Feast of the Holy Family

I should, of course, have chosen a picture with St. Joseph with Mary and the Infant Jesus as we are celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family today. It is always the Sunday after Christmas but this year it comes the day after the birth of Jesus and it is fitting to realize how important a family is in our lives. We learn our first notions of God in our families; it is the family that influences the way we live, our values, our tastes, our ideals, and our vision. We can never thank God enough for the family He gave each of us. It may not have been a perfect family (outside of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph's family, who has a perfect family?) but we learn from the different relationships we have and the family that lacks a mother or a father knows that something is lacking and so we pray for all families today. Divorce is so hard on children and so many children now have single-parent homes. Still more children are without homes or families. I guess I am thinking of the many in Haiti now who have lost their families. Let us be grateful and pray for all families today.