Today is that special day when you get to sit in Mass and as the lector declares “Children obey your parents…” you make more of an effort than usual to elbow your kids, “Listen, do you hear what he is saying?” But then comes the Gospel reading, “Wives submit to your husbands…” and I feel my husband’s arm come across our son who is sitting between us and his hand every so subtly tap my shoulder. I nearly choked on a laugh. But I knew what was coming next so I turned and looked at Neal, putting my hand up to my ear and motioning for him to listen because next was (paraphrased) “Husbands take care of your wives like Christ takes care of the church.”
No one in the family was clear from direction in today’s readings. It is the feast of the Holy Family. A time for us to pay attention to the example of Joseph and Mary and their desire to follow God’s will in all that they did as they raised this very special son. But they did not sit back and assume it would all come free and clear, that God would give them everything they needed without having to offer the parental control over Jesus. They didn’t sit back and assume God was going to take care of Jesus, guide him into becoming a young man and teaching him the ways of human hospitality, they ways of working for a living and understanding the pressures humans have in earning a living and being in community.
No one family is perfect. I know mine is certainly far from perfect, and over these last 360 days you have been privy to many an embarrassing mistake in my parenting skills. 😉 However, on days like today, when we take the time to reflect on THE Holy Family and listen to God’s direction in how we are to try and conduct ourselves as husbands, wives, and children then we find the guidance we need to keep going, keep trying and most importantly, keep praying for God to help us where we are failing the most.
May God bless you and your family.
Blessings
Shannon