Tag: compassion

Living in Right Order as a Family

Published on by Jennifer LindnerLeave a comment

“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 had grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged” (2 Col 3:12-21).

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. We are called to look to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, each holy and perfected, as the example of how to lead our lives in community devoted to God. In addition to the Holy Family, today’s Second Reading presents instructions for how to live with others in right order. With Christ at the center of all we do, we are to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, patient, and forgiving. We are to be thankful and lovingly correct one another. We are to honor the natural hierarchical order of the family. Rather than an arena of power struggles and contentiousness, this order, based on mutual respect and love, promotes encouragement, freedom, and the love of God.

At a time when the family is under attack; when chaos undermines the very foundation of male and female; and when the culture actively seeks to destroy life, taint childhood, and turn parents and children against one another, we are called to turn to the Holy Family for guidance and reassurance. Before Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the three children of Fatima, died, she declared that the final battle between Christ and Satan would be over marriage and family. “The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan,” she wrote, “will be about marriage and the family.” She added, however, that “Our Lady has already crushed Satan’s head.”

As individuals as well as members of families and communities, let us look to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Regardless of what the culture tells us, let us remain faithful to their example of communal holiness, connected through faith and devotion to God and who he calls us to be.

In Tender Compassion

Published on by Jennifer LindnerLeave a comment

“In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:78-79).

Zechariah spoke these verses upon the birth of his son, John the Baptist. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he prophesized that John would “go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people” (Lk 1:76-77). For the Holy Spirit, the love between father and son, always encourages movement and action. He knew that John would play a vital role in the salvation story. John would till the field, as it were, to ready it for the One yet to come who would sow fertile seeds of the new Way and show us how to reap its fruits.

Zechariah knew, however, that there would be darkness and death. The Way would be perilous and often uncertain, even for those who believed. And yet, the prophet understood that our God is one of “compassion.” Because He loves us, he would “break upon us” and “shine” brightly in the darkness to “guide our feet.”

Let us remember today, in the midst of our own darknesses, upsets, disappointments, and uncertainties, these words of Zechariah. God is always with us, ready to break into our sadness and despair. He knows all and will guide us. As were the prophet and his son, we must remain open to this goodness and salvation. May we, even when surrounded by darkness in low places, turn towards the “dawn from on high” that will light our paths and lead us to “peace.”