Being A Holy Family

People tell us to be like the Holy Family. But a lot of people feel like they can't because they find it very hard to relate to them. Why? Well because when we look at the Holy Family we see pictures of harmony and Happiness. But really, the Holy Family went through many more hardships than most of us. We're just so used to hearing their story that we don't really think about it. Take a moment to think through it. First Mary is found pregnant before she got married. Nobody would have believe her story. Even Joseph probably found it incredibly hard to believe. I mean he was planning on quietly divorcing her but didn't because an angel appeared to him in a dream telling him the truth. Then they had to travel to Bethlehem where Mary, who had to travel on a donkey while she was nine months pregnant and then found out that there was no place in the inn, had to GIVE BIRTH IN A STABLE. She had to give birth with no soft bed, with no heating, with nothing to help ease the pain. And to add to that the stable probably stunk from all the animals. Now we're not that far into the story and they've already had a harder life than most of us. And to add to it, when Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple, Simeon told Mary that her heart would be pierced by a sword. Comforting. Then after the baby was born they found out that the King Herod was trying to kill him and had to flee all the way to Egypt. Then when Jesus was a little older they lost him, both parents thinking he was with the other. They couldn't find their child for THREE DAYS. Just imagine that. Now take a step back. Most families don't go through anything this bad. I know many people think that it was easier for them because Mary was born without sin and had no inclination to it, and Jesus is God. But guess who wasn't either: Joseph. He was just like us. And Mary is a lot like us too. Both of them had fears. Both of them went through joys and sorrows. They had love. They had misunderstandings and hardships within their family. They got frustrated and exasperated. They had to work through awful times. Yet they were able to get through all of their hardships. Why? Because their love for God and for each other was strong enough to take them through anything. And so can ours. Our families are different from the Holy Family because we don't have mothers that had no inclination to sin and are perfectly pure and they don't have Jesus (well we have Him ever present in our lives). But we have that same love that holds us together and the same ability to have the Saint like life and understanding that St. Joseph did. We have a bond of love. And a bond of love isn't physical so nothing but you and you alone can break that apart. Even if the rest is your family is not trying to strengthen or even keep that bond, it is still your responsibility to keep it. Keep it and watch what happens. Good qualities have a strange ways of shining through our characters and motivating those around us. But only if you are serious about keeping it. The other thing is a Holy Family doesn't mean a PERFECT family. We can all have a Holy Family if we strive to build our foundations in love, respect, and prayer. We can never have a perfect family. No family has EVER been perfect. Not even the Holy Family. No family will ever have unbreaking harmony. And that's not a bad thing, because hardships, sorrows, and pains bring family members closer together when faced together just as much as, or more than, joyous times do. So remember you can have a Holy Family. And that Holy Family starts with you. For His Glory, -Kateri

Therese's Family