Feast of the Holy Family

Dear St. Alphonsus family,

We celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. It comes right after the Solemnity of Christmas. Why? It is to remind us that it’s very easy for any of us to think that “incarnation” only means that God took on a human body. It is much more than that. In Jesus, God is united to all of us humans in the context of a real family.

Jesus spent 30 of his 33 years in the prayer, work and play of family life. It is a family composed of Joseph, Mary and Jesus, who go through many joys and sorrows, all all families do. There is little in the Scriptures devoted to Jesus’ first 30 years, but what we do have is very significant.

First of all, despite the cuddly image of our nativity scenes, the original Christmas was not so cozy. Mary is nine months pregnant anmd rides 75 miles on the back of a donkey over bumpy, dusty roads, and ends up being homeless and her baby is born in a stable full of dirty, smelly animals. Soon after the birth they have to pick up and flee for their lives, seeking asylum in a foreign land, Egypt. Twelve years later, the now adolescent son goes missing and is found by his parents in the Temple in Jerusalem. A very heated and emotional conversation follows.

Joseph is a saint, Mary is without sin, Jesus is God incarnate. Yet, they have so many challenges, difficulties, tense moments, and opportunities for misunderstanding. Welcome to real family life. They are faithful to their vocations, and God takes care of things. Welcome to trust in God. May we imitate the Holy Family!

Fr. Ed Vella, C.Ss.R.