How can our families be like the Holy Family? They are so perfect, and they follow God so closely, but yet they are profoundly human. We hear in today’s Gospel how they not only lost Jesus, but they weren’t able to fully understand him. In our families, how many times have we lost Jesus for a time? How often do we not understand what he is saying or doing? The Holy Family is a human family. They faced challenges, misunderstandings, and made mistakes. Not sinful mistakes, but human ones. In their humanity, they remained faithful to God and to one another. In their humanity, they remained fruitful, open to bringing forth divine and human life into the world. Like the Holy Family, our own families need to be at the service of humanity through faithful and fruitful love.
Jesus
Christmas Day*
The angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” God’s favor, his grace has entered humanity in a new way. It was promised that a savior would come, and when he did, what was it that he brought more so than anything to save us? It was grace. God’s favor is his grace; grace to know God, and grace to love God. Grace is what the Son brought through his first coming. Forgiveness… yes. Rebirth… yes. Forgiven and reborn so that an endless, living supply of grace could dwell in our hearts. Every Christmas we celebrate the human birth of living grace, the Son of God, into our world.