From Father Steven - December 29, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Can you imagine being raised by St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary? What do you think it was like to be part of Jesus’ family? This weekend, as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, let us reflect on some of the struggles faced by Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Their lives were not without hardship.
There is a common misconception that there should be no problems in our families. From A to Z, we can think of a number of issues that we face at different moments in our lives. However, we often feel as though we are the only ones facing these challenges. When we look at the Holy Family of Nazareth, we can see that they, too, experienced difficulties.
First, imagine the discomfort of Mary as she traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem. In those days, they did not have cars, buses, or even carriages. It is believed that Mary rode a donkey for over 100 miles through rough terrain while on the verge of giving birth. Then imagine arriving at a place that you don’t know and had nowhere to stay? This is to say that they had it very difficult from day one. Then right after the birth of Christ they had to flee to Egypt to a place that they did not even speak the language.
Second, although Jesus was obedient to Mary and Joseph, he did do things that they did not understand. Surely it is not the same to our children, but there are decisions that they take that make us suffer. Imagine the suffering of Mary having lost Jesus for 3 days! But in all that moment she never despaired or lost her bearings. We don’t always behave like that in similar situations. Then we don’t know many details, but we know that Joseph dies at some point. It is never easy to face the death of a loved one. We know for a fact that Jesus cried at the death of Lazarus.
Finally, Mary also endured the suffering and death of her own son. At the foot of the Cross, she witnessed the agony and death of Jesus. As the prophet Simeon foretold, "a sword will pierce through your own soul also" (Luke 2:35). This was the sorrow of sorrows, yet Mary never lost her faith. The Holy Family of Nazareth faced many adversities, but they always trusted God in those moments. Their struggles helped them grow in faith and to lean not on their own strength, but on God's providence.
The perfect life can only be found in Heaven. Here on earth, we mourn and weep in the valley of tears as we pray in the Hail, Holy Queen. It is normal to face adversities in our families. Surely it is difficult, but not impossible. Whether it is illnesses, vices, faults, or problems with the children, love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Then there is our hope. When at your wedding you promised each other to be faithful in good times and bad, in sickness and health, to love and honor our spouse all the days of your lives. Let us not forget our promises, because God will help us to fulfill them. Finally, remember that no matter how big our issues may seem, our God is bigger than all of them.
In addition to blessings, God has given us His own Mother to help us in our lives. As we approach New Year’s Eve, we not only give thanks to God for the countless blessings we received in 2024, but we are also called to honor the Virgin Mary under the title "Mother of God." This feast is so important that the Church has made January 1st a Holy Day of Obligation. We will have Masses on December 31st at 4:00 PM and in Portuguese at 8:00 PM. Then, on January 1st, we will have Masses at 7:30 AM & 11:00 AM, and in Spanish at 1:00 PM. Let us all start 2025 with God and honor our Blessed Mother.
God Bless you and Happy New Year!
Fr. Steven
