I must admit, I didn’t feel much like a holy part of a family this morning. Things broke left and right and messes were made. I tried to help fix things and clean up messes, but I admit it was frustrating. Then we “went to church”. The priest reminded us that we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family today. He acknowledged that families are struggling now in so many ways. Loved ones have passed away, people are isolated, and others are having a little too much family time. It isn’t easy. But then again, none of the people in the scriptures had it easy either. While Mary gave her “yes” to God, she had to see her only son be mocked, tortured, and killed. Joseph agreed to take care of Mary and Jesus and in doing so struggled to even find a place for Jesus to be born. Abraham longed for a child and when his son Isaac was young, he thought he would have to sacrifice him. The examples go on and on. The point that the priest made is that family life isn’t easy, but we are still called to holiness. We must make a conscious decision to be patient, kind, and tolerant. In order to acquire and live these virtues, we must stay close to God and allow Him to fill us with His Mercy. The message really hit home.

I Found God today in encouragement to be a holy part of my family.