When the Son of God was born, He entered the human world and became the loving, obedient Son of Mary and Joseph. Let us ponder this: our Lord became little to be a member of the human family so that we can grow spiritually to become a member of the Holy Family.
To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we are invited to be loving and obedient children of God. When we accept this invitation, we accept conformity to God’s will. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph show us the way to join Heaven’s family here on earth and for all eternity.
In God’s Hands
With littleness comes humility and recognition of our need for God. Recognizing this need for themselves and humanity, Mary and Joseph, humble in their loving obedience, put themselves and baby Jesus in God’s hands. We too are placed in God’s hands when we are baptized. With our original sin washed away, we receive the “grace of new birth in God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit,” according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC 683].
Baptism is the first sacrament of faith. With faith, comes love; with love, comes hope. Faith, hope, and love were the mainstay of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph’s lives. If we are steadfast in our faith, hope, and love, like Jesus we can grow in wisdom and favor before God as His beloved children, and like Mary and Joseph, we can have peace of mind even when we face our most difficult challenges.
Loving Obedience
Difficult challenges may tempt us to pull away from God’s hands. Mary and Joseph never pulled away. They remained obedient to God’s will which is to love our Lord with all our heart, mind, and soul, and to love one another as God loves us. To obey these commandments is to understand that God’s entire being is love.
God’s love – made manifest in Jesus Christ – comes with mercy and with His merciful love, we are welcomed into His heavenly family for all eternity provided that we choose to be part of His family on earth. Let us ask ourselves: Do we accept Jesus into our lives and share the love of our Lord? Ours is a choice to make just as it was for Mary and Joseph. Where would our world be without their love for God and humanity?
Living in perfect unity with the Holy Trinity, Mary became God’s instrument of faith, hope, and love so that Christ could be born. Joseph’s patience, perseverance, and hard work as a loving husband, foster father, and protector demonstrated his obedience to God. United in faith, hope, and love, Mary and Joseph for the sake of all mankind raised Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life that leads us to our Father in Heaven.
Heavenly Family
May each of us say yes to God’s invitation into His family so that we may live in loving unity with the Holy Trinity here on earth and help draw others into the Holy family’s fold for eternal life in Heaven.
1 thought on “Member of the Family”
Beautiful article, Carol! I love the term, “littleness” as it adds even more innocence to the profound reality of God becoming man. We often try to complicate this truth, but I wonder if it is worth it to even try. Absolutely it is mind-blowing – God took on flesh and took our penalty so we could be saved – whaaa? But then again, anyone who has had a family knows the beauty, the power, and the joy that is the incarnation. I found myself very calm and very secure after reading your article. That may not make sense, but the things theologians wrestle with are grasped so much better with the eyes of a child! Thanks for the words!