In 1964, Pope Saint Paul VI in an address at Nazareth reflected on the lessons we should learn from the Holy Family of Nazareth, here are some of those lessons.
Silence
"And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man."
(Luke 2:51-52)
This was the life of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Preparation, contemplation, reflection, and growth in quiet daily life.
“May an appreciation of silence, this admirable and indispensable condition of the spirit, be restored to us; deafened as we are by so much tumult, by so much noise, by so many voices in our chaotic and frenzied modern life.” (Pope Saint Paul VI)
And may we appreciate the need for and value of preparation, study, meditation, interior life, and secret prayer seen by God alone.
Family Life
The Holy Family teaches us the meaning of family life. They sanctified it with their simplicity, with their Love, with putting Christ at the center of it all. May we come to imitate the selfless love of the Holy Family. Even if bad experiences with blood relatives have tainted our ideas about family, may Saint Joseph serve as an example that blood does not make a family, love does. So look around you and appreciate all the people who have shaped you, supported you, loved you and love them back with that special love of family.)
Human Labor
The Carpenter's household teaches us the worth and dignity of human labor. We bring God's creative power and Christ's redeeming work to our little part of the world through our daily toil.
If we ever find ourselves in positions of power over workers may we remember to respect their rights and work towards bringing true economic justice to our world.
"All the workers of the world [have a] Great Model, a Divine Brother, a Prophet of all their just causes, Christ our Lord!" (Pope Saint Paul VI)
"Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. Work, to use an image, 'anoints' us with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God, who has worked and still works, who always acts..." (Pope Francis)
"The most effective way to build a just economy is to make decent work at decent wages available for all those capable of working. When the economy fails to generate sufficient jobs, there is a moral obligation to protect the life and dignity of unemployed and underemployed workers and their families." (USCCB)
Apply the lessons to your life:
1. Find a moment today to be silent. Be still and know God.
2. Reflect on the meaning of family life & be thankful for those around you who you can call family.
3. Do your work well and know that Christ has anointed it and ponder how you can bring about economic justice, fight for just wages, protect workers' rights.
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