SCENES of my own family gathering last Christmas still live in my mind: the joyful noises of my nephews and nieces running around the house; the circle of siblings and in-laws watching football and a Filipino movie; the munching of family secret dishes; the ever-impressive tender care that my siblings give to my ailing father; the laughters of everyone during our exchange of gifts; and warmth hugs, kisses, and caresses.
Ours is a happy large family; and I guess that we consider ourselves as one of the lucky ones. When I think of people who do not have the the company of loved ones this holiday season, I feel very blessed. And so, I always thank God for giving me a loving family.
But like any family, we have our own share of difficulties and challenges, like the long illness of my father who has been under hospice care or the conflicts among us over some family matters. We have fears and anxieties like the future of the siblings’ children and the health of everyone. And so over Christmas dinner we talked about our longings that our nieces and nephews will find good partners in life and that we, their parents, uncles and aunts, will retire comfortably.
A family is a gift from God despite its imperfections. Our role is to sanctify it through mutual love, care, concern, understanding, sacrifice and respect. A family is where we are nourished and formed to become healthy individuals and contributing members of the society.
As I write this article at a restaurant, I am sitting next to a family who is having a cheerful breakfast together. I could not help overhearing its conversations about issues of family and insights about life, children, economy, politics and the world. “We’re all the same,” I whispered to my friend who is eating breakfast with me. “It doesn’t matter what part of the world we come from or what culture we embrace; every family has the same yearning to be united in love and to live financially well.
I believe that the human family is God’s greatest gift for us. It is no wonder that God decided that His only begotten Son was to born into a human family. It is His way of telling us that He is sanctifying the human family and is elevating it as an institution to the highest degree.
As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family this Sunday, let us be thankful to God for giving each one of us a family. Let us never forget in our prayers those among us who do not share the blessings of a happy and caring family. May they feel the sense of belonging that they are part of a larger family of God through our places of worship and communities. Happy Holy Family!
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Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas attended St. John Seminary in Camarillo, California and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For twenty years, he has been in the parish ministry of large multi-cultural communities. Since 2002, he has been the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles. Please email Fr. Rodel at [email protected].
