December 28, 2014

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph B

Genesis 15: 1-6; 21: 1-3; Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, 17-19; Luke 2: 22-40

Today is a reflection on the Holy Family…was it easy being a member of that family? I remember so many times hearing that the Holy Family stands as the example for all Christian families to pattern their lives upon. The thought came to me when I was young, ‘Well, they certainly don’t live in my family?’ being the youngest, there were times that I felt ‘left-out’; times that I felt all alone; times that I felt that I wasn’t appreciated; times that I felt my family was the greatest; times especially after Christmas that I felt ‘persecuted’ because the ‘present’ that I really wanted wasn’t under the tree. It’s so hard to do any sort of comparison with the Holy Family. What can be said is that they trusted God. How is my trust? What is my trust based on…having my own way…sacrificing…’offering it up’…loving…respect? I imagine that the Holy Family based so much of their ‘trusting in God’ on prayer. I look at the families that have touched me down through the years and they have been characterized by putting God first in their lives. This has been exampled to me by their loving and supporting one another and by praying and going to Mass together and as a family. Fr. Peyton started his mission on “The Family that prays together, stays together.” These families have been outstanding examples to people in the parishes I have served and they never felt that they were doing anything exceptional. I have been blessed by their love.

The New York Times edition on May 8, 2014 published an article that is worth repeating on this feast; it was entitled “Promises that can bend without breaking”

“They have been married for 28 years. Theirs has been a happy life, filled with wanderlust and wonder. They both had fulfilling careers: he is a college professor, she is an accomplished weaver and textile artist.

Their near-perfect life came to an end a year ago when they sold their home and moved into an independent living apartment for the elderly. He is only 50. She is 49.

She is the reason they are now living in this situation. A series of seizures and strokes revealed brain tumors. Over time she became more absent-minded, more forgetful. Her lucid periods are fewer and fewer. After the two surgeries and a painful recovery, he and she talked about the future and what they would do with their lives – but with the new, sobering realization that they would not live forever.

Her dementia is comparable to mid-stage Alzheimer’s. She rarely steps outside the surety of their apartment; he often has to remind her who he is and that they are married.

He now remembers for them both:

In the past we’d had fun with ideal questions about the future: I we could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Or what would we do with a million dollars?

This time it was more serious: What will we do if you don’t remember who I am? We agreed that staying together was the most important thing . . .

Sometimes I think about the vows my wife and I made to each other, 28 years ago and then again last summer. We’re different people than we once were. Does that make the promise easier?

Last summer I said to her: You can trust me. I’ll always tell you the truth about what’s happening. Today I tell her small, comforting lies. Some promises, though, aren’t just things you say or intend to do; they’re about what kind of person you are. That makes it easier to decide what’s right . . .

When I look at my wife I still see the lovely younger woman in our photos and in my memory. Sometimes she looks back at me and smiles. Even though she may not know who I am.”

Today’s feast reminds me that my life is a journey full of challenges and changes and it is the love and care of family that I experienced way back when and in my sister and brother today that enables me to weave my way through those changes, rough roads, hills and valleys. As in those way back early years as now, living encompasses the unconditional love that Christ has for me, each member of my family and for all both in good times and in bad. The Holy Family is a model for me. They loved…they hurt…they had so many crises that threatened their stability and peace yet they trusted in God. What do I have to do today to trust? God is always loving me, so I go to Him, in humility and trust and love.

Reflect: Sacred Space 2015 for the week December 28 – January says, “Something to think and pray about each day this week:

CHRISTMAS, as Told by a Contemplative

The message of Christmas is simple: God is with us. ‘You shall call Him Emmanuel, which means, ‘God is with us.’’ So says the angel to a bewildered Joseph, who must have spent the rest of his live pondering the implications of that statement.

If God is with us in this radical way, what is our response? Are we with God? What does it mean for us, to be with God? Is it impossible for ordinary folk? Do I want to be face-to-face with God?

Drawing from reflections in the Christian contemplative tradition, we can discern two things: first, how simple it is to be with God, and second, the world-changing power of being with God.

What about a New Year resolution for the Sacred Space community? I suggest this: that we would step out confidently into our chaotic world with the firm belief that simply by being with God we are helping to transform it. God, who sees our hearts, will bless us as we go!”

Reflect:

• I feel that God’s presence is constantly in my life and that there are no flukes or coincidences. I try to spend time each evening looking at my day…can I do that more frequently these next days so that perhaps a good habit will form?
• Do I acknowledge in my life that the celebration of Christmas marks the beginning of God’s promise of everlasting life? Do I live this?
• How do I model Mary’s loving acceptance of God’s will and trust in my life?
• When people see and hear me do they see a reflection of the gift God gave through the life and death of His Son? How?
• How are love and forgiveness featured in my life?

A Prayer from Sacred Space 2015:

“Loving Father of good beginnings, You start anew with us in all the stages and circumstances of our lives. We thank You for being always present for us in Jesus.

With Jesus we look forward eagerly to being sharers throughout 2015 in a confident message of faith, of peace, and of hope for our world.”