Three
Points on Family Life
Fr.
George Smiga
26
December 2004
Gospel
Matthew
Three
brief points about family life on this feast of the Holy Family.
The first is: there is no carefree family life. As much as
we would like it to be so, there are always pressures, always
dangers, always issues that complicate and make family life
difficult. This is certainly seen in today's Gospel as we
follow the Holy Family in its efforts to avoid the machinations
of Herod. But each of us in our own family must deal with
our own challenges and pressures—economic troubles, problems
at work, misunderstanding and tensions with our in-laws, complications
that come from the natural growth process as our children
make their way through adolescence. There are always difficulties
that press in upon us and complicate our families. These cares
are a part of life.
The
second point: those cares get to us; they wear us down. As
much as we would like to be up and always handle those difficulties
with ease, they undermine our ability to be loving, patient
and kind. So we lose our patience; we say things that we regret;
we act in ways that are not the best; we talk back to our
parents; we overreact with our children; we are insensitive
to our spouses and to those with whom we share life. The cares
of life get to us.
We
now come to the third and final point. Do not forget to add
love. We will not always be able to avoid the insensitivities
and the mistakes of family life. But what we can do when we
have an opportunity is remind the people in our family that
we love them. We can seize the moment when we are not embroiled
in some argument, when we are not confused or impatient, and
reaffirm what is true in our hearts—that we care for one another,
that we are thankful for one another, that we are God's gift
to one another.
Three
simple points of family life. There is no carefree family
life. The cares will get to us. Do not forget to add love.
In fact, add some love today.
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