Readings: Sirach
3:2-6; Colossians 3:12-21; Mt. 2:13-15, 19-23
The Family that
Prays Together, Stays Together
On this last Sunday of the year, the
Church calls our attention to our family, even as we reflect on the Holy Family
of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Please keep this question in mind as you reflect on
the Holy Family: How healthy is your family? Last Sunday we reflected on the
person of Joseph, who is a righteous, honorable, faithful, prayerful,
forgiving, accommodating, compassionate and loving man. We know that the
Blessed Virgin Mary is a dutiful, faithful, humble, gentle, prayerful, caring
and compassionate woman. Little wonder that Jesus, though truly God and truly
man, imbibed both the virtues of Joseph and Mary in his person. He demonstrated
these qualities in his relationship with others. These qualities become the
attributes and characteristics of the Holy Family. What would your family be
noted for? The first reading, from the book of Sirach, tells us that “God sets
a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he confirms over her
sons.” The father and the mother therefore, are the ones to set the tone for
the children to follow. If our families are to be virtuous and exemplary, our
parents must certainly be virtuous and exemplary in their dealings with their
children and other people outside the family. When the parents take care of
their children; providing for them, both materially and spiritually, the
children will return the favor, when the time comes for them to take of their
parents. This is the trade mark of a happy family.
Frs. Philip John, SSP and Premdas, SSP in
their book ‘New Horizon Homilies’
relate the following story. A couple bought a crucifix on their wedding day
and, placing it in a conspicuous part of the house, asked God to bless the
secret of their hearts. Years went by and the crucifix remained in the same
place. The couple, now old, were preparing to celebrate their golden wedding
anniversary. Their large family was a model of virtue and enjoyed the esteem
and respect of all who knew them. A friend asked the old mother how she had
been able to raise so many fine sons and daughters. With her bony finger, the
old lady pointed to the crucifix and replied, smiling, that she owed it all to
the crucifix. This story captures the essence of the theme for the reflection
on this Holy Family: The family that prays together, stays together. The
virtues referred to above would be impossible without intentional desire for
spiritual togetherness and friendship among family members. This too goes for
our church family. God must be the glue that binds our family and all families
together.
That is why in the second reading, St.
Paul reminds us to “Put on, as God’s chosen ones holy and beloved, heartfelt
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one
another and forgiving one another; if one has a grievance against another; as
the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.” Wherever there two or more
people dwelling together, either in a family, society or the Church, there is
bound to be friction, misunderstanding and grievances. Some members of the
family will always take undue advantage of others. Others will feel that they
are entitled to everything. They are still others who always create anger,
animosity and tension within the family. Some members will always feel that
they are victims of their perceived injustices and misunderstandings. How do you
deal with these family members? St. Paul reminds us again “And over all these,
put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ
control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.” If
there is love and peace in our homes, we would have what it takes to handle
anything that is thrown at us from outside. Our home therefore, would become a
great shock-absorber and a sanctuary of joyful celebration, a nursery to
nurture life-enhance values. This is possible only when a home is abode of
love.
Every Christmas we gather to celebrate, to
share our gifts and meals together. We think of the Christmas crib, the
decorations, the parties, and all. This is a befitting celebration, indeed. For
our salvation began with the incarnation, when God became man so that man may
gain his way back to God. But the stable where Christ was born was not all that
cozy and warm as we would have imagined for a baby. The Holy Family experienced
a lot of difficulties, dangers and poverty beyond words. “The journey itself,
300 miles across a desert, was a frightening, exhausting, dangerous experience.
The search for a place to live in a foreign land, the difficulty for Joseph to
find employment in an unfriendly land so they could have the bare necessities
of life, and constant concern for the welfare and survival of the blessed child
committed to their care must have been experiences Joseph and Mary never could
forget.” (The Sunday Readings). But
all the hardships they endured did not take away or reduce the unity and love
of their family. Every family has something to deal with, but the strength and
endurance of each family depend on their love for one another and the
convictions of their spirit. The role that God plays in each family will always
determine how strong and resilient members of the family will be.
David Wilkerson was absolutely correct
when he observed that “Good parents don’t always produce good children, but
devoted, dedicated, hardworking mothers and fathers can weigh the balance in
favor of decency and building of moral character. Every word and deed of a
parent is a fiber woven into the character of a child, which ultimately
determines how that child fits into the fabric of society.” As we have come to
the end of this year, we have the example of the Holy Family to guide us into
the new year. How do we want our families, both natural and spiritual to be in
the new year? My prayer is that we may be contributing members of our families.
May we not be only takers, but givers as well, so that the state of our union may
resemble that of the Holy Family. May the Holy Family intercede for us now and
always. Amen.
Points to ponder:
·
What
is my contribution towards the wellbeing of my family?
·
What
role do I play in my family? Am I taker or a giver? A peace-loving member or a
trouble maker?
·
Am
I inspired by the Holy Family or not?
“Don’t
forget to pray today because God didn’t forget to wake you up this morning”
No comments:
Post a Comment