Growing up, I had an aunt who loved Santa. No matter the season, there were Santa pictures and statues up around her house. It was a Santa explosion at Christmas. For another aunt, it was cows (she and her husband raised them so this made sense). Each time we visited, my siblings and I would see if we could count how many we could find in the house. We always came up with a different number, but it was usually over 100.
As I look around my own home, I have come to realize that perhaps this tendency to theme our house has found its way into my own decorating style. For us, it’s images of the Holy Family. In nearly every room of the house, there is at least one picture or statue of the Holy Family, sometimes two or three. There is something I find so intriguing about this little family, something so beautiful, I can’t help but surround myself and my family with them.
Our Gospel today concludes with actions every good Jewish family did. Mary and Joseph, having fulfilled the prescriptions of the law after having a child, returned back to their home to live their normal lives. There is something mundane and almost anticlimactic about this scene. They did what they were supposed to do and then they went home.
How many Sundays has my family done the same. We go to Mass, fulfilling our Sunday obligation, and then we go home to continue living our normal lives. There is a catch, however. The last line of today’s Gospel tells us that “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.” While Mary, Joseph, and Jesus did lead everyday ordinary lives in these days, something special and unique was still at work in their home.
They lived in perfect accordance with God’s Will. Mary, being immaculate and without sin, had united herself fully to God’s Will when she offered her fiat, her yes to participate in His plan for salvation. Joseph, though not immaculate, was especially chosen by God to accompany Mary and Jesus, which he did with his whole heart. Jesus, in His humanness, obediently learned from Mary and Joseph how to love God and love life.
They lived in harmony, even when their life was difficult. They lived in unity, while each being their own unique persons. They lived to serve God and to fulfill His every desire and commandment. These are the things I want said about my own family. When I look at the various images I have of the Holy Family, I am reminded of the love they shared and their willingness to put God first above all things, even on the most ordinary days of the week.
Cuando era niña, tenía una tía que a Papá Noel le encantaba. Sin importar la época del año, había imágenes y estatuas de Papá Noel en su casa. Durante las Navidades había una cantidad enorme de Papá Noeles por toda la casa. Para otra tía, eran las vacas (ella y su esposo las criaban, así que esto tenía sentido). Cada vez que visitábamos a mis tíos, mis hermanos y yo intentábamos contar cuántas vacas habían en la casa. Siempre encontrábamos un número diferente, pero normalmente eran más de 100.
Al mirar alrededor de mi propia casa, me he dado cuenta de que tal vez esta tendencia a darle un toque temático a la casa se haya reflejado en mi estilo de decoración también. Para nosotros, son imágenes de la Sagrada Familia. En casi todos los cuartos hay por lo menos una imagen o estatua de la Sagrada Familia, a veces dos o tres. Hay algo que encuentro tan intrigante en esta pequeña familia, algo tan hermoso, que no puedo evitar rodearme a mí y a mi familia de ellos.
El Evangelio de hoy concluye con acciones que hacía toda buena familia judía. María y José, habiendo cumplido con las prescripciones de la ley después de tener un hijo, regresaron a su casa para seguir con la vida normal. Hay algo mundano y casi anticlimático en esta escena. Hicieron lo que se suponía que debían hacer y luego se fueron a su casa.
¿Cuántos domingos mi familia ha hecho lo mismo? Vamos a misa, cumplimos con nuestra obligación dominical, y luego nos vamos a casa para seguir viviendo la vida normal. Sin embargo, hay un truco. La última línea del Evangelio de hoy nos dice que “El niño iba creciendo y fortaleciéndose, se llenaba de sabiduría y la gracia de Dios estaba con él.” Si bien María, José y Jesús llevaban vidas normales y corrientes en esos días, algo especial y único todavía estaba pasando en su hogar.
Vivían en perfecta conformidad con la voluntad de Dios. María, siendo inmaculada y sin pecado, se había unido plenamente a la voluntad de Dios cuando ofreció su fiat, su sí para participar en Su plan de salvación. José, aunque no era inmaculado, fue elegido especialmente por Dios para acompañar a María y Jesús, lo que hizo con todo su corazón. Jesús, en su humanidad, aprendió obedientemente de María y José a amar a Dios y a querer la vida.
Vivieron en armonía, incluso cuando su vida era difícil. Vivieron en unidad, siendo cada uno una persona única. Vivieron para servir a Dios y para cumplir todos sus deseos y mandamientos. Estas son las cosas que quiero que se digan de mi propia familia. Cuando miro las diversas imágenes que tengo de la Sagrada Familia, recuerdo el amor que compartían y su voluntad de poner a Dios en primer lugar por encima de todas las cosas, incluso en los días más comunes de la semana.
Kate Taliaferro is an Air Force wife and mother. She is blessed to be able to homeschool, bake bread and fold endless piles of laundry. When not planning a school day, writing a blog post or cooking pasta, Kate can be found curled up with a book or working with some kind of fiber craft. Kate blogs at DailyGraces.net.
Feature Image Credit: Andrés Oliver Joya Zapata, pexels.com/photo/statue-of-virgin-mary-saint-joseph-and-baby-jesus-19947173/
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and eleven grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is 
Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. For the past 19 years, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials and website content. Thirteen of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan freelances and writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the executive editor of Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program—an educational nonprofit program for K-12 students. You can reach her at 
Emily Jaminet is a Catholic author, speaker, radio personality, wife, and mother of seven children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is the co-founder of 
Deacon Dan Schneider is a retired general manager of industrial distributors. He and his wife Vicki have been married for over 50 years. They are the parents of eight children and thirty-one grandchildren. He has a degree in Family Life Education from Spring Arbor University. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 2002. He has a passion for working with engaged and married couples and his main ministry has been preparing couples for marriage.
Tami Urcia grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling projects, finding fun ways to keep her little ones occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works full time at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on 
Deanna G. Bartalini, M.Ed.; M.P.A., is a certified spiritual director, writer, speaker and content creator. The 
1-800-994-9817