The Church of the Holy Family & Why It’s So Important Today
The Church of the Holy Family gives light to our dark world.
Have you ever seen the term… JMJ?
Don’t laugh because I wasn’t raised Catholic. It took me into my adult years to learn what JMJ actually stood for.
JMJ stands for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph….the Holy Family.
How The Holy Family Can Change the World
Have you ever wondered…what has this world come to? Why does it look so different today than from when I grew up? Maybe you thought the times you grew up in were just as screwed up morally as they are now.
Have you ever been saddened by people getting divorced and seeing families divided? How do you think the children from those families have turned out? Even if you thought they turned out just fine, do you think that the children would have turned out even better and had an easier time growing up if their parents had kept that family unit together?
Surely there is a correlation.. I’ve watched numerous Christmas movies where all the child asked Santa for was for their parents to fall in love again and come back together.
There is an intrinsic desire for the family unit to be strong.
In fact, I’ll argue that it is the bedrock of our society. With it, we are strong and people are happy, children grow up better and more morally sound, and even finances improve!
However, with the breakdown of the family structure, society begins to crumble. And, it doesn’t take very long for this to happen… within a few decades, you can see major shifts in school systems and what they think they are allowed to teach. You see major shifts in promiscuity and the whole gender debacle. How can a person be confused as to if they are a boy or a girl? It’s so simple but people are so confused they don’t know the difference between up from down.
What if there was a magic pill that could change our world for the better?
I believe I’ve found it and it all starts with the Holy Family and the Church of the Holy Family.
Who is the Holy Family & What is A Domestic Church of the Holy Family?
The Holy Family is composed of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, in the Christian tradition. Mary, is the mother of Jesus. There is so much to say about Mary. There is a ton of Church theology that we call, “Marian Theology” that we can discuss here but I’ll save that for another blog post and today just focus on the Holy Family. Very briefly..
Mary was immaculately conceived. Which means she was chosen by God and born without original sin.
The angel Gabriel visited her, gave her a special message, she said “yes” to God, and the Holy Spirit came upon her and she conceived Jesus.
She was betrothed to Joseph who was also visited by an angel and told what God wanted him to do.
Mary and Joseph are both saints of the Church. Mary bore Jesus and Joseph is the foster father of Jesus. Which is also interesting because the genealogies of Jesus tie back to Joseph’s lineage. Of course, Jesus is the central figure of Christianity. He told us that He is the Son of God. He also told us that He is “I Am” which is the same thing that God referred to Himself as in the Old Testament which the Jews immediately recognized which is why they wanted to hurl Jesus off of a cliff prior to when they succeeded in crucifying Him for the same offense but that could be a topic for a whole nother’ blog post.
Back to it, the Holy Family is an important model for us to follow. It’s the ultimate example of familial love, hierarchy, submission, virtue and devotion.
So, now you know who the Holy Family is and why there are churches all throughout the world dedicated as the Church of the Holy Family.
Why are they called the Holy Family?
I’ve taken a minute to introduce you to the Holy Family but, why is the the Holy Famly so important to Christians and arguably, the world?
The Holy Family represents the ideal family unit
The relationships between it’s members were faultless
The Holy Family points us to God and aids in our salvation
The Holy Family is the ideal family unit. What is your family like? Have you ever had a fight with your spouse or lost your temper with your children? What if you could live in a home where non of that happened? Yes, because of their closeness to God and the grace that He gave them, I’m going to assume that Mary and Joseph didn’t fight like cats and dogs and that Jesus was the perfect child. I think it’s safe to assume He was a “perfect child” because He lived a sinless life and lived in full submission to Mary and Joseph while He was growing up.
For 2,000 years people from all of the world have revered the Holy Family and attend different Church of the Holy Family parishes because of their love and devotion to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We can see this clearly documented in all of the famous paintings that hang in numerous museum galleries around the world.
More importantly, the Holy Family has a special place in the Church because it represents the Incarnation where Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us. This incredibly special and pivotal, cataclismic, event happened within a family unit. It changed the entire course of history! It changed the world! And, God chose it to take place using a mom, dad, and child.
Take a moment to reflect on your family. Dad, mom, and child. You’ve got this same power to change the world too right within the walls of your home.
But, maybe you’re thinking…my family is less than perfect and sometimes I struggle just to keep the peace here. Don’t worry. You’re not alone. We all struggle with this because we are not God in the flesh, like Jesus was, and we weren’t born without original sin, like Mary was. We’re all fallen sinners in need of a savior and praise God, He sent us His son so that we could be forgiven of our sins! Amen!
What can we learn from the Holy Family?
The Holy Family gives us a beautiful example to follow
You can become a Domestic Church of the Holy Family right inside your home as a “domestic church”
Life is always easier when we have great examples to look up to and follow. In fact, that’s what I admire about the Saints. The Holy Family gives us this example in our daily lives for our little Holy Family. Let’s dive into these elements further.
Joseph was the leader. God gave him instructions as to where to lead his family to safety through multiple dreams by an angle. He would then go to Mary and tell her what God had put on his heart to do. Mary, would not question his authority or give him her opinion or try to lead them in a different way that she felt was “better”. She submitted to her husband and followed his lead. This structure is a “safe bet” when it comes to following God’s desire for our lives even when it is difficult and we may not agree or understand at the moment. Finally, we have Jesus who obeyed His parents and submitted to their hierarchy and authority. This is how we should raise our children to behave. Sure, you want to be their “friend” but at the end of the day, they shouldn’t be the ones making those big decisions with you. Having hierarchy and authority teaches them how to get along within the family dynamics as well as how to get along in the real world of school, jobs, etc.
The Holy Family can inspire you and when it does, you’ll take action to emulate it.
When you model your family after the Holy Family, your marriage will improve. You’ll have more direction as to how to raise your kids in a healthy way and your “Domestic Church of the Holy Family” will transform your home forever.
When your family is strong, you are doing your part in society to show Christ and love to the world. You’ll enjoy it, your kids will enjoy it, your neighbors will enjoy it, and so will the rest of the world. Most importantly, Christ will enjoy it and bless you even more.
Essentially, you can be a game changer right there in the walls of your home.
Just like Christ who was born in a lowly manger but was GOD IN THE FLESH, you too in your humble, little home can change the world through the love, strength, and stability of your family in the world.
What is the prayer of the Holy Family?
This Prayer of the Holy Family can help your family become a Domestic Church of the Holy Family.
“Lord, You intended for the Holy Family to be an example for all, and for the Holy Spirit to enlighten our homes. May we, like them, be able to live according to the family virtues and stand united by the strength of Your love before meeting again for eternity in the joy of Your house. Amen.”
Are You Inspired by the Church of the Holy Family?
Did learning about the Church of the Holy Family inspire You? Read more inspirational saints on our blog.
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Well, that’s all for today.
I’ll see you back tomorrow with another Saint of the Day to inspire you!
Toodles,
-Priscilla
