Feast of the Holy Family
Reflection
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph! When I think of the Holy Family, I see a young family who love one another and struggle to eke out a better life for themselves. They are good faithful Jews who follow the laws and customs of their times. When they were told that staying in Nazareth would not be safe for Jesus they uprooted themselves and relocated to Egypt. They are much like the many refugee families from around the world who have come to our shores and our borders looking for safety and a better life.
Over the past ten years our parish has been privileged to offer several families a chance for a better life through our refugee resettlement program. They have fled their homelands in the hope of a safer and hope-filled future. Through this ministry we have experienced a renewed awareness and appreciation of how blessed we are and how too often we take these blessings for granted.
Many people may look at the Holy Family as a model of a perfect family who live an idyllic life characterized by sunshine and total happiness. In reality, we know their life was holy and messy, beautiful and uncertain, disappointing and joyful just like our family life. Three days ago we celebrated the greatest miracle of the incarnation, Jesus our savior and Lord come to earth to show us how much God loves us and wants a better life for each of us. The weeks preceding Christmas and the weeks following this great feast have been and will be holy, messy, beautiful, uncertain, disappointing and joyful.
Let us remember and celebrate the beauty and joy this season brings and forever remember that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son to become one of us to share this great love manifested in our families, churches, communities and the world.
Have a Blessed Christmas season and a Hope-filled and Peaceful New Year!
