Reflection on the Feast of the Holy Family
This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Held within
the Octave of Christmas, we remember that Jesus Christ, Son of God, is
born into a family, and that He submits to St. Joseph's paternal
protection and the Blessed Virgin Mary's Maternal nurturing. It is
through His family that Jesus understood His humanity on an
experiential level. Yes, He 'knew' what it meant to be human - He had
a role in creating humanity, after all. But in taking on flesh, in
becoming man for us, He now experiences it, and because of it, redeems
all of humanity.
Most of us have families that more or less are attempting to follow
the model of the Holy Family. Families have an important role in
helping us discern our vocations. It is through the modeling of holy
parents that children learn of God's love for us, and become willing
and eager to respond. This does not mean, however, that in families
where this is not the case that the child has no hope - we are never
without hope - but that there is the difficulty. In most cases, the
child has to be embraced, knowingly or unknowingly, by a father-figure
at least, and perhaps even a mother-figure. It could be a grandparent,
teacher, neighbor, or parent of a friend. We need families to help us
understand our vocations!
By Fr. Todd J. Petersen at 1:00 PM
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