FAMILY LIFE

During the Christmas Season, we celebrate many different feast days associated with the first Christmas. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The fact that God chose for Jesus to be born into a family, with Mary and Joseph, reveals how Jesus is like us. He too needed a family to love him and help him grow.

Among the many insights provided about the Holy Family in Matthew’s Gospel is that their family life was filled with tensions and unexpected turns. In this way, the Holy Family is a role model of faith for all families. No parents raising children, the Holy Family included, are free from struggle and pain. All parents who raise their children in faith and trust in the Lord have built a home with a strong foundation.

Twists and turns are part of our salvation history. The lineage of Jesus is filled with surprising people, unexpected hardships, scandals, as well as generosity and great faith. Their stories remind us that God’s promises are fulfilled but not always as we would have expected. We wait in hope not because we know the future, but because we trust God.

Today’s feast makes clear that holy families are human families, with gifts and challenges. Love contains joy and wonder, pain and fear. This is a day to give thanks for our families and the ways that our families help us.