we look beyond the Hallmark depiction of this family, we are confronted with the reality of events that lead them on a journey of trust and faith in God’s continued presence. The events they encountered are not irrelevant to our own.
Their lives were threatened, causing them to leave for a foreign land without the support of family and friends. Immigrant families seeking hope and safety know this experience well. Families experiencing divorce also understand what it means to live in a foreign land of broken relationships and financial uncertainty. Mary knew well the grief of losing both her husband and her son.
From them, we learn that holy does not mean perfect and without challenge. Their holiness as ours is found in trusting that we are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved. What is holy about our family, whether it be our natural family, our religious family, or our church family, is how we accept the inconveniences, interruptions, fears, and worries that confront us daily. Pope Francis once said that the family is where we learn to live with others despite our differences and to belong to each other.
The readings from Sirach and Colossians today give us a guide to how we are to belong to one another. We are to be compassionate, patient, kind, forgiving, and to care for each other in all circumstances. And to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.
We come to our family table, the Eucharist, to become a holy family.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as we close this year of hope, we are once again reminded that we are all pilgrims of hope living the promise that your coming among us brought to our human family. We pray that your Spirit may empower us to live the faith and trust of your Holy Family as we navigate our way through the joys and sorrows of our families. Amen!
