THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER 
 
The family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is presented to us this Sunday as the model of Christian family. Christian families are called to imitate the virtues of this wonderful family. There are three important virtues that kept the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph together. They were united in the bond of sincere love for one another. They have strong commitment to one another, and they have strong faith in God. When these three models of virtues exists in a family, that family will be united together. The family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph taught us that love and family is not only about giving and receiving material gifts. Every family has it’s challenges. It is in the family that the reality of love is tested. In times of challenges Mary and Joseph stood by each other because they truly love each other. They showed us how family commitment should be. The Bible told us that Joseph was a righteous man and being a righteous man, he made righteous decisions and took righteous actions. Good person makes good decisions and take good actions. When Joseph found out that Mary was with a child that was not from him, he did not give up on Mary. Though, Joseph did not understand how this could happen, he did not plan to disgrace Mary. Joseph was patience during this challenging time in their family, until it was revealed to him that Mary’s conception was through the power of the Holy Spirit. Some people could have taken a drastic action in this kind of situation. It takes patience sometimes to beat the challenges. 
 
When King Herod was after the life of their baby, Mary and Joseph took courageous action. They will not let their baby come to any harm. They took the baby and immigrated to Egypt. They went through the rough mountains and valleys to protect their son. Good parents take courageous actions to protect their family. The family is a place of self-sacrifice for the good and safety of her members. We learn to forgive one another and stand by one another in the family.
 
When Jesus was twelve years old they went to pray and worship in Jerusalem. While in Jerusalem Jesus disappeared, Mary and Joseph have to search for him for three days before they found him. Imagine the kind of emotional distress they went through for their son. Mary and Joseph teaches us that it is our job to search for one another.
 
When Jesus was crucified, Mary was their at the foot of the cross, supporting her son with her prayers and tears. It was not easy for her to watch her son die. Have you lost a loved one in your family? You are not alone. Mary understands your grief because she went through that kind of grieve for her son.
 
When Jesus was growing up he was obedient to Mary and Joseph. He listened to their instructions and they taught him their language and culture. The first reading said that children should respect their parents even when the minds of the parents seems to be failing them. The Bible said kindness to parents will never be forgotten. It might be very challenging to take care of aging parents but it has its blessings too. Prayer keeps family together. The family that prays together stays together. The family is a small unit of the society. When the family is good, the society will be good. The family is a small unit of the church. When the family is good, the church will have abundant and faithful members. We pray for God’s blessings in our human family and in our church family.