Oftentimes, saying “yes” means letting go of what we’re accustomed to. Fr. Joseph Dickan, SJ, reflects on how the Holy Family’s “yes” to Jesus’s emerging identity is an act of trust in God’s providential guidance. Based on the readings for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Saying “yes” means letting go.
Hi, I’m Father Joseph Dickan, and this is my one-minute homily.
Have you ever watched someone important to you and realized that they’re becoming their own person and growing in new ways?
Maybe a friend’s wedding or new job excited you, or you felt pride at your child’s graduation. Those moments can be scary too, because they challenge us to let go of some of our influence.
On today’s Feast of the Holy Family, we see that there are two sides to family life: Family is a place where we grow in wisdom, like the young Jesus who learns from his parents. But as parents know, the “yes” of Mary and Joseph also means letting go–trusting more and more that God will bring what they have begun to completion.
Wherever God calls us, we’re invited to say “yes” with open hands. In letting go, we can know more fully how generous and faithful God is.