Solemnity of the Holy Family

At today's Mass we observed the Solemnity of the Holy Family. It is good to look around at Mass and see the wide variety of families seeking holiness before the Eucharist. Pick a family structure and you will likely find it at Mass. Traditional families, single parent families, foster families, grandparents raising their grandchildren and many other family arrangements are present. That very act of being present at Mass is a big part of being a holy family. The Mass is where it begins because the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ are there. A family's presence at mass empowers it to be holy in the week ahead.

It can be difficult to imitate the Holy Family. The bar is set pretty high because we're talking about Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Thankfully it is not a competition but an attempt to follow their example of faith in God, belief in the prophecies surrounding their child, and acceptance of the mission they were given. Scripture tells us very little about Christ's family life, but what it does share is impressive evidence of their trust in God and obedience to His will.

Consistency in our efforts to please God and obey His will is what it takes. We will never get it 100% right but we do our families a great favor when we simply try to live in holiness. We set a great example when we fail in our efforts and immediately try again. A thousand situations each day will test our holiness and we will fail some of those tests. When it happens, just try again. Strengthen yourself with the cardinal virtues. Pray constantly. Utilize the sacraments. Don't get discouraged. Remember what Christ promised. Don't give up. Refresh yourself with the Eucharist.

It is your daily efforts at holiness that help you become a holy family. Keep the faith and keep on trying!