When God decided to send his Son into the world, he prepared for him a family. He chose a perfect woman, an immaculate virgin to be his mother. As his dad, he chose a godly, hardworking carpenter who would teach him the value of work, responsibility and fear of the Lord. It took God a long process to prepare Jesus to join the human family. The family is one of God’s instruments in transforming and changing the world. It is still through the human family that God continues to inspire goodness and hope.
In today’s gospel, we are shown that the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was not spared from danger and crisis. Early in his life, Jesus had to be protected from a power-hungry king who was jealous of his miraculous birth. Mary had to endure many sleepless nights in order keep Jesus safe and warm. On his part, Joseph had to be a brave leader who has the foresight and ability for strategic planning to protect God’s most important treasures entrusted to him. It was not easy to become parents of the Son of God. It required great love, deep faith and courageous obedience.
Christian families today are threatened by many destructive forces. There are pernicious ideologies who would like to redefine the basic concept of marriage as husband and wife. Couples are afraid of a lifetime commitment and do not accept marriage as a sacrament. Some choose simply to live together or prefer a civil marriage. Our catholic faith reminds us that during weddings, the husband and wife accept a role in God’s plan for humanity. They become ambassadors of God’s love; their love becomes a sign that God is still in the world and wants to be part of every human family.
Prayer:Lord, may we see marriage as a way of inviting God as a family member so that He may bless it and make it fruitful. Amen.
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