Feast of the Holy Family
- Fr Jim Valk, CR
- December 30, 2022
Today is the feast of the Holy Family. What does this feast say to us in a world where family is difficult? Single parent families often struggle, financially and personally. Health and educational issues abound.
Joseph, Mary and the child Jesus… a family that knew hardship, struggle. Difficulty – a pregnancy, a death threat, travel and poverty… How often their life mirrors ours – bills to pay, communication problems, sickness and so on. We are called to trust, to say yes to God, not just in the sweet things, but also in the tough times.
- Family calls us to FIDELITY. God never gives up on us. We are called to be there for each other. Look at the ordinary ways of loving shared in an extraordinary way.
- Family calls us to AVAILABILITY. Jesus had time for others. Do we have time for one another?
- Family calls us to CELEBRATE, the gift of life. Christmas is not a promise of continued entertainment. It is a call to discover God’s love of life in ourselves and in others.
God is light for the world. Love is born anew and hope is possible. Through our love for one another, all will know God is in our family.
~ excerpts from a reflection by Fr. Jim Valk, CR in 2015