Sometimes family life doesn’t fit the storybook images we all want to see during the holidays. Anger, addiction, separation, and divorce are just a few of the burdens that can strain families and make Christmas anything but peace on earth, goodwill to all. Our relationship with our parents can influence even our understanding of God. But God can also be for us the parent we may have wished we had. The Feast of the Holy Family can make all of us feel like somehow our lives and relationships fall short. But the ideal is always worth working for and struggling toward. Our faith assures us that reconciliation and healing are always options. People can change, circumstances can improve, and we can find ways of working through the difficult times with prayer and the support of loving and caring family and friends. Today give thanks for the family that you have; say a prayer for the changes you would like to see. Then reach out to at least one person in your immediate or extended family and simply say, “I’m glad we’re family.”
— from the book The Peace of Christmas: Quiet Reflections from Pope Francis
by Diane M. Houdek
