+ Today as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we consider "family life in God." Family life in God is based on a dynamic that is for the most part distasteful to most Americans in this day and age: and that dynamic concept is OBEDIENCE. More than ever the American "dream" is about the "fantasy" of "absolute detachment" and independence from any real lasting accountability for anything or anyone (that does not serve temporary and fleeting flights of self-seeking, self-satisfaction and self-glorification!)
In contrast to this, family life in Nazareth was experienced as a real and true flight into the heart of God the Father: whose purpose and plan it was and is to gather unto himself an amazing family, from the four corners of the earth, united in peace, harmony and virtuous living. He even went so far as to send us in the flesh One who would teach us all about life in this family – that One is Jesus – Savior – Messiah – Prince of Peace!
However, to understand anything at all about Jesus the very first lesson to be learned (taught by he, himself) is OBEDIENCE! It was out of OBEDIENCE that Jesus came to us: sent by the Father who was so very concerned about the fact that all of humanity stood in a self-imposed condition of being condemned by him because of the Original and other personal sins; and because there was an irrevocable chasm between us and him, with no possibility of crossing into eternal life of blessedness. Jesus OBEYED and came to us! He OBEYED and was subject to everything about human life that we are, except sin! He OBEYED his Father's Will at every moment of his earthly existence. And for us and for our salvation
he became OBEDIENT even unto death, death on a Cross; this he did joyfully because both he and his Father were so eager to build a new family of believing people who would benefit from his great act of redemption! But the key for them would have to be the same key as it was for him: OBEDIENCE! Obedience to God and his promise of salvation! Why would we not want to love and trust and OBEY anything that our God tells us to do for our present and eternal welfare?
Family life then, mirrored in the life of the Church, has everything to do with OBEDIENCE: the obedience exercised by the Holy Family of Jesus, Joseph and Mary. If Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church (us) is his Bride – and the way for salvation is for the Church/Bride to "do whatever he tells us" (the way Mary explained "obedience" at the Wedding Feast of Cana where Jesus raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament), then in the same way wives should love and "obey" their husbands in the Lord; and husbands must love their wives in exactly the same way that Christ loves, cares for and protects his Bride the Church: and the children, the fruit of the union of husband and wife to complete the cycle of family life need to obey their parents, as we see Jesus doing in the gospel passage when he went down to Nazareth and was "obedient" to them.
There is a great benefit in the God-centered and initiated dynamic of OBEDIENCE that can never be experienced unless family members take the risk of trying it out unconditionally. If we remember that God is the source, the power behind and the reward for all OBEDIENCE and that it is really him that we are obeying in the process, then it might be easier to "take the plunge" and try it out! Perhaps this might be a good "Family New Year's Resolution!" Take to heart the words of these scripture passage that are found in your Bibles at home – OBEY GOD and experience the "joy of OBEDIENCE" in your relationships and then the peace of Christ will dwell in your richly and it will control your hearts and your family life will take on a dimension that maybe it has never had: and you will also better understand what it means to be Church, and members of God's Great and Loved heavenly family!
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, and who walks in his ways – you shall be blessed and favored forever!
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