Just a day after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. There can be no other way to describe the family other than holy. Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless Blessed Mary, and the obedient Joseph are the definition of holiness.
When we take a moment to look at our own families, we find they fall far from the description above. There has been no family that can even come close to mimicking the Holy Family. So why would the Church take a Sunday after Christmas to celebrate what is obviously true and yet unattainable for our families?
Sure, no family will ever reach the level of the Holy Family; however, their example of doing God’s will is something every family can model. This is an essential facet of the Feast; families should strive to be holy and not to give up in that quest just because they live in a fallen world. Every day, husbands and wives should make each other better people, and the children should learn from their example to do the same.
There is more to the Feast than making our families holier. What is sometimes forgotten is that we owe honor and glory to God for sending his Son as a baby within a family. Recall, God’s creative hand is manifested in a family from the beginning of time. The Fall of Adam and Eve tarnished the vehicle of creation, and the birth of Jesus restored it to its holy place. For this reason, we give thanks and worship God for sending His Son to be our Savior.
Yet another aspect of the Holy Family is overlooked because during this season, we are focused on the historical birth of Jesus. Once we move past the image, another aspect of the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph emerges as the true archetype of life eternal. Let me explain. To share in everlasting life means we share in the very nature of God. As a Trinity, the main characteristic is one of a life of pure relationship. The Father and the Son are one in the bond of unimaginable love, and that bond of the Father and Son proceeds the Holy Spirit. The basis of any relationship is the Trinity. And what is a family except a relationship among its members?
It was not enough for us to be loved by God, but He wanted us to share in His love, which is the eternal relationship of love. The Holy Family gives us a glimpse of what it means to live with God for all eternity. Jesus is the head of this new and eternal family, along with the Blessed Mother, who is rightly called the first and perfect disciple.
St. Joseph, although flawed, represents all of us who choose to do the will of God, even in times of trial. He is a disciple because he believed in the words of God through an angel and took on the role of Jesus’ earthly father. He fulfilled his work on earth and was welcomed into the relationship of God for all time.
As disciples ourselves, our wish is to join this new Holy Family and become members. We have already begun that wish at our baptism, in which we became adopted sons and daughters of God. With our newfound title, we hopefully live in accordance with such a lofty part of the holy family of God and look forward to its consummation in heaven.
It is fitting, therefore, during the Christmas Season that we reflect on the historical family of Jesus and at the same time be awed to be called to be a member of His eternal and Holy Family.