By Fr Antony Christy, SDB-
The Feast today presents to us the model of the Holy Family… especially at a time when the Church, led by the Holy Father, keeps reflecting so much about the vocation and mission of Christian families in the world, we have a clarion call: to grow to be like the Holy Family.
The Question is, what makes your family HOLY?
It’s Humble, Obedient and Loving You that makes your family H.O.L.Y.
The family will not become holy by itself… it is YOU who has to make your family holy! Rarely do we take that onus on our own selves. We look for someone who is failing in his or her duties, someone with some weakness to shove all the responsibility, and go ourselves burdenless.
Humility versus Blame Game
Humility is the first ingredient of holiness. Humility is all about truthfulness and there can be no holiness without truthfulness. Humility is to understand the reality that is me and accept it as it is. It is neither overrating myself nor trampling myself. Joseph and Mary, stand out in this humility, as they knows exactly what their role is as parents in the holy family and play just that. They never overdo, nor do they shirk in anyway their responsibility.
Obedience versus Ego Trips
Most of the times the fights in a family are not about what is right and what is wrong, it is about who is right and who is wrong. Authority is what is contended here… who has the final word? Should the wife always obey the husband? Or is it fine to have an henpecked husband? The solution is not wife obeying husband or husband obeying the wife; it is not about children obeying the parents or parents complying in everything with children; it is about husband, wife and children all obeying God! Knowing exactly what God wants of me, and doing that in peace and unity. It is important to be on our Father’s Business!
Love versus Self Seeking
Whether Mary or Joseph or Jesus, there is something that dominates the picture – true and genuine love. Love never seeks its own good! Love is always concerned about the other: Joseph about Mary, Mary about Jesus, Jesus about the people… it is always about the other, not about oneself! The less I concern myself with my self, the more loving I become. Jesus who is Word made flesh, Joseph who takes charge of the holy family merely because God wanted him to, Mary who said that yes without even calculating the risks involved… all the three are epitomes of the love of God.
The feast of today has a special invitation to us- to grow into holy families… each of us holy unto the Lord, each of us into a humble, obedient and loving persons, forming families that represent love, families that bear the name of God!
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him.