Exiit qui seminat

With the whirlwind of the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve/Christmas Day behind us, we've hopefully had an opportunity to settle our hearts and lives in the continuation of the celebration of the Solemnity of Christmas itself. As part of the 7th Day of the Octave of Christmas, we turn our spiritual gaze to the Feast of the Holy Family. In his General Audience to the faithful on Wednesday, December 28, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI asked pilgrims "to reflect today on the way that prayer was part of the life of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Indeed, the house of Nazareth is a school of prayer where one learns to listen, meditate on and penetrate the profound meaning of the manifestation of the Son of God, following the example of Mary, Joseph and Jesus." It is through that school of holiness and prayer, Pope Benedict reminded us by quoting Pope St.  Paul VI, that we become disciples of Christ. The Holy Family was faithful in observing the Law of Moses in the Presentation.  Their journey to the Temple in Jerusalem "was one of faith, of the offering of gifts - a symbol of prayer - and of the encounter with the Lord whom Mary and Joseph already perceived in their Son Jesus." Pope Benedict called the Holy Family and everything hardship and joy that they encountered as "the first model of the Church" as well as "the icon of the domestic Church, called to pray together." In other words, they are a model to us and our families of how to live, how to love and how to pray. It takes a concerted effort for families to come to church together. I know that in my own family, my twin brother and I were more than a handful to keep calm at church. My sister, unfortunately, had a penchant for passing out a Mass. We were more a "Holy Mess" than a "Holy Family". But I also remember sitting in my mother's lap as the Sunday readings were being read, pointing her finger at every word, helping me learn to read. I remember the special liturgical celebrations with all of us sitting together with my mom and dad as bookends in the pew. While chaotic at times, I know that going to Church every Sunday as a family when I was younger truly paid dividends. Every family is different and our stories and experiences of faith are varied.  Families are pulled in a thousand different directions with sports and other activities invading the sacred space of Sunday. In the midst of it all, we are still called to pray and to be holy. How do we pray as a family? Do we pray at mealtime or before we go to bed? The reality is that in the face of the busyness of our lives, we have to consciously make time to pray. It's not going to miraculously happen unless we put in the effort and avail ourselves of our Lord's divine grace. So let us pray for our families that we can follow in the footsteps of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and may the Holy Family protect us and our Church always!