from Colossians 3:12-17
Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Over all these virtues, put on love which binds the rest together and makes them perfect. …
St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading that we are chosen and beloved by God, a God who does not make mistakes. Since we are chosen and loved, we are called to practice mercy, kindness, meekness, patience, and love. We cannot do this alone. We do this as part of our human family.
God, Who loves us, deigned that we would be born to an earthly mother and father. We might not know the mother who gave birth to us or the one who fathered us, but someone made sure we survived as babies and children. From that person or those persons, we learned about life from an early age. Jesus was no exception. Happily, He had two very holy people as parents: Mary and Joseph. They taught Him to pray, to read Scriptures, to do household chores and to ply a trade. Best of all, they taught Him, by example, to obey God and to find joy in doing so.
Jesus did not grow up alone; nor do we grow up alone, even if we have no living parents, no cousins or siblings. We grow as part of a community, and we can, at any age, choose to grow within a community of faith. When we embrace our brothers and sisters in a community of faith, we learn to love. As God’s children, we will find joy in learning to practice the virtues St. Paul outlines in today’s reading. If we practice these good habits, God will wrap them all together in love, making them perfect.
Jesus needed to practice how to bear with others in His community as He grew. People are sometimes unkind, cruel, thoughtless or unaware. Bearing with all kinds of people along His early journey helped Jesus endure His later journey, one filled with difficulties and sorrows. He had to be patient in teaching His followers and in facing the challenges the Pharisees and Sadducees threw at Him. He had to endure desertion by his good friends when He needed them most.
Horrific suffering followed by a death on the Cross were His lot; yet, He forgave those who put Him to death. Families today need to learn endurance as well, how to bear with one another within community; for no life is without difficulties that try faith and have the power to destroy it.
Joseph and Mary obeyed God and found joy in that obedience. Look at Joseph’s quick and unquestioning response when the angel told him to flee to Egypt. He did not groan about losing material possessions or worry about what he would do to support his family in a new land. He obeyed immediately, saving Jesus’ life.
Read Mary’s joyful song of praise in the Magnificat. She did not question God’s calling her to be the Mother of the Messiah, even though it might bring public disgrace and an uncertain future. She simply trusted, finding great joy in humble obedience.
So, while Jesus was blessed with great example from His parents, we might not be. Nevertheless, God will always supply what we need – teaching us to love. We are His beloved children, born into a holy family, the whole human family. ...
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