Just a few Sundays ago, we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family. Parents everywhere delighted in the readings. As soon as our children heard the first reading, all of their eyes were on my grinning face. “Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.” (Sir 3:6). As the second reading came, I could see parents across the Church tapping shoulders or giving gleeful glances to their own children. “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.” (Col 3:20).
As much as I would like the readings to be about parental authoritarianism, they are about something much greater: the family and its participation in the divine image and mission.
This feast day focuses us on the one treasure that the Christ child would not forgo. It should not be missed that when the King of the Universe entered creation, He chose to do so in a humble manner that had no pomp, riches, or even the security of a home. All the baby Jesus had was His family, Mary and Joseph. This tells us something profound about the importance of family.
It was not “necessary” that Jesus be born and raised in a family. Jesus could have been raised by a choir of angels or incarnated as an adult with no family ties. Yet, God deemed it fitting for Him to be part of a family. Why is family so essential?
We are created in the “image and likeness” of a Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God exists as an eternal family of divine persons. Man, created in God’s image, is also meant for family. In Genesis, this meant Adam and Eve. Later, Jesus reveals that this also means family with God and others in the community of the Church by inviting us to become adopted children of God through baptism.
Family mirrors the image and likeness of God, reflecting His goodness, love, and beauty to the world. Family is not a malleable social construct, but an immutable divine gift. As a model of God’s self-giving love, family is the archetype for human society, indeed it is the “original cell of social life.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2207). Therefore, if there is to be a revitalization of society, it can only come from a renewal of the family. Similarly, a renewal of the Church is only possible through a renewal of the “domestic church,” the family (CCC 2204).
The devil hates God but is unable to harm Him, so he attacks man created in God’s image and the family, which reflects God’s inner life. From the first family in the Garden of Eden to today, the devil lashes out against families. As terrifying as this is, the family is where, if we are grounded in God, we are most secure. This is witnessed by the Holy Family when, by listening to the Holy Spirit, St. Joseph protects Jesus and Mary from Herod’s attack. As spouses, siblings, or children, the spiritual welfare of our family members is an essential priority.
Parents are uniquely tasked by God with the spiritual and moral formation of their children. Through their words and actions, they are the first witnesses of God’s saving love. This is not an easy task. There are many competing goods that wish to capture our children’s attention: academic achievement, sports, friends, dating, entertainment, etc… Yet, Jesus warns us, “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mk 8:36). With love and patience, parents need to guide their children and help them form meaningful priorities. There is no greater good that we can offer to those we love than a relationship with Jesus.
Let us pray for the strengthening of families and that, like the Holy Family, our families may be a witness of God’s love and hope to the world.
