Holy Families

This 4th Week of Advent was kind of a weird time for me. Several circumstances in my life collided and threw me into uncertainty and fear. One of the challenges was that my living situation became insecure, and so the God Space house was up in the air too. It meant a lot of added stress and far less time to do Christmas preparations, like shop and wrap and even just rest. Honestly, it was sucky. Sometimes powerlessness is not just a feeling but a reality, and I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. I’ve been telling God just how much I don’t like it, day and night lamenting this uncertainty, resisting it, and scheming to end it with a good, solid solution. I also know, though, that as a religious sister, I have privilege. Even if I lose my house, I know my community will take care of me, so I’m not totally powerless. I’m just uncomfortable.

And then I started to reflect on the Holy Family, this family we image with statues and set idyllically around a manger with shepherds, angels, and rich men and pray with as an icon. There’s nothing wrong with the icon, but it’s important to acknowledge that their live was not perfect in any way. An unexpected pregnancy, a journey late in this pregnancy, and giving birth in a barn after being turned away over and over – it was all probably really sucky. Mary and Joseph were likely filled with anxiety. Maybe they resisted what was happening. Maybe they trusted. Who knows? But it could not have been how they wished their life would be as newlyweds having their first child.

Then, as soon as they thought the drama had ended, they were in very real danger and found themselves on the run, fleeing to another country to find safety. Talk about insecurity. Talk about fear.

This family isn’t holy because their life together was idyllic; they are holy because they’re like us, living in insecurity and fear and circumstances beyond their power. They’re holy because, despite their difficulties, they kept going, trusting God and loving each other.

I can’t help but think of the suffering people in our day. Here in my own neighborhood there are certainly people facing much worse housing insecurity than I am, among other problems. I also think of families miles south of here on the other side of the U.S. border, families who had to flee their homes to seek safety elsewhere, much like Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Some of these families are separated from each other. Some are together but living with hundreds of other families, freezing in inadequate tents that don’t shelter them from the cold. They’re within arm’s reach of safety and resources on the U.S. side of the border but unable to gain access to what they need.

These are the holy families of our day. My hope is that in them we recognize the original holy family and the presence of God. These are real people, too, not just icons to pray with. And I hope that when we do pray, we are moved to action – advocacy and direct service and charity – so that we do what we can to ease the suffering of our neighbors.

Somehow, even in suffering and uncertainty, God is with us. God is not in the ideal; God is in the real. May we learn to recognize God’s presence in our own hardships as well as those of others. May we trust God’s love, and may we do what we can to ease the burdens of God’s holy, suffering ones.

• For you, who are the holy families of today? What makes them holy?

• How do you cope with times of uncertainty in your life? How do you pray during these times? Do you notice any instances of God’s care and others’ care for you when you’re struggling? What do signs of God’s love look like? What do they feel like?

 What to help some holy families? Here are some organizations to check out.

By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP

Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a community-building spirituality ministry in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She’s a Sister of Divine Providence with a Masters in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. She directs retreats, meets with people for spiritual direction, and serves as the vocation director for her community. She also serves on the Coordinating Council of Spiritual Directors International. She enjoys music, meaningful conversations, dancing, and advocacy for families at the border.