December 29th, 2024 - The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

What would a Holy Family look like in 2024? In one of his books, the popular spiritual writer Matthew Kelly claims that the biggest lie in the history of Christianity is that holiness is not possible today.  Kelly says in response to this lie: nonsense. Of course holiness is possible, he says… especially if you think of living a holy life as just trying to create a series of holy moments, one at a time. He describes a holy moment as a moment when you open yourself up to God, a moment you make yourself available to God, a moment you set aside what you feel like doing in that moment. And for that one moment you simply do what you believe God is calling you to do. Kelly says if you develop the habit of collaborating with God at least one moment a day, you will eventually become the best version of yourself, which is a holy person.  So, a holy family today would treat each member with respect and kindness, and seek to promote the common good and contribute to the well-being of the whole family. Spouses would remain faithful to each other; parents would love, nurture, discipline, and protect their children; young children would obey and honor their parents; and adult children would take care of their aging parents the best way they can. Family life has definitely changed in the 21st century, but the call to be a holy family has not changed.