Feast of Holy Family
Sir 3: 2-6, 12-14; Col 3: 12-21; Mt 2: 13-15, 19-23
Dc. Larry Brockman
We don’t choose them; they are our greatest blessing as well as our greatest curse; but they are also the bedrock of our society. They are our families.
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. It is our Parish Feast day, as well as the feast day for virtually all of us in this Parish because all of us either come from, or participate in a Family.
First, and foremost, we all need to understand why the family is so critically important to society. It is because the family is made in the image and likeness of God. That’s right- God patterned our human families after himself. You see, God is three persons in one God, the Trinity. The three persons of the Trinity share their Godhead with us through a complex set of relationships and communications between themselves and us. And each of the three persons has a special role. God the Father- the Head, the Architect; God the Son- the Word of God, the enabler; and the expression of the Love of the Father and the Son- the Holy Spirit, who gives life to all things.
Doesn’t that sound like the family- a complex set relationships between persons sharing in the dynamic of a unit, with each person having a special role. Both Sirach and Paul tell us of the roles as the fathers, mothers, and children in the family unit. Fathers have a special role as the leader, the head of the family. Fathers and mothers must love and respect each other; and the fruit of the love and respect that Fathers and Mothers have for each other is their children, who carry forward the life and spirit of their parents. And children need to honor and respect their parents by being obedient to them in all things.
This family cycle is God’s will for us, and has repeated itself endlessly throughout human history. It occurs in parallel with the creative and productive activities we are all called upon to do as we emerge from our parent’s families, and form families of our own. Just like God continues in His creative and productive activities throughout time. Men and women, coming together as a married couple, and having children- Such was, and is, the will of God for mankind. And as long as our society follows God’s will and respects the family unity, society will prosper because new generations of healthy, stable people will continue the process. But when we diverge from God’s plan, then problems develop. Divorces, orphaned children, struggling single parents, and many other things occur when the basic family structure breaks down. And so, it is the Christian family that is the ideal.
Today, the Christian family is under attack, isn’t it? Rather than a family unit that echoes the image and likeness of God secular society is pushing the individual, not the family unit as the basic unit of society. This leads to alternate family structures and alternate life styles based on “choice” not on God’s will.
Today, we need to take the time and effort to do whatever we can to build up our family unit in to a Christian Family. We need to go back to a structure that echoes the Trinity; to go back to the simplicity and effectiveness of the Holy Family as the building block of society.
To do that, let us all think back on the best times we had with our families on this special feast day- the special love that our Mom’s have given to us as little ones; the work and dedication that our Fathers have done to provide for us; the many hours our parents stood by us in times of trouble- sickness or when someone hurt us; the time and dedication they gave to help us to learn, to play sports; when they give us that special gift we wanted so much; that special camping trip Dad took you on; the concert Mom and Dad took you to; and the prom dress Mom got for you.
When you really think about it, there are many times in your life like that when the love of God was reflected by the love your parents had for you. Think of those things on this special feast.
Now I know that there are some of you out there who have bitter experiences in your families. Just the other day, for example, I heard a story about a friend’s family. She was beaten frequently as a child, and grew up with very little education because the money that was dedicated to her education was squandered on something else. But she rose above these limitations and vowed never to let these things happen in her family. Rather, she became a loving, nurturing mother, and despite the abusiveness in her own family, speaks with honor and respect for her parents. No matter what kind of family you grew up in, you have a choice: you can use the negative experiences as an indictment of your parents sins, and even as an excuse for your own lack of development. Or you can learn from them, like the lady I mentioned. You can also recall the positive experiences you had in your family. And pattern your families to emulate them.
Yes, you have a choice to make your family The greatest blessing for your children; And not the greatest curse. The choice is yours.
