THE HOLY FAMILY
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jiménez
The feast of the Holy Family that we celebrate this Sunday during the Christmas season reminds us of the holiness of the family, school of love and humanity. During 2015 we have had the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia and the Synod of Bishops on the Family. Affirming in many ways that being human cannot be without family and the gospel helps us to fully live this profoundly human dimension.
But with sadness we see a very difficult reality for families. For example, the proposal of a large part of society in favor of recognizing marriage between people of the same sex. It is true that we could say it is a right, but that does not make a future for humanity. With sadness I see another example of young people who do not want to commit their lives to each other forever, because they see it as a practical matter: living together because if it doesn’t work than each can go their separate ways and it’s over. Other examples: divorce, separation, domestic violence, not wanting to have kids to give them more. And we could continue enumerating oppositions to family life.
Pope Francis on September 14, 2015 told the couples that he was marrying in the Vatican: “The love of Christ, which has blessed and sanctified the union of husband and wife, is able to sustain your love and to renew it when, humanly speaking, it becomes lost, wounded or worn out. The love of Christ can restore to spouses the joy of journeying together; because this is what marriage is all about: a man and woman walking together, wherein the husband helps his wife to become ever more a woman, and wherein the woman has the task of helping her husband to become ever more a man. This is the mission that you each have. It is the reciprocity of your differences. It is not an easy path, without problems, or it would not be human. It is a shared journey, sometimes difficult, sometimes complicated, but that is how life is.
“In this theology that the Word of God gives us, a people on a journey, the family is also on a journey, spouses are on a journey, a little advice: it is normal for spouses to fight, it is normal. It always happens. But my advice to you is to never end the day without making peace. A small gesture is enough, and in that way the journey continues. Marriage is a symbol of life, of real life; it is not a “soap opera”. It is a sacrament of the love of Christ and his Church, a love that finds in the Cross its proof and guarantee.”
“Jesus said to them, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.” (Lk 2:49-51) I want to conclude, assuring you of my prayers for families, but especially for couples, if you couples and parents are doing well, then your children and the rest of your families will be doing well. Contemplate your children and pray for them. Children, silently learn from your parents. May the grace of God live in your hearts and the example of the Family of Nazareth give you strength to continue in your vocation and family life. Amen.