Today is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Some people never take time to notice what they have. Here's a true story to make the point.
Diamond fever spread across Africa in the 1800s. Some people struck it rich. One man wandered the continent, finding nothing. Meanwhile, on the farm that man had sold, the new owner found a strange-looking stone. A visitor shouted, “That’s a diamond...one of the largest I’ve ever seen!” The new owner and his family found the farm was loaded with diamonds.
Some families never notice the “gems” in their midst. So, spend quality time with family and notice the gems that they are. And as you explore anew that wonderful resource of family, contemplate the sage observation of Ben Franklin: "Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it."
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.
St. Paul’s letter to the Christian community in Colossae in Turkey begins with the familial address “Brothers and sisters.” The author then speaks about qualities we should embody as family: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and above all love.
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 daily 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 knew 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 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 of Jesus, Mary and Joseph help us anchor our own families in faithfulness and courage.
