For today's feast, we ponder the Mystery of the Incarnation more, marveling that in becoming human, He also entered into a family.
One of my favorite movies came out 15 years ago, The Nativity Story. It does a great job of filling in the gaps of what's not in the Scriptures about Christ's Birth and gives us a real sense of the day-by-day context of what led to His birth.
In fact, this year of 2021 is special because it marks 100 years since October 26, 1921, when Pope Benedict XV established this feast.
The unseen God manifested Himself in Christ, born as a baby to Mary, Blessed Mother, and St. Joseph. And we continue to see God manifested in the love we share in our families.
In the Holy Family, we have an example of how to live out faith and grow in love and virtues in the context of human relationships, especially with those closest to us, in our families, where we first experience love.
This past year has given us opportunities to ponder the example of St. Joseph and how he gave of himself in love when called upon God to enter into family life, caring for Mary and Jesus, meeting the needs of his family, especially when they were in danger.
We see that family relationships, especially children, are a gift from God, and we are called to offer up those relationships as a gift dedicated to Him, just as Hannah, who longed greatly for her son Samuel, dedicated him to the Lord. And it's that same spirit that Jesus remains at the Temple for three days, demonstrating what it means to be in a relationship with God, just as we live out that relationship in how we love our families.
As we abide in this love, we become more like God, and so His presence continues to be known in this world. Indeed, we marvel at how God works through us to continue pouring out His love through us anew day by day, building on the foundation first laid in our families.
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