Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. (Colossians 3:12)
These characteristics certainly do seem to describe a holy family! Often, though, our families are places where we can be hurt the most deeply by wrongs or where we find ourselves irritated or impatient with one another. Something about the closeness of family life just brings our faults to the surface.
What can we do when our family seems to bear little resemblance to the Holy Family? We can take St. Paul’s advice and put on virtue. We have been chosen and loved by God. Jesus has redeemed us. We have the Holy Spirit living in us! These three dramatic truths tell us that we can make a fresh start— right here, right now. Even small steps will make a difference.
A new year is almost upon us. What kind of choices can you make this year to put on the virtues that form holiness in you and your family? We all come from different situations. We may have both parents or only one present. We may have little children or adult children with families of their own. We may be part of a religious community. We may be separated from our families by military deployment, imprisonment, or personal hardship. But no matter what our situations, we can all take one more step.
Maybe we can try to get the family together once a week to pray the rosary—even if it’s only a decade at a time! Maybe we could give a younger relative a prayer journal and gently guide them toward a commitment to daily prayer. Maybe we could find a parish that offers eucharistic adoration and bring our families once a week.
For younger children, daily Bible stories or learning about the saints at bedtime can form a bond of faith. Teens may benefit if we make the time to talk honestly about the struggles they face and share our own experiences with them.
Whatever steps you take, you can be confident that the closer you are to Jesus, the better you will reflect his life. And the better you reflect Christ, the more it will affect your family.
“Heavenly Father, author of family life, help me to bring a holy change in my family this year. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, pray for us!”
Sirach 3:2-6,12-14; Psalm 128:1-5; Luke 2:22-40