5 ways to be like the Holy Family

The feast of the Holy Family, which this year is celebrated on December 29, is a beautiful way, within the Octave of Christmas, to honor the human family to which Jesus belonged. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph is a model for all Christian families, each called to holiness in their own right.

So how can an ordinary family today follow the model of the Holy Family?

Below are five ways, all based on concepts from the book The Prayer Book for Tired Parents: Practical Ways to Grow in Love of God and Get Your Family to Heaven (The Prayer Book for Weary Parents: Practical Ways to Grow in the Love of God and Take Your Family to Heaven.)

1. Follow God’s laws together. The Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph were faithful Jews. The Holy Gospels tell us that Joseph was “a righteous man” (Mateo 1,19) and that Mary called herself “the handmaid of the Lord.” The Holy Family maintained Jewish practices, including going to the Temple in Jerusalem (Lucas 2,41-52) and raise Jesus according to rabbinic law.

We too have been commanded to follow the Law of the Lord. As a family, follow the Ten Commandments and focus on the areas where you know your family needs improvement, in particular, putting God first; honor the Name of the Lord; keep Sunday as the Lord’s Day; practice honesty and chastity; and not covet the goods of others.

It also includes following the precepts of the Church, some of which are based on the Ten Commandments, but all of which are, essentially, the “bare minimum” for Catholics: going to Mass on Sundays and holidays; fasting and abstaining on the two required days (fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday; abstaining from meat on Fridays, especially during Lent); go to confession at least once a year; receive Holy Communion at least once a year; and help provide for the material needs of the Church (tithing). Seriously, the bare minimum. Like the Holy Family, let us strive to do more than the bare minimum by working to give God our best.

2. Put the virtues into practice together. There is no doubt that the Holy Family practiced virtue. We know that Jesus and Mary were sinless, so that represents two out of three members, and the Litany of Saint Joseph He calls Joseph “chaste guardian… zealous defender… most just… most chaste… most prudent… most brave… mirror of patience…”, and so on.

In our own lives, let us examine the ways we can grow in virtue: how can we be more patient, generous, kind, obedient, humble, charitable, and prudent? And how can we teach our children to do the same? When we strive to live virtuously, as the Holy Family did, we will discover that our own family is more like them too.

3. Serve and protect each other. Mary and Saint Joseph were faithful in their duties as parents, and we must remember to do the same. This should go without saying, but there is a great need in today’s age to protect our spouse and children from the dangers of the world, especially spiritual dangers. We must protect our families with the same urgency with which Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin protected the Baby Jesus from Herod’s persecution.

4. Keep Christ at the center. The Holy Family was the Holy Family because of its relationship with Jesus Christ. And us? Do we keep Christ at the center of our own families? Do we pray together as a family? Do we orient our lives around God? Do we live every moment with love for God and in his service?

5. Bring others to Jesus. Our primary duty as Catholic spouses/parents is to sanctify our spouse and children. What we will discover is how, in our efforts to raise our own holy family, we inspire and encourage other families to do the same. Spend time with other families striving for holiness and be a light to them. Talk about ways each family can grow. Go to mass together and enjoy communion afterward. Celebrate the liturgical holidays. Together, then, we can all strive to reach heaven.

Editor’s Note: This article is translated from a post by Debbie Cowden, Senior Digital Media Specialist at EWTN, in the blog del National Catholic Register. The opinions expressed in this article correspond exclusively to its author.