Feast of the Holy Family
Dear Friends,
Today the Church celebrates the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Together they are the greatest model of family life. But what is it about their family dynamic that makes it so great?
We often picture the Holy Family as portrayed in Christmas cards. And while I’m sure they shared many serene, beautiful moments, that image can give us a very unrealistic sense of what their life was actually like.
I had a wonderful visit to a family several years back. But apparently the house was a bit of a mess—though I didn’t notice. the mother greeted me with a defeated, “Oh, I bet when you visit so-and-so, their house is all clean for you.” It made me wonder: what is a good family really striving for?
The first line in today’s Gospel says: “When the magi departed, behold, the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt…’” Imagine the rollercoaster Mary and Joseph were on. First the arduous adventure of Jesus’ birth: real, messy labor among animals, far from home. Then the Magi arrive with gifts fit for a king. They must have felt hopeful. But as soon as the Magi leave, Joseph is told to flee by night to a foreign country! What would they do there? Where would they stay? They didn’t know. Their life wasn’t neat. It was difficult and messy.
Yet in the messiness they were still the perfect family. Why? Because they trusted in the Lord and followed His word. And they did it repeatedly. In those loving acts of obedience, Joseph and Mary saved their son—the Son who would save us.
That same loving trust is how our families imitate the Holy Family. I think of parents who bring young children to Mass, dressed perfectly, only to battle for an hour and leave disheveled and exhausted. The beauty is that they come anyway because they know God desires them to be there.
Let us honor the Holy Family today not because they had it all together—they didn’t, but because they trusted, sacrificed, and loved unconditionally.
Michael Gokie
Assistant Newman Director