12/30/2022
Today we observe The Feast Of The Holy Family.
This is a day for people to reflect on their own family life. Itâs a day on which people can think about how they can strengthen communication between all family members and how to heal past wounds. Itâs also a day on which people can reflect on the virtue of their family in comparison with the Holy Family.
The Solemnity of the Holy Family that we celebrate today clarifies that the redemption of humanity by Christ begins with the redemption of family life through the acceptance of Godâs will by Mary and Joseph and the selfless and burdensome love that they offered to each other and to Jesus throughout their lives.
Following is part of a homily given by Bishop Michael F. Olsen from Forth Worth Texas in December of 2020. It bears repeating!
âIt is important at Christmas that we also celebrate the Holy Family as an example and intercessor for each of our families, since those to whom we have been given and who have welcomed us into their lives bring us strength and grace. We will not be naĂŻve about families ⌠families can be the source of great joy, but they also can be the source of great suffering and tragedy. The deepest loves and the deepest hurts are those associated with family. We are made by God to be part of a community, like it or not. There is no such a thing as a self-made or autonomous person; we are who we are only as part of a family and a community. Therefore, the Church teaches that it is the family and not the individual that is the fundamental cell of society.
What we receive from God through our families â what makes them holy â is what Saint Paul reminds us about in the reading to the ColossiansâŚ, âPut on, as Godâs chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.â Families are the place where we are challenged and learn to pay attention to others beside ourselves, to put up with others, to ask forgiveness when we hurt others, and to forgive when we are hurt. The relationships in a family form us to be people of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. In families, husbands and wives learn to be respectful of each other in their distinct roles, children discover that they need the strength and wisdom of their parents, and parents learn how Godâs gifts include their children. As Saint John Paul II once said, âTo maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others and share their burdens. Each one must show concern, not only for his or her own life, but also for the lives of the other members of the family: their needs, their hopes, their ideals.â
May all of us celebrate our distinct family life and turn to the Holy Family with our joys and sorrows.
Today we observe The Feast Of The Holy Family.
This is a day for people to reflect on their own family life. Itâs a day on which people can think about how they can strengthen communication between all family members and how to heal past wounds. Itâs also a day on which people can reflect on the virtue of their family in comparison with the Holy Family.
The Solemnity of the Holy Family that we celebrate today clarifies that the redemption of humanity by Christ begins with the redemption of family life through the acceptance of Godâs will by Mary and Joseph and the selfless and burdensome love that they offered to each other and to Jesus throughout their lives.
Following is part of a homily given by Bishop Michael F. Olsen from Forth Worth Texas in December of 2020. It bears repeating!
âIt is important at Christmas that we also celebrate the Holy Family as an example and intercessor for each of our families, since those to whom we have been given and who have welcomed us into their lives bring us strength and grace. We will not be naĂŻve about families ⌠families can be the source of great joy, but they also can be the source of great suffering and tragedy. The deepest loves and the deepest hurts are those associated with family. We are made by God to be part of a community, like it or not. There is no such a thing as a self-made or autonomous person; we are who we are only as part of a family and a community. Therefore, the Church teaches that it is the family and not the individual that is the fundamental cell of society.
What we receive from God through our families â what makes them holy â is what Saint Paul reminds us about in the reading to the ColossiansâŚ, âPut on, as Godâs chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.â Families are the place where we are challenged and learn to pay attention to others beside ourselves, to put up with others, to ask forgiveness when we hurt others, and to forgive when we are hurt. The relationships in a family form us to be people of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. In families, husbands and wives learn to be respectful of each other in their distinct roles, children discover that they need the strength and wisdom of their parents, and parents learn how Godâs gifts include their children. As Saint John Paul II once said, âTo maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others and share their burdens. Each one must show concern, not only for his or her own life, but also for the lives of the other members of the family: their needs, their hopes, their ideals.â
May all of us celebrate our distinct family life and turn to the Holy Family with our joys and sorrows.
