"Family is the essence that helps define our very identity."
"Family means believing, loving, and supporting each other."
These two quotes appear on a picture frame that Brian and Nichole sent me for Christmas, in which is framed a picture of the six of us from Brian and Nichole's wedding day. My room has been decidedly lacking in pictures of family since I moved into the Novitiate over 4 months ago, so I was very grateful to receive this gift from them, as a reminder of my family back home in Albuquerque, whom I miss very much!
But as I looked at the picture, and began to think, I realized that not only are these two quotes true about my blood family- they are also true about another family that I have been blessed to be part of for over 2 years now- my Basilian Family. I realized that this was especially true at Christmas time, when celebrating Christmas with the Novitiate community. It was at our Christmas Eve Celebration that it first hit me that the Basilian Community is also my family, a thought that was re-affirmed when we went to help with check in for the Basilian Summit being held this weekend in Dickinson, TX. The feeling that I had seeing many of the Basilians I have met before, or lived with before, or even meeting Priests I have never met before is almost the same feeling I have when re-connecting with blood family after being apart for a long time. It is an amazing feeling to be able to look across a room, and see what makes everyone gathered there Basilian, and to know that we are all united as brothers by the work we share, and the life we live.
That doesn't mean that this life is without it's challenges, because Religious Communities have the same problems that families have-personality conflicts, people who drive us crazy, and so on (Insert remark about crazy Uncle ______ or Aunt ______ here)... but the Challenge of Religious Life (and of family life too!) is to learn to live in a way in which we are beacons of Christ's love, and we strive to show that love, and the joy that is a life fully alive in Christ to others. It's not easy, but with The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as our model, we can strive to more perfectly emulate the love of the family to one another- not only in our blood families, or for some of us, in our Religious Congregations, but across the entire Christian family of believers.
Today, I had the opportunity to attend the opening Mass for the Centennial Celebration of Holy Family Parish not too far from where I live here in Sugar Land. This Parish is easily one of the most eclectic parishes in the entire Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, and the Mass was truly a reflection of that diversity. Some of the languages used at various parts of the Mass were Italian, Tagalog, French, Spanish, English, Ibo, Czech, and a few others I'm sure I've forgotten. It was a true testament to the Universality of the Christian Faith. Even though we may speak different languages, or come from different cultures, or countries, we are all one family in Jesus Christ. And it is a beautiful thing indeed when we can all put aside our differences, and come together to worship the One true God. Hopefully that is an Ideal that I can continue to work to realize, especially as I continue my journey with the Basilians.
And on this day, may all families, both spiritual, and blood families, be blessed. And may we always strive to be beacons of love to all families that we are blessed to be a part of.. Amen.
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