Monsignor John welcomes Matt Zemanek to reflect
on the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on Sunday, December 26th, 2021
What does it mean to be a Holy Family?
The Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus is an example to us, but one that might seem unattainable. Mary and Jesus never sinned, and Joseph is a canonized Saint; that is a hard act to follow. Our families are certainly not perfect. They are messy, busy, broken, and dysfunctional. The Holy Family is an image that most of us probably feel we could never come close to. The problem with this mentality is not that we are too human and too messy, but that we forget that the Holy Family was human and messy too.
People probably whispered about Mary and accused her of being an adulteress, not believing the story of the angel Gabriel coming to her to announce her miraculous conception, but they remained faithful.
Jesus was born in a feeding trough for animals. Joseph failed the number one rule of every parenting class: have a labor plan! But, they remained faithful.
The newborn baby Jesus kept his parents up at night. They probably showed up to synagogue feeling rushed with baby spit-up stains on their clothes and completely exhausted, but they remained faithful.
They had to flee to Egypt to escape the murderous pursuit of Herod, but they remained faithful.
Mary and Joseph lost Jesus. They lost the Savior of the world. Not for five minutes, but for several days, but they remained faithful and did not stop looking until they found Him.
They knew messiness, stress, anxiety, loss, grief and suffering: that is a human family. And yet, they remained faithful to the Lord through it all: that is a holy family.
Holiness is not about removing or hiding the mess, it is about being faithful in the midst of it. On this Feast of the Holy Family, know that holiness is possible in the messiness of family life, and when faithfulness feels impossible, know that you have three people in Heaven who get it, who love you, and who are cheering you on.
By: Matt Zemanek
St. Timothy Catholic Church
Director of Adult Evangelization & Faith Formation
