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Power Unit

Family

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.


During this octave of Christmas, we are reminded that Jesus’ mission, from the moment He took on flesh, was not a one-man show. It was the mission of a family.

St. Joseph’s (earthly) portion of that mission ended before Jesus’ public ministry. His job was to bring Jesus successfully to manhood, and He fulfilled that mission fully.

Mary’s part in the mission continued as the perfect accompaniment and complement to Jesus’ own role. If Jesus was God who took on flesh to pay the infinite debt for our sins as only God could, Mary was the sinless creature who gave the definitive “yes” to God’s action, and indeed the gift of her whole life, to second, further, and augment the reach of Her Son’s infinite merit.

The first reading from Sirach illustrates the beauty that is the family unit, and the rewards for respecting and living its sacred character. The second reading from Colossians explains how holiness is lived out in a family.

Marriage, as we know, is a sacrament that is received throughout the life of the union, renewed in its sanctifying power over and over again through the fulfillment of the state of life that today’s readings describe.

If marriage is a sacred sacrament, a sacred state, then the Holy Family is the prototype of that sacred sacrament, the prototype of that state. It is a community wherein, in a sense, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The family relationship becomes an entity unto itself, as a reflection of how the Holy Spirit–the embodiment of the love between the Father and the Son–is a true entity.

If we understood the exalted character of the sacred Christian family, we would fight harder to preserve and cultivate its relationships in all their pristine beauty–even while each constituent member is inevitably replete with imperfections and limitations.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Contemplate your family–each member, and the family unit as a whole. Consider it’s special character, that makes it so different from other families. Thank God for this unmerited gift that plays such a critical role in your life, and ask Him for His grace to protect, enhance, and perfect it for His glory.

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Mustard! Who Knew

Mustard

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.


According to the Gospel, the Kingdom of God is like yeast that is mixed with flour, causing the whole batch of dough to rise. Just as yeast brings wheat to its full potential as a risen loaf, so our relationship with God–the Kingdom of God within us–brings us to the full potential of what we were created to be.

So it is too with society, even here on earth: When citizens reach their full potential through their relationship with God, society itself becomes godly and reaches the full potential of what it is intended to be.

And the first building block of society is the family, and concretely within that, marriage. In the first reading, St. Paul urges Christian husbands to cherish their wives, and Christian wives to respect their husbands. This is easier said than done: To move from the natural complementary attraction of the opposite sex to a life dedicate to the service of another person’s happiness, a person built with a psyche and needs entirely different from one’s own, an infusion of God’s grace is critical. Otherwise, disrespect, disdain, and frustration slowly creep in and take over.

As full as the individual husband’s and wife’s heart is with God, just that full is the family of God; and as full as the family is of God, just that full is society of God.

Most of the ills we observe in society trace back to insufficient love within the family unit, which translates to an unhealthy quest for welfare, security and esteem from government and society to make up the loss.

The best way we can change society is by filling our hearts with God, and then giving all we are to our spouse and family. If this seems unsatisfying, too small to make a dent in the shredded fabric of our unhealthy society, consider the Gospel description of the Kingdom of God as a mustard seed. The mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, which then grows into the largest of shrubs, whose branches shelter many birds. If indeed our own effort is small, consider that offered to God it constitutes the “yes” that can unleash the full, infinite power of Jesus’ redemptive act upon many hearts, and ultimately, society itself.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Think about how small your family life is–how little direct impact you make on the workings of society. But then, remember the “yes” of Mary, and consider Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed…ask Him, by the grace of His Kingdom in your heart, to take your “yes” to your spouse and family, your gift of self, and leverage it for the growth of the Kingdom of God in many hearts.

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