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Holy
Family
December
29-30, 2007
Matthew
2:13-15, 19-23
We
have no reason to believe that Joseph was a wealthy person.
But if we trace the indications in the Scripture, he did have
a trade. He was known as a carpenter. Most likely he had a
small carpentry shop. He had built up over the years the respect
of a number of clients in his own community. So Joseph had
a certain amount of confidence that, with his trade, with
his connections, with his abilities, he could provide for
Mary and for the child who was entrusted to him. Yet despite
all of these things, when he was told by the angel to leave
everything behind and flee to Egypt , he did so without hesitation.
And we would do the same. Because in a time of crisis, what
is really important becomes clear. When Joseph was told that
the child under his care was in danger, Joseph left everything
behind. The child was more important than property, than livelihood,
than the community which gave him support.
Today's
gospel makes clear that it is the people in our lives, the
people in our families who are of prime importance. They are
more important than our real estate, than our success, than
all of our accomplishments. The gospel asks us to reflect
upon the value and the importance of people in our families.
For all the stress that at times can come in families, it
is in our relationships with spouses, parents, children, grandparents,
brothers and sisters that we define who we are and understand
God's will for us.
On
this feast of the Holy Family we should claim our thankfulness
and responsibility. Thankfulness because we should never take
for granted the people who have been given to us. Responsibility
because family relationships are not simply to be enjoyed,
but to be deepened and developed. Our families are called
to become more alive and more productive.
There
are, of course, many ways to do this, and I have asked Anthony
Camino to share with us some of his reflections of deepening
family life after communion today. As we proceed now to the
Eucharist, let us do so with an awareness of the thankfulness
we should have for the people in our families and of our recommitment
to deepen those relationships so that God's life might flow
among us.
Reflection
by Anthony Camino
Our
gospel on this feast of the Holy Family challenges us to take
seriously the good news that at the heart of each family are
people, people who need love, encouragement and guidance.
Despite all the material goods that we exchanged, all the
delicious food that we've enjoyed, the games we've played
and songs we've sung, what makes us family are the relationships
we share with those we love. And like Joseph, Mary and the
child Jesus first discovered as they fled to Egypt , these
relationships are really all we have.
Our
United States bishops state this quite plainly in their document
“Sharing Catholic Social Teaching,” where they write, “We
believe that every person is precious, that people are more
important than things.” So what can we do to nurture this
community of relationships that we call family? How can I
set my priorities to make sure that people really do come
first? Two thoughts, the first inside our family and the second
outside.
Within
our families, we have many rituals or activities that take
place when we gather together. Amidst the eating, the TV watching,
card playing and other great things that we do, might I suggest
a simple but rather challenging ritual? Imagine sitting together
with those you love and taking turns sharing how each person
there has been a blessing to you over this past year. Or sharing
with each other why you love that person seated across from
you. Or imagine sharing how you've experienced Christ in the
persons sitting around in the circle with you at your family
dinner table. Imagine the effect a short sharing ritual like
this could have on the relationships that you cherish most.
A ritual like this might sound strange or awkward. It probably
would be strange or awkward in my family as I think about
it, too. The sad reality is that purposeful direct sharing
on this level happens far too little in our families. We tend
to think things like, “My dad knows that I love him” or “My
wife knows that she's the most important person in my life.”
And even though the jewelers want us to think that nothing
says “I love you” like a diamond, the truth is nothing says
“I love you” like actually saying “I love you.”
A
young woman stood up at a wake service to say a few words
about her deceased father. “I am grateful,” she began, “that
I had the opportunity before he died to share with my dad
everything I wanted to say. I am so glad that I was able to
tell him how much I loved him and how much he influenced and
guided me as I was growing up. I'm just really glad that,
as I look at him now, there's nothing I could say that I didn't
say already.” Within our families we're encouraged today to
find ways to communicate clearly and directly why those we
love are so precious to us. Perhaps New Years Eve or New Years
Day will be a time to say what really needs to be said.
Outside
of our families, a different kind of opportunity exists, the
opportunity of service. As counter-intuitive as it might sound,
family bonds are immeasurably strengthened when we move outside
our close-knit boundaries and serve others. Whether it be
through the Christmas project that just happened, the Cleveland
Food Bank, Young Neighbors in Action, the St. Augustine Hunger
Center, our Lenten food bags or other acts of charity, families
who serve together come away with a deeper respect for each
other and a broader understanding of what it means to be a
part of the human family. In the year 2000 we spent a long,
hot, rough week of service with Young Neighbors in Chicago
. And during the final prayer service, one young girl from
Wisconsin stood up to share her thoughts about the week that
just happened. “I didn't know what it would be like having
my dad serving with me on the same work team,” she said. “Especially
since we weren't getting along that well to start out with.
But after watching him sweat and work all day long the same
as me, I never knew I could be as proud of my dad as I am
right now.” If you want to strengthen the bonds within your
family, go outside your family and serve.
The
good news is that once we've gone beyond the food and the
frolic, the gifts and the games, what makes us family is the
same thing that made Joseph and Mary and Jesus a family: the
relationships we share with those we love. Strengthening and
deepening those bonds of love is an ongoing challenge for
all families. In the upcoming days and weeks of 2008, whether
it be through some new ritual of sharing within your family
or some act of shared service outside, stretch yourself a
little bit and experience again the joy of family.
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