Daily Thoughts: I will be traveling today making the 14 hour drive from Indianapolis to New York. It is a bit ironic I have just spent a week plus with family and today, the Feast of the Holy Family, I leave them. Also for those of you who tune into The Sunday Mass you will see me as celebrant of the Mass today, the miracle of TV!
In my homily today I mention one of my favorite fictional characters from TV, Special Agent, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, from the show NCIS. During one of the past episodes Abby has a struggle with family. She finds out that she was adopted. In a very touching scene she goes to Gibbs and says that she doesn't know who she is now and Gibbs' reply goes something like this, "Abby, family is more than science and DNA, family is about the people who care about you and you have a lot of people who care right here." To me it was a touching scene that reflected some of Gibbs' wisdom but I think it also reflects our feast today.
We might look are the Holy Family and say how can it be an example of family life. They were the perfect family, how could my family even begin to measure up to them? They were special people, blessed in a unique way by God. Jesus is The Son of God. Mary came into the world without sin. An angel came to both Joseph and Mary. How can we ever measure up to the Holy Family? In a word by caring!
Gibbs was right the basic value of family is that family cares no matter what. All of the stories we find about the Holy Family are stories about people who care for each other and for those around them. The gift of the Holy Family is the grace of caring! Perhaps our challenge today is to remember the people who care, those we are connected to by DNA and those we are not!
Daily Prayer: God the Creator of all families, graciously help us to imitate the love of the Holy Family for each other and the world. Grace us with the gift of caring so we might always bring your loving presence to a world that at times forgets to care. May your gift of family always keep hope alive within us. We continue though out this Christmas Season to pray for families in grief; for little ones whose lives were too short; for teachers, administrators and responders who put others first; for firefighters who risk their lives; for a community that must find a way to live; for all of us who seek a world of lasting peace! For truly blessed are all who hope in you! Amen!
Runner's Thought: A truly successful run is one in which the work of returning to God's presence in practiced over and over again.
As I said that the beginning I am traveling today I has your prayers for safe travel for me and my niece and her family as they to make the long trip back to Virgina. Have a blessed and holy Sunday and of you are with family may it be a special on. Peace in the Holy Family...Fr. Paul
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