The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Holy Family Statue at the Guardian Angel Cathedral in Las Vegas, Nevada

Today's feast is an important one in our modern culture because holy families are a huge benefit for society as a whole.  We cannot find a better model to emulate than the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

It seems that many things in our culture work against us in regard to having happy, healthy, and holy families.  A constant flurry of activities keeping us constantly on the go, screen time taking the place of actual relationships, and a multitude of other challenges hindering our well-being are evident in the social ills present in contemporary society.  Add to that an ever-growing percentage of people abandoning faith in God and we see a picture coming into focus representing more division, violence, and overall dysfunction.

I realize that seems like a pretty cynical assessment.  However, I am of the opinion that it reflects reality.  Think about major institutions that shaped us as a society in the last 100 years.  What role did organized religion play through the past century?  One can look at statistics in the Catholic Church from 1960 and compare it to statistics from today and get a quick glimpse.  How does society view marriage today as compared with 1960 based on those statistics?  How has the sex scandal impacted the influence of the Church in modern society?

What role does the government play in shaping society?  Is there anyone out there thinking our government is a well-functioning institution with the utmost credibility?  How does the constant bombardment of negativity impact us on an emotional level?  How does social media impact us in this regard compared to just having standard network news fifty years ago?

How has media changed overall in the last 100 years?  Does the material that floods our homes via cable television or the internet build us up and strengthen our walk with God?

How has education changed in the last century?  How do universities shape and mold future leaders in the present age?  Is all of that a positive influence on the family?

My encouragement to you is simple.  Pray for your family daily.  Put on the full armor of God around yourself personally and around your whole family.

A tip of the hat today to Holy Family Shrine in Gretna, Nebraska for your ministry.