“Feast of The Holy Family”
©2012 James Dacey, Jr. OFS
My Friends,
Today we celebrate The Feast of The Holy Family. Each of us has been called to a very special mission in our lives. Many of us are in families, obviously all of us are, but some of us are a direct member of a day to day living experience with a spouse, or siblings, or a mom and a dad or like many who have children. We all have been given a most blessed gift in whatever structure of a family that we live in. That is what is it that binds all of us together? Are we able to relate to Jesus, in the family setting? Can we live a life really close and private with Jesus while sharing a home with six other people? Oh indeed we can.
The foundation of a family is two-fold. Whereas Jesus is the center of the sacrament of marriage; so we have one man and one woman joining in the sacrament of marriage; and in the center of that commitment to one another is a commitment to Jesus, together and separate. I hope I didn't lose anyone with all that, I almost confused myself. LOL. Point here is that that is truly the perfect of all combinations to better secure and hold strong the family that will stay together for many years. Are all marriages and families all that perfect? Absolutely not, challenges and friction are a daily part of survival in a family. That is why we need Jesus all the more.
But let's see what a family is? Like the Holy Family, a family is the union of one man and one woman (united in the sacrament of marriage) and then the multiplying of children (Which we seem to have mastered well in our home. LOL). A family truly has become "a family" once the children arrive. I realize that's not always true, but for the purpose of reflecting on the Holy Family, we'll look at it this way. Children are like the diamonds in the rough of life, they bring so much joy to a couple that mere words can never express this overflowing happiness. Yes there are countless hours of lost sleep, endless dirty diapers from such a small person, and many of us can agree, so much more. Jesus unites us so that we can take care of one another. Not only physically, but even more importantly spiritually.
As a family "we" have a vocation together, our first ministry together. I see it this way: We all need to support one another and help one another get to Heaven. For what purpose is this life if we don't use it to get to the next one in eternity with Jesus. And if we don't spend time nurturing and helping the flesh of our own flesh, what kind of an example are we when we try so hard to help our friends get to Heaven. That is why "the family" (our own families) needs to be our first ministry. There will be trials, challenges, fights and so on. Families will experience everything possible on this journey. The world we live in is not family friendly; in fact too much of a degree the political correctness undermines a family. We need to find that place in our own families were we can best serve each other, forgiving one another and loving one another no matter what. Unconditional love must rule supreme between all members, building supportive strength together.
“Jesus, I Trust in You.”
Your Brother in Christ Jesus
and His Most Precious Mother Mary,
Jimmy (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
Revived from my own writings 12-27-09
