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Let the peace of Christ control your hearts…
Many of us spent weeks preparing gifts and meals for our families and friends as we enjoyed Thanksgiving and Christmas. While we focused on the process we might have sometimes overlooked the meaning of what we were doing. The feast of the Holy Family, celebrated today on this last day of 2023, offers the opportunity to take a breath and consider with gratitude what we have experienced with our families over the past month.
As we observe this feast we hear in the readings about children honoring parents and parents honoring children. The readings spell out how to care for an aging father and the blessings of walking in the ways of the Lord. Paul encourages us to act out of “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” He asks us to forgive one another as the “Lord has forgiven,” and to “put on love.” Any mother or father will tell you Paul knew what he was talking about. His suggestions are at the heart of strong family relationships.
Sirach’s words about being considerate of your father and taking care of him when he gets old make me smile. Whenever I was at mass with my father and we heard this passage I would glance over at him and he would wink at me. We always had a good laugh over these words. Eventually, they came true.
Over the years my family has seen relationships blossom and then unexpectedly shatter. Love has been shared and love has been withdrawn. Together we have learned from each experience. The family of Jesus certainly experienced these types of difficulties. To be human is to falter at times. Knowing this makes praying real. We can talk to Jesus, Mary, or Joseph and take our concerns and misunderstandings to them in prayer.
I think we do a disservice to the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph if we make them perfect. They were holy but holy and perfect are not the same. They lived among brothers, sisters and cousins. They knew the complexities of family life. They had to practice patience, listen to each other, forgive each other, and let hurt feelings go. They surely lived with an awareness of God in their lives and turned to God for guidance when encountering a family difficulty.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph are a model family for us because of their humanity. They were real people who lived in times much different from ours in terms of comfort but not so different in terms of relationships. Individually and as a family they connect us to God.
All of us at Ignatians West send wishes for a happy, healthy and peaceful 2024 for you and your families.
Anne
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