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Gospel of Luke 2:22-40
When the days were
completed for their purification according to the
law of Moses, They took him up to
Jerusalem to present him to
the Lord, just as it is
written in the law of the Lord,Every male that
opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the
sacrifice of a pair of
turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with
the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Today, raising a family is tough involving significant time commitment and financial resources. In an ideal situation, a family gets along well; mother and father rarely fighting and children obey their parents like little angels. I don't know any family who's perfect. They may appear this way on the outside but behind the privacy of their homes they hold deep dark secrets....
I remember as a teen coming home from school one day. Shortly after I arrived, I heard a knock at the front door. It was our neighbor from the apartment downstairs. This gentleman was nice but he always gave me the willies. He wore a long tan trench coat, sort of the type that a stereotypical flasher wears. The neighbor smiled saying, "Hi Jennifer. I'm baking some cookies for the kids. Would you like to join us downstairs for an after school snack?" My inner radar detector went off as I thought to myself, "Something is not right with this man. Why would he ask a teen age girl who he barely knows into his apartment?" I politely thanked him for the invite but told him that I had a lot of studying to do. Later in the evening, the man's wife came upstairs to apologize: "Jennifer, I apologize if my husband made you feel uncomfortable."
About a month later the family moved out as a result of a Child Protective Services investigation. The husband had been molesting his own children inside that very apartment for years! Whoa....I thanked the Lord and my guardian angel for protecting me. Unbelievable how close I was to becoming one of this sick man's young victims....
Can we say that The Holy Family made up of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was perfect? Unfortunately, not at all! They were a human family just like the rest of us with flaws and hardships. Joseph, although not a rich man, provided for his wife and stepson the best he knew how. He wasn't even the biological father of the child. Furthermore, Mary and Joseph never extended their family beyond the Jesus which broke traditional Jewish custom. A family considered perfect had a least 7 children.
One thing that we should keep in mind is this: Although The Holy Family is not a perfect, it still serves as a model family because of their deep faith in God.
What kind of advice can The Holy Family give to families in modern day times? Here are some thoughts:
From Joseph: Teach your children right from wrong in caring ways. Children will not always behave the way they want you to. Remain patient and punish in ways that allow the child to learn from his or her mistakes. Never beat or abuse a child.
From Mary: Love one another as Christ loves you. Don't allow anger and resentment to build. Set up regular round table discussions so that when conflict arises issues can be discussed calmly. Don't ever allow a day to go by without saying, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me." when you have wronged another. Say "I love you!" consistently.
From Jesus: Make prayer a central part of family life. Always set aside time each day to pray together. Don't allow one day to pass by without being thankful for one another.
In 2015, make a commitment to revitalizing the family. Spend more time together, pray together and even play together! Most importantly, forgive one another when conflict arises.
-J.
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