We Are Family

Today is the Feast of the Presentation of Mary, the Mother of God.  As a child Mary’s parents followed the Jewish law and presented her to God in the Temple.  Her parents, Elizabeth and Joachim raised Mary in a family with God as its heavenly Father.  And Mary, and the world, were greatly blessed for this family.

The December edition of First Things Magazine has an article titled: The Fury of the Fatherless (you can read it here:  https://www.firstthings.com/article/2020/12/the-fury-of-the-fatherless).  It gives facts about the many children raised fatherless in our country, especially in large cities, and how they search for that missing father figure in their lives --- in gangs or other groups.  Often, they totally reject any father figure --- God, government, or others’ fathers; although United States citizens, they would never fight for this country.  The article cited Portland’s supportive treatment of teen runaways for over 30 years.  Often called teen hobos, they are leaders in the Portland riots, tearing down everything, including statues of our country’s father figures, not to build something better but only out of hate and frustration.  The article also notes that almost all historical socialist leaders and atheists lacked a safe father figure in their youth.  So, they abhor the concept of family or marriage.

Late last night I watched an old episode of Law and Order, SVU.  The episode opens with a masked man knocking on a door.  When opened, he shoots the mother and father and teen-aged daughter there --- or so it seemed.  It turns out the young girl was hit by a bullet which went through her father; she was not a target.  The girl survives.  We find out that her mother was involved in a gay relationship and planning to leave her father to get married to the woman who was advocating gay marriage.  The young girl’s father was a drinker and gambler, and had the girl place his bets, and be sexually abused.  And in the end, we find out it was the teen age girl who convinced a preacher to kill her parents.  It was an old SVU episode with huge echoes of today.  I think if they re-id the episode today, however, they would emphasize that the mother was a good person and the gay relationship was wonderful in light of the evil father --- and of course, only the father would be killed.

And also, yesterday I heard news of a local parish priest be dismissed from his large parish.  The bishop emphasized there were no sexual issues, but it was unclear beyond that.  I already hear of sides being formed, and the priest hiring a canon lawyer and issuing a press release.  And another beloved father figure is cast aside, and more hate fomented.

The traditional family is broken.  The Church family is broken.  The country family is broken. But, the Church is an image of The Trinity, an unbreakable family.  The country is/was one nation under God, (although many now remove the “under God” from the pledge of allegiance, in the rare instances it is recited).  All these things are beyond my control, even as the Covid is, but I WILL to love my family, friends and country even if they are not perfect.  I resolve to act as a father figure, with love, to all I meet.  It’s example Jesus gave to me and all people, His Family.  He showed us how to love, as a family does. Family is a good thing; we were made to be in a family.

I will pray.  I will trust.  “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”  (The Surrender Novena)

And I will love all people as His family, and as mine.