Today's Thoughts...

 Today’s Thoughts: As we celebrate this Sunday on New Year’s Eve we do so honoring the family, specifically the Holy Family, but in honoring the Holy Family we remember all families. In my homily on this Feast of the Holy Family I mentioned one of my favorite fictional characters from TV, Special Agent, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, from the show NCIS. During an episode a few years ago, part of the story line was Abby’s struggle with family. She finds out that she is adopted. In a very touching scene she goes to Gibbs and says that she doesn't know who she is now, and Gibbs' reply goes something like this, "Abby, family is more than science and DNA, family is about the people who care about you and you have a lot of people who care right here." To me it was a touching scene that reflected some of Gibbs' wisdom but also it reflects our feast today.
 
We might look are the Holy Family and say how can the Holy Family be an example of family life? They were the perfect family how could my family even begin to measure up to them? They were special people, blessed in a unique way by God. Jesus is the Son of God. Mary came into the world without sin. An angel came to both Joseph and Mary. How can we ever measure up to the Holy Family? In a word by caring!
 
Gibbs was right the basic value of family is that family cares no matter what. And it doesn’t always come from DNA. Haven’t there been times when you considered a person family even though they don’t have your DNA? You considered them family because in some way they cared about you, about your family.
 
All of the stories we hear about the Holy Family, we hear about people who care for each other and for those around them. The gift of the Holy Family is the grace of caring! Perhaps our challenge today is to remember the people who care, those we are connected to us by DNA and those we are not – all of whom we call family!
 
Have a great Holy Family Sunday everyone and may you find a little time for God today too!