“And (Jesus) went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Luke 2:51-52
Meditation
If our ultimate desire as humans is to encounter God the Father, how are we to do it? Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that we preeminently see God the Father in the face of His Son, Jesus Christ: “In His Face we truly see who God is and what He looks like!” Now, who contemplated the face of Christ more than anyone else? Mary and Joseph – a mom and a dad! Where did they do it? In their home! For this reason, the Holy Family was truly “paradise on earth” – God was present, their hearts were one in love for God the Father and each other, and evil was banished outside. We are not only capable but called to imitate the Holy Family in establishing a similar paradise in our own homes. This is truly how the Kingdom of God blossoms on earth! As Pope St. John Paul II stated, “The future of the world and of the Church pass by way of the family.” Therefore, be a saint in your home because that is where charity begins.
Live It! Practical Tip of the Week: Be a saint in your home with hearts full of love. Find Christ’s hidden face in your spouse and children. Keep anything evil on the outside. Experience a foretaste of Paradise.
Prayer
St. Joseph,
Mystery hidden from the wise and learned,
But revealed to the little ones.
Take me to Nazareth and train me in your ways.
Reveal to me Christ’s hidden face present in my children.
Unveil for me the love of the Holy Spirit present in my spouse.
Teach me to manifest for them the Father who is rich in mercy.
Help me to exclude all evil from my heart and my home,
So that we might find union with God,
And experience his love, peace and joy.
Amen.
– By Steve Bollman
