Holy Family

In today’s Collect prayer, at the beginning of the Mass, the Church places the Holy Family, Mary, Joseph and their son Jesus, as a pattern of life which everyone could learn of mutual love, to be encouraged to follow their virtues, and in this way could attain a certain path to eternal joy toward the house of God, the Father. The Book of Sirach contains a general truth and respect of the Jewish culture to the wisdom and experience of older people, and especially to their older parents. Their old age and physical-psychological weakness should be replaced for indulgence and mercy from the part of their children. Today, this truth has to be reminded all the time to the younger generation of our society, which taking into consideration the economical regards, think more about the marginalization of the older generation and even their non-existence. The younger generation should show to its parents love and reverence as its parents showed love to them when they were children and younger although you can also find exceptions to this rule. Unfortunately in our times you can see those exceptions more often than before, because of marginalization of religious education, which is based on a general respect (esteem) to older people. In today’s Gospel we have an example of caring parents, Joseph and Mary regarding their son Jesus, whom they save from many dangerous situations. We remember the best way to defend our children against those bad situations is to direct them closer to God, the only One who is able to direct their fate in the best way. And again, the example of Mary and Joseph who educated their son Jesus such a way that He was prepared to fulfill his life mission of salvation.