Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. I begin with a true story to make a point
In the 1800s diamond fever spread across Africa. Some people struck it rich. Others made long disappointing searches. One man wandered throughout the continent, finding nothing. Meanwhile, on the farm that man had sold, the new owner found a strange-looking stone. He put it on his fireplace mantle. A visitor noticed and shouted, “That’s a diamond...one of the largest I’ve ever seen!” The new owner discovered the farm was loaded with diamonds.
The
Word of God proclaimed is all about family.
In the Book of Genesis, Abraham worries that he is childless. But he puts his
trust in God, and his wife had a son in their old age.
Genesis challenges us to trust God always, even if -- especially if -- we're anxious about a particular situation. God is near us, so our faith assures us.
For twenty-some years, this family clung together. They fled to Egypt together. They worked together at ordinary tasks. Joseph, tradition says, kept his loved ones in bread with the skill of his hands. Mary baked and spun, carried water, and taught Jesus to pray. They lived an utterly simple and natural and human life. And Mary eventually waved a goodbye to Jesus as he set off for his life’s mission. Yes, Mary experienced the empty nest!
Theirs was a holy family, and so too is yours—living together, working together, playing and praying together. And what sustained the holy family in Nazareth? And ours? I would like to suggest two primary virtues: faithfulness and courage.
Someone wrote: “Twenty years from now, we
will be more disappointed by the things we didn’t do than by the ones we did.”
Think about it. Don’t regret something good you could have done but didn’t.
Everyday life is not a dress rehearsal; it’s the real thing. To the extent that
our lives are in our own hands, do
good now.
Web. Today we celebrate the Feast
of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. I begin with a true
story to make a point.
In the 1800s diamond
fever spread across Africa. Some people struck it rich. Others made long
disappointing searches. One man wandered throughout the continent, finding
nothing. Meanwhile, on the farm that
man had sold, the new owner found a strange-looking stone. He put it on
his fireplace mantle. A visitor noticed and shouted, “That’s a diamond...one of
the largest I’ve ever seen!” The new owner discovered the farm was loaded with diamonds.
The point is this: some people never
take the time to notice what they have. Some never notice the “gems” in their own families.
So, stop and smell the roses, especially this season. Spend quality time with
family and notice the gems.
Luke’s
Gospel tells us that when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in
Jerusalem, Simeon took Jesus into his arms and blessed God. Then Simeon praised
God and said, “My eyes have seen your
salvation … a light …”
Home
in Nazareth, Jesus grew up strong and wise and God’s favor was upon him. His family was a vital factor.
For twenty-some years, this
family clung together. They fled to Egypt together. They worked
together at ordinary tasks. Joseph, tradition says, kept his loved ones in
bread with the skill of his hands. Mary baked and spun, carried water, and
taught Jesus to pray. They lived
an utterly simple and natural and human life. And Mary eventually waved a
goodbye to Jesus as he set off for his life’s mission. Yes, Mary experienced
the empty nest!
Theirs was a holy
family, and so too is yours—living together, working together, playing
and praying together. And what sustained the holy family in Nazareth? And ours?
I would like to suggest two primary virtues: faithfulness and courage.
Faithfulness:
There’s probably no virtue more important for sustaining family life. Married
couples are called to be open to new life and to nourish and educate the
children with whom God gifts them. To do this well, parents need to be
faithful. Faithfulness builds trust. Children trust that parents will always be
there for them. We all need to know that someone loves us and will be there,
especially when we hit a rough patch in life. Sometimes parents have to show
tough love for the good of the child. The point is we need the anchor of
faithfulness in our ever-changing world.
Second, families need courage. William
Bennett’s Book of Virtues holds the
stories of David and Goliath, Susan B. Anthony, and Rosa Parks. Courage is
about moral character. It
defines who we are at the core of our innermost selves. It is an attitude that
challenges us, despite our fears, to stand up for what is right and true and
good.
Many of us would
include people such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, and Mother Teresa in our
list of courageous people. And we
probably would include our parents.
We see up close the sacrifices
our parents have made for us. Commitment to another, in good times and
bad, requires courage. It reaches a crescendo when children become teenagers.
Parents can’t protect them from the many forces in society that can destroy
teenagers. And children grow, and eventually parents must let them go.
Parenting, sustaining life, requires courage, always trying to do the right
thing even when we’re not sure it’s the right thing. To be human is to live in
ambiguity.
Someone wrote: “Twenty years from now, we
will be more disappointed by the things we didn’t do than by the ones we did.”
Think about it. Don’t regret something the good you could have done but didn’t.
Everyday life is not a dress rehearsal; it’s the real thing. To the extent that
our lives are in our own hands, do
good now.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph lived a life together as a holy
family, a life with no regrets. Faithfulness
and courage anchored that family. May God on this Feast of the Holy
Family anchor our families in faithfulness and courage.
