All in the Family

Gospel: Luke 2: 41-52

The term 'dysfunctional family' is somewhat redundant.  Not a single family functions perfectly, even the small family of Jesus as we see in today's Gospel portion.  Families come in all shapes, sizes, and constitutions.  There is nothing normal about them, and some random picture of the 1950's American family is hardly the standard for families then or now.  Besides, today's feast is not about making families conform to some standard composition, but rather about being holy.  This is true both for our biological and ecclesial families.

So, what makes a family holy? It is not some political litmus test or even biblical or catechetical proficiency. It is rather the love we have for God and one another, the trust we place in each other through the relationships we forge together.  It is realizing that communion is not a one sided affair where everyone else conforms to me, but a mutual give and take that respects each other and the gifts they bring to the family.

To be a family - in the home and in a church - is to be around the table with one another, knowing it is better to be together sharing a meal than to be apart, accepting one another for who they are and growing together in virtue and grace, supporting one another in struggles and successes.  It is to be together and present to and for one another through all the function and dysfunction.