THE HOLY FAMILY

I bought this statue some time ago.   It stands in my garden and sometimes the family gather round to say the Rosary.  In the 70's and 80's when everyone was guided by the Hol Spirit to debunk the Catholic Faith I remember the Holy Family came under attack by a Revolutionary.   He did not see it as a good model for family life - it probably had something to do with no sex.

But what makes this family holy is the great love of its members.  St Joseph the Guardian and Protector of Mary and her son Jesus.  He provided a home and an income to support them both and raised Jesus to do many things and Jesus when young probably stood beside him in the Temple learning so much about the Jewish Faith.

Mary knew she had the protection of Joseph and nor harm would befall her or her child.   So her task was to be a mother like every other mother and look after Joseph and Jesus and help Jesus explecially to grow in wisdom.  Her special love for Jesus her son was never to end.   Jesus was subject to his parents and grew up mature and strong because of the confidence he found in a loving family.  The love of the Family never wavered at any point which is why we call them the Holy Family.

They are therefore a true model for every family encouraging a father to love his wife and family and provide for them, a mother to give everything to her child, and the child always honouring and being subject to the parents.

Perhaps it is because we forgot so many Catholic Models that our children are now in such danger.   I was listening tonight to a group of volunteers who were organising themselves to look after children in care.  Children with no love and no model of family life.   There was unease about volunteers taking over from professionals and because they were Christian the further unease that they would influence the children unduly with their Christian beliefs.    Having worked with children in care I found that nobody wanted to teach them anything and they grew up to be the most failing members of society since they had no psychological or moral anchor to hold on to after they were literally thrown out at 18 years of age.    The are given, and positively given, a self destructive view of life by so many social workers eager to be non sectarian or judgemental.

Is it not wonderful that outside the Catholic Church in this country there are people who actually care.   We have of course Catholic Schools full of teachers who believe that they also should not pursue this 'intelligent non-sectarian' approach    Nobody is asking them to preach sin and hell and tell children they are damned.   And not only in the schools but in the parishes it is time that priests stopped pursuing popularity and told the truths that Jesus wants them to tell.    It is not difficult to speak about chastity before marriage and recognising how difficult it is but nevertheless to love Jesus means we listen to him.   Yes its might upset someone but in that surely they are following Jesus who upset so many.   It is not difficult to put over that chastity is a preparation for the Sacrament Marriage and that Jesus did not make good marriages an 'ideal' and that is why it is a Sacrament, he is  at the centre of every marriage in the Church.     It is not hard to show compassion for those who have failed and ask them to still live as married in the way Jesus wanted them to live.   And yes, it is not hard to guid the divorced and remarried back to Christ if we follow the wisdom of the Church and not what we call 'conscience'  or being popular.

In the end it all comes down to caring for the children and the image the Church is giving them.   whatever the arguments about doctrine the Pope's encyclical Amoris Laetitia was rich in its guidance to pastors ministry.  He spoke about the hurt and damage the children brought into their adult lives because of divorce and the absence of a Father.   It is there for anyone to see who really wants to see it and when you do see it surely Christ must want the Church to do something positive to help these children.   This takes us back to the volunteers for children in care.   When will the Catholic Church become a caring Church for the Catholic children in our schools?