Deacon Tom Anthony

 

 

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY

With the coming of the Christ Child the Holy Family is complete. The Christ Child has entered the world with the promise of salvation and vindication. We are encouraged to look at the Holy Family as a model for our own lives and our own Christian Community. Throughout Sacred Scripture it is emphasized how a God fearing and loving family should conduct themselves in comparison to the expectations of society. The family is the most central and important social unit in the world and we are instructed to focus on this continuously. There is a sense of peace and wonderment that is revealed through the Manger Scene that moves us as Christians. It is not only because it is the moment when our savior entered the world but because of what it represents: peace, love, and happiness. Meditating on the Manger Scene invites us to contemplate the central aspect of our faith which is love: the perfection of which can be demonstrated through the love that a mother and father have for their child.

Through the Prophets, God continuously makes comparisons of his love for us. He describes it as the same love that a mother has for her child. The child is represented as the perfection of God’s creation. As Jesus said, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” It is through the unconditional love that a child has for its parents early on that we can learn how to love our God and each other.

A lot of the problems and ills of society can be traced to the slow crumbling of the family unit and society’s attempt to change it. The Wisdom of Sirach instructs us to honor our fathers, revere our mothers; all the while parents are expected to guide, nourish, and foster the growth of their children. The relationship between the three is the seeds of growth which will develop and transform everyone. As more children enter the picture their relationships will also define who they are in a continuous cycle. This is why marriage is important and parenting is a great responsibility.

 

There are expected rules of conduct within a Christian Community and within a Christian Family. We should meditate on this continuously and strive to make changes when we see where we have erred. God understands that we are not perfect but we must acknowledge our mistakes and shortcomings if we are to improve ourselves. Through the Holy Family we learn that our conduct does not only affect ourselves but everyone around us. In a family this is all the more true. Everyone is watching; all the time. Our children watch us and watch what we do. They learn from us, absorbing all of our actions and what we say. They mimic us and use our example as a blue print for the rest of their lives. This can be frustrating at times but it must be understood. We are not in this world alone and cannot act as such.

Happiness can be achieved through an understanding of our duties and responsibilities. These can be very hard and overwhelming. We all will fall short sometimes. It is inevitable. The difference between true success and failure is how we react to the failures and use them as lessons to better improve ourselves in the future. It is never too late to do well. It is never too late to take what we know and transform ourselves through Christ. When we transform ourselves we then transform all those we interact with. Especially those who are closest to us.

Deacon Tom