The Example of the Holy Family
Merry Christmas to one and all!
The Lord of love has come down to earth.
By necessity, I am writing this article before Christmas, yet as you read this, all preparations have been completed, the glorious Christmas Eve and Day liturgies have been celebrated, and we have launched into this season of rejoicing and wonder.
On the first Sunday of Christmas, while still traversing the Christmas Octave, the Church gives us the Feast of the Holy Family. I love this Feast and see in it much encouragement and hope for our journey.
An encouragement:
Mary and Joseph were arguably the two holiest people to ever walk the earth together. While the lofty heights of their union with God can make them seem distant, the reality is the opposite. God, the very source of holiness, came from the most distant heights, through all the ranks of angels in heaven, all the way to a little manger in a cave. Emmanuel. And He did not stop there. Later on Calvary, he descended further still, into the darkest depths of our shame and disfigurement from sin, taking on the mess that was ours so He could give us the glory that was His. That is what true holiness does: aflame with love, it moves the lover right into the depths of brokenness to bring restoration.
And so this is one encouragement I find in the Holy Family. Have you eaten too many Christmas cookies? Had an embarrassing failure? Mary and Joseph do not recoil from you or I in our shame and sin, but rush towards us in compassion. They accompany us and ever encourage us to return to our Heavenly Father who loves and restores us.
A hope:
A particular hope that I find in this Feast of the Holy Family speaks to a potentially painful reality. While some of us gather this Christmas surrounded by loving family, others face empty chairs, strained conversations, or a deep ache from what has passed. Even in its joy, this time of year can remind us of the ways our families fall short of the love of the Holy Family.
Whatever your family experience has been, whether blissful or trying, the Feast of the Holy Family proclaims this truth: you have a family who loves you perfectly. In the child raised by Mary and Joseph, you have been adopted into God’s family through His Church, and this is the truest family of all. Furthermore, you are on a journey not merely to visit, but to be welcomed and embraced by them forever!
And so today, exactly where you are, you and I are invited to draw close to our truest and eternal family. This family in heaven is cheering you on through every struggle, celebrating every daily victory, and interceding for every need. They know your name, they see your heart, and they are so eager to greet you with an exuberant embrace when you enter the heavenly feast.
The journey is long, yet it’s good. And we make it together.
For long-time parishioners, for those who are recently returning to the Church, for our brand new members and for our visitors, I look forward to greeting you at one (or all!) of our wonderful campuses in this Christmas season! We are so glad you are journeying with us.
In the love of the Holy Family,
Fr. John Rumpza