The Holy Family Dec 27 2020

 

Return to your Family!

The holy family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus was simple, loving, wonderful, compassionate and beautiful; are all our imagination and expectation!  Imagination, of that family and expectation of my family!!

A family is filled with rights and duties.  For example, Children do enjoy their rights from parents.  When it is their turn to take care of the parents especially when they are old and sick; it is parents right and children's duty!

In the last couple of decades we hear more of rights in the entire spectrum of society!  Rights of workers, Rights of women, Rights of children, Rights of natives, Rights of prisoners, Rights of minorities, Right to livelihood and so on! 

Because there was the other extreme!  Exploitation, Denial of equality, Child abuse, Slavery, Colonization, violations and so on!  Emancipation of humanity needs to address, face and answer such crucial issues.

But I believe there must be a personal evaluation on all of these!

When I speak of my right, When I demand my right, When I achieve what is rightful, Do I also think of my duties, what I need to deliver to the society, my neighbourhood and my family.

As the bread winner of the family or as the head of the family you may have the right to spend your earnings the way you want and  the way you decide!  But what about the need of the children and the rest of the family?  You may have to strike the right balance between extravagance and needs.  Luxury and essentials!  Consciousness of rights alone can drag you to one extreme but consciousness of your duties will calmly and compassionately bring you to a balance.

It is the same with child right too!  People become so very conscious of child right that it goes to the extent of pampering than a responsible bringing up. Children who cannot take criticism and correction grow up as weak characters.  That is how you see, so many chubby figures around with a weak mind and will.

Because there was child labour and child exploitation, we all quickly moved into child protection.  We became so very protective of our children that they lost all exposures and grow up as broiler chickens.

·         The un-proportionate infiltration of social media, mobile phones, televisions have taken away our traditional family spirit and union.  You commonly see people glued to mobile phones on dining tables, group meetings, churches and so on! 

·         Private consumption of alcohol has ruined the economy and peace of several of our families.

·         Individualism and consumerism that has crept into the society have shattered social harmony.

The only way to reconstruct this society is to return to the family!  The roots lie there.

Look at the hen and the chicks!  You learn so many lessons from them!  There is protection; protection from enemies, protection from cold and heat, there is freedom under watchful eyes, there is feeding, there is a lesson how to fetch food, how to defend oneself, there is a bit of exploitation (picking the worms); but all in a very balanced and apt manner.  The hen does not control when the chicks need to be independent.  The hen does not allow too much of a free movements when they are young. You must know when to protect and when to set free.

The 21 days of hatching and then parenting is like total giving up of oneself for the sake of its "kids"!

They won't give mobiles to kids!  They will sacrifice movies and TVs when their chicks have exams!  They will first feed the chicks before spending for a booze or a party!  They will value education more than jewellery and ornaments! Birds and animals seem to know exactly when to be liberal and when to be protective. 

Therefore, Sow! what you want to reap!  Be sure to reap what you sow!

Teach your children by example not just by advices alone!  If you parents, use unfit and bad language at each other and then advice your children to be modest and respectful, it's going to be difficult until they learn a hard lesson at the hands of somebody else!

When you come home late after loitering, be sure soon your son would follow afoot!  If you are spent thrift don't expect your children to save and spent!

If you use hard words against your siblings, your children would do the same to their siblings.  No point in regretting later.

Therefore today, Let us not too much worry about how holy, the family of Nazareth was!  That may lead you to piety and prayers! Rather it would be useful and practical to make my family a holy family!

Holiness is not equivalent to prayers and pious activities alone.   Don't think sainthood alone is the mark of holiness!  There are millions of saints all around!  Daddy sacrifices his needs just to fulfil the dreams of his children is nothing short of an act of holiness.  When children realize their father's greatness and  are careful in their spending is also an attitude of love.  Love is nothing but holiness.  A single parent bear all the emotional pains but put up with them just for the sake of their children is an expression of holiness.  I have seen several mothers in villages save everything for their kids, is to me is holiness!  The best place where you can nurture holiness is your home!  Cultivate holiness!  A lot of our complaints and dissatisfaction about the society today actually had its seedlings and roots at our home.

Carelessness, Indifference, Consumerism, Individualism; all were learnt at home!  Love, Generosity, Sacrifice, Care, Mutual respect, Godliness are also learnt from home!!

Those of us who left their homes for service to humanity please do extend your home now!  Your little "tent" where you have your "quilt" is not your home.  Let your "family" be filled with people around you especially the poor and the needy.  You had crossed the borders of your biological family to serve humanity not your "tent" and "tenant"!

It is not the presence of Jesus, Mary and Joseph makes your home, holy!  It is your love, your charity, your concern, your care, your compassion makes your home holy.  They love to be present where the environment smells holy!