"Lord God, what can you give me, if I die childless...?"
Genesis 15: 2
 

All in the Family

There is a story related to the Old Testament concerning the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Picture the scene of the Israelite nation led by Moses, fleeing from slavery and bondage. Their Exodus is stopped on the shores of the Red Sea and the people are glancing back over their shoulders. God has promised them liberation and freedom. They know that and they believe it, but now they are standing on the shore of the sea and Pharaoh’s army is in hot pursuit.
 
Moses raises his arms and voice in prayer for God to lead his people to safety. He gestures with his staff over the water but nothing happens. Indeed nothing happens until the first person actually steps into the water and shows through that simple act that he has faith in God’s promise of salvation.
 
When the first step of courage (Faith) is taken, the sea parts and the people cross over into freedom and liberation.  
 
In all today’s readings, we are given examples (Heroes) of people who took the first step of courage and this helped them grow and mature.  Abram in Genesis had a pretty solid relationship with God, but he is tested.  God promises him many things but in a candid conversation, Abram doesn’t mask his disappointment--being made great is good and God being his shield is fine (how many of us would just be content with such an assurance??), but he ‘pushes’ God: ‘O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be if I keep on being childless, …see you have given me no offspring’.  The ancient cultures and traditions value a child or having children; offspring are a sign of posterity and continued life.  God then takes Abram outside and shows him the sky, ‘look up at the sky and count the stars if you can, just so shall be your descendants’.
 
And Abram puts his whole faith in God.  Sarah became pregnant in his old age and the child is named Isaac.  By faith Abram lived and faith made him grow.  He has a new image of God as one who ‘remembers’ and fulfills, hence God is trustworthy.  
 
Joseph, Mary, Simeon and Anna are all examples of people who take the first step of courage that is faith. The holy family fulfills its obligation as required by Jewish faith, laws and rituals. Mary is especially a model of obedient faith as she will suffer seeing her son put to the test and death; she will have to ‘give’ more, so that all may be saved.  Simeon and Anna are examples of patient faith as they now see the child for which much is destined.
 
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, the child Jesus must now be born in the family.  It is ‘all in the family’.  The family is the place where this first step of courage--faith must be nurtured and grown.  Faith as an abiding trust in God, even when we do not know how things will turn out.  Faith is the fulfillment of Christian obligations. Faith is putting into practice what we say we believe. Faith is living by example and witness. If one doesn’t get faith and faith values in the family, what are we to expect?  If one does not learn from a young age what it means to love, know and serve God and neighbor, what becomes of our society?

What kind of atmosphere is there in the family of today? Is it an atmosphere that nurtures faith? The quality of relationships between parents and children contributes to the making of that atmosphere.  Do we know that the family is the ‘first church’? And what does this mean?
 
Family can be challenging. It can’t be only about receiving; it must also be about giving. Family means ties of duty and love.  The holy family knew struggles, trouble and pain, it can serve as a model for us.  
 
Because God chooses the family as a special place to grow, let us make the effort to make it ‘holy’.
 
 Remember it is ‘all in the family’.
— Father Anthony