The Holy Family

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The Readings call us to attitudes and actions that can bring harmony and joy to our family life. In the First Reading (Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14) echoes the lesson of the Fourth Commandment and emphasizes our call to obey, honor, respect and even revere our parents. He notes the many blessings that this reverent and respectful attitude can bring us.

In a sense, when we honor our parents, we also honor our God, who worked through those parents to bring us life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that respect and honor to parents “derives from gratitude toward those who, by the gift of life, their love and their work, have brought their children into the world and enabled them to grow in stature, wisdom, and grace” (CCC #2215). This gratitude to our parents and to God can lead us to deeper appreciation of the gifts we have received through the basic gift of life.

One’s family should be the best place to learn the virtues that Paul outlines in his Letter to the Colossians – mercy, kindness, bearing with one another, patience and forgiveness. It is in our families that we can experience joy, celebration, and love. The family is the basic unit of our parish, and each one is important to the whole. Perhaps most important, St. Paul reminds us that as Christian families we are to put Jesus at the very center of our family life; to be guided by the peace of Christ, to et Jesus’ word dwell within us, and to do all things in the Holy Name of Jesus.

We need each other, and St. Paul.

As Catholics, we can look to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as a model for our families to emulate. Whatever our age, whatever our role in the family, the Holy Family speaks to all of us of unity, loyalty, and humility before God. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus cared for each other and trusted completely in God. They were open to his grace at work in their lives and supported one another in times of trial and suffering. In our world today, as the family is under attack from many sides, this is just the example that can keep us focused on the ultimate goal for our families. That goal is to help each other grow in holiness and grace before our Almighty Father.