Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
Of all the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic has created, aside from the death and serious illness of loved ones, it is the separation it has wrought for so many families across our land. It has often been said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. The physical closeness of family members especially as they grow older and have lives of their own, has been shattered by this dark chapter in our history.
Fearing contagion especially for older and more vulnerable parents and relatives, younger members and their own families have been relegated to phone calls and video visits. Older parents sequestered in skilled nursing facilities look longingly through widows at their daughters, sons and grandchildren, deprived of the warmth of an embrace, a kiss and physical presence.
There is no question that our families that we sadly so often take for granted have become a longing source of comfort as we look forward to the day when our physical presence will not be a threat but an opportunity to rejoice in so precious a gift.
The Church in her calendar marks the Sunday after Christmas as the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In the mystery of the Incarnation, our loving savior took on the fullness of humanity in the midst of a human family. With Mary, his mother and St. Joseph, her beloved husband, the Lord would grow in wisdom, age and grace, nurtured by his parents – as is the case for all of us. They prepared him to eventually take up his public ministry, knowing that he would forever have a home in their hearts.
Let us remember in prayer, all families who nurture their children in love. Let us especially remember those families that are fractured and suffer brokenness. May forgiveness of painful memories bring renewed healing. Let us lift up the families that perhaps experience the marginalization that comes from prejudice. May all families come to know that Christ lives with them and makes his home in their midst.