The Holy Family went through a lot together. Eric Immel, SJ, reminds us that we too can model the Holy Family through prayer and perseverance. Based on the readings for Sunday, December 29, 2019.
My grandma used to say, “a family that prays together stays together.”
I’m Eric Immel, SJ, and this is my One-Minute Reflection.
We know that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were the praying kind of family. They needed to be! For the second week in a row, we hear about Joseph’s dreams in the gospel – signs from God that make major demands on his family.
Escape to Egypt and doge a tyrant king? Move back to Israel and live in a totally new place? All so that this baby, who is GOD, can save humanity? They’d have to be a praying family to navigate all that!
Families still face tremendous adversity today, just like the Holy Family did. One gift of family, however, is that we don’t have to suffer alone.
The Holy Family was able to persevere because they prayed and responded to God’s call. They persevered because they had each other.
May we, as one family in Christ, pray together in the same way and always respond to God with courageous love.
