The Holy Family

~~~ The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph ~~~

~~~ Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 ~~~ Psalm 128 ~~~ Colossians 3:12-21 ~~~
~~~ Luke 2:41-52 ~~~

God chose to send Jesus into a family.
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus give us a beautiful family model.
Mary was young, vibrant, healthy and eager
 to do the will of God.
She was a woman of prayer.

Joseph was already in love with Mary
so he was able to find within himself
the strength to take his part in God's plan.

Together they created the perfect environment
for God's plan to be revealed.
God sent the life of Jesus to flourish
until birth within Mary.

...kindness to a father will not be forgotten...

Mary was certainly the birth mother of Jesus,
but Joseph was not his birth father.

Joseph was equivalent to the adoptive father of Jesus.
Legally Joseph was the father of Jesus.
The angel, sent by God, prepared the mind
and heart for Joseph to be a willing participant in this plan.

This unique family arrangement has far reaching
meaning even for today's families.

Jesus was obedient to both Mary and Joseph.
Jesus honored his parents.
At the same time Jesus acted like a typical young boy.
He left his parents without telling them he was off to the temple.

The holy family unit is a beautiful model for our world today.
What makes a family holy?
Is it because Jesus was their son?
Perhaps this title was bestowed upon them
 because of their son, Jesus.

But any family can be a 'holy' family.

Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, 
gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 
if one has a grievance against another; 
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love, 
that is, the bond of perfection.

Recently Pope Francis gave us three vital components
for a 'holy' family ...Prayer, faith, and joy.

Families should pray together.
We have many opportunities to pray in a family.
It is important that we pray for one another.
It is important that we acknowledge that we need God in our family.

Keeping the faith alive in our family;
it part of how we interact with those outside of our family.
How we treat others is a reflection of our faith.
We should practice and foster our faith within the family unit.

Is there joy in your family?
If you do not have joy then it is difficult
to recognize the joy within your family.

The joy of a holy family is deeply connected to God.

In joy we can put on holiness, compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
In joy we can find ways to forgive one another...
to extend unconditional love to one another.

May you find peace and blessings
as you strive to create a greater sense
of holiness in your family.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
pray for us!
Help us to be more loving and our families will be 'holy'.

~~~Peace~~~
Joy
to the World!