Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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One of the distinctions of Christianity is our belief in the Holy Trinity. God has revealed himself to us as a Trinity of persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that they are united, yet distinct.
What binds the three divine persons together, of course, is love. God, we are told, is love itself.
And we also believe that we are made in this image of God — we are made in the image of this communion of divine persons held together with love.
But all of this is so heady. It is so “theological.” We can ask, “So what does all of this have to do with us?” The Holy Family is the answer to this question.
In the Holy Family we see the image of the Triune God played out. The Holy Family is a community of persons who love one another in harmony with God’s inner life, which surrounds them.
What attracts us to the Holy Family is that Jesus, Mary and Joseph model what we want for our own families. We want all of our families to be places of love, where God is worshipped, where we show care for our closest neighbors (those who sleep in our own homes), where each of us becomes united, yet remains distinct.
The Holy Family reminds us that God created us for each other — and for Him. The Holy Family shows us how to live as we were created to live: “with heartfelt compassion kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another” (Colossians 3:12).
Jesus, Mary and Joseph pray for us! Help us to keep our own families strong.
Today, a group will also be processing to the Cathedral from St. Peter’s Church on Superior in downtown Cleveland. This will mark the start of the Jubilee Year for our Diocese, as called for by Pope Francis for the entire church throughout the world. He has asked us to focus on the theological virtue of hope, recalling St. Paul’s words that “hope does not disappoint.” But the hope we have is not just wishful thinking. The hope of eternal life in Heaven is a promise that Jesus made to those who put their faith in him. Jesus always keeps his word. Let us spend more time in prayer, encountering Jesus, who loves us and leads us to the Father’s house.
And, since we begin 2025 later this week…May God bless all of us in the New (Jubilee) Year!