Here is an oldie written by Deacon Tom Sheridan:
A boy asks his father to use the car and the father responds
No, not until you get a haircut!
The boy replies,
But father…… Jesus had long hair!
The father said,
Yeah, but Jesus walked everywhere.
This weekend, we celebrate and honor The Holy Family. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Sure, we all know the Christmas story by now, but think about the Family as being a Holy structure designed by God — not only to form and hold together a society — but also to create and re-create the reflection of God and our relationship with Him.
From the beginning, God willed that children should hold their parents in high regard and that parents should recognize their children as gifts from God. The Holy Family is our model.
Here’s a little insight:
If you were to build a house in the 1950’s, that house would have had a front porch. If you were to build a house in the 1960’s, the porch was placed on the side of the house. If you had built a house in the 1970’s, the porch would’ve been built on the back side of the house. In the 1980’s houses were built without a porch, but rather had a “Family Room”. In the 1990’s houses were built with the family room being in the basement. In 2000, many people moved out of the center of town and into the suburbs. In the 2010’s houses were being built in the woods, and all you can see is the mailbox at an end of a long driveway.
In our world, society can change even when we are not aware of it. We have probably asked ourselves “How did we get to this point?” Over the last 9 months, our world has changed dramatically. How we view and value our families, our communities, and ourselves. Hopefully, no matter what, how we relate to one another has taken on new meaning, for the good.
I received a lot of Christmas cards and gifts this year. The greatest gift was simply talking with my parents on the phone following Christmas morning Mass. I am so lucky to have the parents that God has given me!
As we honor the Holy Family today, let us consider our own families and the gift we are to each other, despite all our differences and disagreements. May our hearts be filled with gratitude as we prepare to unite as one in the Body of Christ.
Amen!