Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family.
“And when they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The Child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon Him.”
When Jesus came into the world as our Savior, He wanted to start His redemptive task in an ordinary simple family. The first thing Jesus sanctified by His presence was the family. Nothing extra ordinary happened from His Childhood until He was 30 years old. He lived a silent life, unknown to the world, in the midst of a family. Yet, His active ministry was for only 3 years. What does that tell us, that God spent 90% of His life on earth in a family?
Joseph was the head of the family according to the law and he provided for the needs of the family by his carpentry work. Jesustoo learned how to do carpentry from Joseph. Joseph, as head of the family was also the protector and guardian of the family. He is the one the angel appeared to tell him to take his family to Egypt and later to return to Nazareth.
Marytaught Jesus to walk, to put on His clothes, to read and write and to pray. She spent every day of Her life, like millions of other women who look after their families, sewing, cleaning and cooking. Some wrongly think ordinary tasks of the home are unimportant and insignificant. Yet, when ordinary simple life is done out love for God, it sanctifies the family.
The Holy Family prayed together, went to synagogue together and to the temple feasts together. They followed the Jewish rituals and customs and were obedient to all the laws.
Between Jesus, Mary and Joseph there existed a holy affection, a spirit of service, and a mutual desire for the happiness of each other forgetting about their own needs. The Holy Family is a model for families, in virtues and in doing God’s will.
Every Christian family is to imitate the house of Nazareth, a place where God is first, so that God can be at the center love that members of the family have for each other.
I would like to give some examples of holy families here in your own parish. I know one family, here at Church of the Resurrection, where the father would take the kids to confession every month. I know of another family, that regularly prays the rosary together. This past Wednesday after the evening Mass, I was touched by what seemed an insignificant act of charity on the part of a high school student. After Mass, I was talking to his parents and he asked for the keys of the car. Out of love and respect for his parents, he went to get the car and parked it at the entrance of the front doors, so his parents wouldn’t have to walk to the car. He had a desire to make his parents happy without expecting anything in return.
About 8 years ago, when I was here at Church of the Resurrection, there was a young husband and wife, who told me a little story. He said he went hunting and when he returned, his truck had lots of mud on it. He took a nap on the couch and whilesleeping, his wife went outside and washed his truck. When he woke up, he was surprised to discover his wife cleaned the truck. He asked his wife, “Honey, what do you want?” She said, “I don’t want anything.” He said, “You must want something, you cleaned my truck.” And she said, “I don’t want anything, I cleaned it because I love you.” Their relationship was such that each wanted tomake the other happy, without anything in return. This is how our families should be.
How much we can learn today from the Holy Family. Here are a few suggestions:
First, make God first in the family, by coming to Mass together and praying together every night, even if it’s for only 5min. When the family gathers, each can mention one thing they are thankful and pray for one petition and then pray the Rosary or pray an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be. The father of the family is the spiritual leader of the family and should lead his family at night in prayer and prayer before meals and bring the children to confession monthly. Remember the words, “The family that prays together stays together.”
Second, we need to simplify our family life. At least once a week, we should have family time: turn of the television, cell phones, intendos, play stations, and computers and spend time together riding the bike, or playing board games, or doing something fun as a family. The family should regularly eat their meals together. We need to cut out all the busyness and enjoy each other, speak to each other and ask how each one in the family is doing.
Third, the family should serve others together, whether that’s doing something at church, or volunteering at the soup kitchen or a homeless shelter or visiting the elderly.
Today, let us pray that all families will become counter cultural, and return to the basics by imitating the Holy Family, in simplicity, in love, in prayer, and in service.
O Holy Family of Nazareth, pray for us, that our families may be like your family!