The Holy Family

Today we celebrate the FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY - JOSEPH, MARY and JESUS! This FEAST connects us to what is simple living but elegant FAMILY VALUES; to what is ordinary family but HOLY; to silent parents but GIANT PROVIDERS of GENUINE LOVE and CARE. And this FEAST also ushers us to know ordinary people:

JOSEPH - an ordinary carpenter father, but an architect of a model family;
MARY - an ordinary wife, but blessed among all women and mother of God;
JESUS - a simple boy, but the SAVIOR of the world.

Yes, they were an ordinary family, but they colorfully exemplify a model family of this cyber and digital age. What about the modern and nuclear family today? Let us take a second look at it with this story:

A family moved from a small house to a larger house. One day, their son told his mother, "I liked our small house more. I could hear Dad and you talking when I was falling asleep. When you were in the kitchen I could ask you about my homework. In this new house, we are a MILE apart from each other."

No matter what house you live in and move into: new ones, old ones, apartments, nursing and convalescent homes - as a family, always "find ways to make time sacred, to make days special" and make relationships intimate. One author said, "strong families have several things in common - appreciation, open communication, time together, a commitment to promoting happiness and welfare, spiritual wellness..." and "good families understand themselves and have a strong value system...family members manage to strike a balance between freedom and commitment to the family. People are allowed to be individuals and yet they are expected to contribute to the common good. Helping each other is not considered pathological, rather it's acknowledged as important...."

Does your family resonate with the above description of "strong and good families"? If not, this is the opportune time to re-examine the core value system of your families. As we march towards the threshold of 2014, let us journey together with the HOLY FAMILY with a renewed HOPE! And enjoy the impending BLESSINGS of the NEW YEAR!

God bless you all!