Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas! In this Christmas week, are you having a breather after the hectic time leading to the Christmas Day? How do you feel after December 25th? A cartoon in the New Yorker magazine says it all. In the middle of the floor is a dried up, withered, Christmas tree. The calendar on the wall reads December 26. Dad is sitting in his chair with an ice pack on his head. Mom is in a bathrobe and her hair in rollers. The floor is a virtual mountain of torn wrappings, boxes, and bows. Junior is reaching in his stocking to be sure that there is no more candy. In the background we see a table with a thoroughly picked turkey still sitting there. The caption on the cartoon reads simply: The morning after. This is normal family life. It is precisely to highlight this normalcy that we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family today!
The Holy Family too was very normal with the ups and downs like in any ordinary family. How consoling it is to realize that the Holy Family was not exempted from difficulties, trials and suffering. Mary was pregnant out of wedlock. Jesus was born in the manger because there was no room in the inn. Joseph led his family to flee to Egypt because of the murderous plan of King Herod to kill the baby Jesus. Mary saw her Son crucified on the Cross. How did they survive? The Holy Family was God centered. That made all the difference.
Recent researches have reaffirmed the importance of family making a significant difference in nurturing the faith of children and adolescents with faith practices at home. John Roberto, a prominent youth minister who founded what is now known as Center for Ministry Development, has an article on the USCCB website titled “Partnering with Parents to Nurture Family Faith – Insights from Research.” Here are some of the most important practices he lists:
- Reading the Bible as a family and encouraging young people to read the Bible regularly
- Praying together as a family and encouraging young people to pray personally
- Serving people in need as a family and supporting service activities by young people
- Eating together as a family
- Having family conversations about faith
- Talking about faith, religious issues, and questions and doubts
- Ritualizing important family moments and milestone experiences
- Celebrating holidays and church year seasons at home
- Providing moral instruction
- Being involved in a faith community and participating regularly in Sunday worship as a family
This is why the Church consistently reminds us that the family is the “domestic church.” I wish to thank as well as support our parish families who make valiant efforts to live the gospel values despite huge challenges. This New Year gives us an opportunity to introduce some of these practices – if we are not already doing these – in our families. As a first step, why not begin this New Year, the Jubilee Year, by attending our 10 am Mass with family?
May the Christmas blessings stay with you and your family for the whole of 2025!
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal