Families

Today, Dec 30, is the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. This is also a time of year, the Christmas season, in which "family" is a prominent feature.

As a husband for 23 years, and a dad for 22 years (not to mention a son to an aging mother [whose hot water tank burst last night!!] and a brother to 3 sisters), I know that being family doesn't come easy.

Not only is being family not easy, family can look a lot different today than it did even a generation ago.

What we learn from the holy family of Nazareth, is the need for a huge amount of love in our families, a LOVE that is bigger than we are.

We don't always have to like what a family member is doing, or agree with the way one is living their life, but we do have to find ways to love and support one another regardless of the circumstances or issues.

What I have learned to do over the years is to put the relationship first, the issue (whatever it may be, and there are always lots of them!!) second. We are made for relationship, and the first priority for relationship is within the family where love, forgiveness and reconciliation is to be practiced.

Every family, however it is made up, is holy.
Every family is important to those who belong to it, and to our society as a whole.
And in every family is the IMAGE that makes us all one family.