The Holy Family

A:Sir 3:2-6, 12-14; Col 3:12-21;   Lk.2:22-40

God created us in his own image and likeness. To be created in the image of God is to be created for family life. Just as God is a Trinity, a communion of three Persons sharing the divine nature, we also are created to find fulfillment in community, in the intricate network of relationships that makes each one of us dependent on others, and others dependent on us. God could not have exalted the family more than he did by joining one.

Today’s Gospel (Lk 2:22-40) reminds us that the Holy Family, and every holy family, is centered on Christ. He’s the ultimate bedrock of our love. Simeon was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah before he died. He didn’t know when, he didn’t know how, but when the moment came the Holy Spirit led him to the baby Jesus in the Temple and revealed Jesus to be the Christ. Both Simeon and Anna in today’s reading remind us that the elderly have a great vocation to prayer and to sharing their wisdom. Who can deny the impact of grandparents and even great aunts and uncles in their lives?

Jesus became a member of a normal, humble, working class family, a family that had to worry about making ends meet. Joseph and Mary worked hard just to keep bread on the table. They didn't have a big bank account, an impressive investment portfolio, fancy vacations, or expensive hobbies. They had to keep track of every penny, and yet, they were the richest family in history. Their wealth wasn't in money, it was in faith.

 In today’s First Reading, Sirach reminds us that we should not take our family for granted. A family is a gift, and our family is our family no matter what they do or don’t do on our behalf. We count on our family, and that reliance reflects the reliance we should have on God. When we can’t count on our family, it’s hard for us to count on anything else, even God.

The first thing we can do to live a healthy Christian family life is to respect family roles. Just as the natural structure of a tree includes roots, trunk, and branches, so the natural structure of the family includes dad, mom, and children. They all go together and they all need each other in order to bear the fruit of maturity, wisdom, and happiness. Family members should not be afraid to say “I forgive,” and don’t be afraid to say “I’m sorry” either. It’s often the trigger for many people rediscovering that the bedrock of love on which their lives are built.

We all know of truly tragic and heart-breaking family situations – divorce, children lost to drugs, squabbles over inheritances, misunderstandings, even betrayals. But even in those situations we don’t lose sight of the ideal Sirach describes: a father and mother set in honor and authority over their children, children revering and praying for their parents, obeying them and caring for them when they grow old, and the blessings God showers on children who do so.

This model of mutual respect, help, and reliance is meant to be reflected in our society as well, so when it’s not lived in the family, it’s no surprise that society suffers as a result.

The family is one place where we are appreciated in and of ourselves. Our families are the rock center of our lives. They create our identity – by biology and by upbringing. Studies show that family life benefits everybody: husband and wife and the children they raise together are healthier, less likely to become addicted to drugs, less likely to be in trouble with the law, more likely to succeed financially.

 Pope St. Paul VI found silence the most inspiring quality in the Holy Family. They lived a hidden life, a quiet life, a life with lots of room for thinking. With TV, radio and the Internet clogging our minds and senses, we leave our families little room for thought or prayer. 

We need to make our home a place of prayer. Our day need not be dominated by devotions, but we should have some regular, routine family prayers, just as the Holy Family did. They prayed and studied the Scriptures, but still managed to get their work done. There are many ways we can pray as a family, and we should seek the ways that work best for our family. We can pray together at the beginning of the day, or at the end. We should, at least, be saying grace at every meal. We can pray the Rosary together, begin a weekly family Bible study, go to a weekday Mass. It might be advisable to begin with something small and manageable and then give ourselves time to grow into it before tackling something bigger.

Let's thank the Lord for the great gift of a healthy family life he has offered us, helping us to grow to maturity. Let's thank him for His personal love for each one of us and promise that we will imitate that love in the way we live out our family lives.