Jesus, Mary and Joseph: The Holy Family...

Where do we turn to get some peace of mind; some stability in a world gone mad, both in secular society, and, more importantly, in the ecclesiastical realm?

All believing Christians should have the answer right on the tip of their tongues: the perfect example of the perfect family; The Holy Family!

It is important to note the title of my article: Jesus, Mary and Joseph: The Holy Family.  Let me re-write that title, before I go any further: Jesus: the Redeemer of mankind; Mary: the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of her divine Son; Saint Joseph; the foster father of the Redeemer of mankind, and the chaste spouse of the Mother of God, chosen by his Creator from all eternity to be the protector, provider, teacher and head of the Holy Family...

Look at the mayhem that continues unabated in the city of Chicago, for instance... Almost every weekend, there are dozens of shootings, and numerous violent deaths by lethal gunshots, including, sadly, some children.

Why is that happening?

I don't have all the answers, but I do have an answer: the absence of the father in the home.  Far too many children are being raised by one parent; in many cases, the mother is left to handle the chores of being both mother and father.  

It is not just Chicago that is being ravaged by violence and death, it is made manifest in many other major cities across the country, mostly, I might add, are headed by the most liberal of Democrats, along with governors of the same demented ideology.

The nuclear family unit in those instances are, for all practical purposes, non-existent...

We can readily see that the most strict of gun-control measures have failed miserably in cities such as Chicago, New York and Baltimore.  The conclusion is that the only ones adversely affected by such anti-Second Amendment, restrictive laws, are the law-abiding, not the criminal.  We know this because the outlaw; the gangster; the drug-lord thug can get whatever weapon he wants on the black market so long as he has the filthy lucre to buy the contraband... 

So, why is gang violence so prevalent in those and other cities?  Can it be that the gang takes the place of the family unit; that the gang gives the member a sense of belonging?  Can it be that the leader is looked upon as the "father" figure to the fatherless member?

The problem with such a scenario, is that it can only lead to a life of regret, despair, and ultimately, spending years behind bars or worse; a very shortened life span, for the gangster or those directly affected by such a criminal "lifestyle"...

When the church surrenders to "the spirit of the age," then all bets are off, and its mission is compromised to the point of being "non-essential," as we have recently seen in our own parishes during the lockdowns to "combat" the faux pandemic...

Priests, bishops, cardinals, and the pope, are our spiritual fathers, but if they too are absent, and fail to live up to their calling, providing the succor of the sacraments, who or what fills the void?  

For the most part, we faithful have been left without a spiritual father, leaving us rudderless, adrift and tossed upon a stormy sea, with no one at the helm to guide our souls to the safety of the inner harbor of supernatural grace.

It is said that as the church goes, so goes society.  I believe that to be true.  If the main task that our Lord gave to the church, the salvation of souls, is relegated to second or third on the list of priorities, and replaced with social issues, then can there be any wonder why secular society no longer looks to the church as a moral and spiritual beacon as in days gone by?

We should look to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as the perfect example to follow and emulate in our own families, for the salvation of the souls entrusted to us as fathers; the head of the family, and mothers; the heart of the family...

Pray for strength and honor!

Viva Cristo Rey!  Blessed Fr. Miguel Pro, pray for us...

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle...

Gene DeLalla