English
EspañolThe great adventure of life occurs within. Of all human intimacies, the greatest is the ability to love more and better. Our loved ones par excellence are our relatives. The fathers, mothers, siblings, and grandparents we received at birth. The husband and wife with whom we unite when we marry. These are loving relationships and intimate bonds capable of accompanying us throughout our lives.
Text
The incarnation of the Word in a human family, in Nazareth, by its very newness changed the history of the world. We need to enter into the mystery of Jesus’ birth, into that “yes” given by Mary…the “yes” of Joseph…We then need to peer into those thirty long years when Jesus earned his keep by the work of his hands…This is the mystery of Christmas and the secret of Nazareth, exuding the beauty of family life!” (The Joy of Love, n.65)
Commentary
The family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is the living reference on earth. Their life, and within it the 30 years of Jesus’ hidden life, are an eloquent and clear invitation to a rigorous understanding of the vocation of marriage and family life. There the Trinity has offered our freedom the possibility to incarnate the Love of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit.
In contrast to worldly predilections, Jesus Christ was born into a modest family, in a remote village in Galilee, into Joseph, the carpenter, and young Mary´s family. He lived there for about thirty years. In that home – where there was no material greatness, but enormous love – he grew up and matured into the “man” who, in the gospel accounts, moves us to the core with his revolutionary teachings about love without measure, to the point of giving us his life.
If there is anyone with omnipotent power to love and with the authority of the Spirit to infuse it into our families, it is Jesus Christ. Let us make Him our ally and intimate accomplice in our battles and struggles, in our victories and defeats. There is no one like Him to understand and encourage us. With Him, Mary and Joseph, they will make our path clearer and more visible. They will always be the light at the end of the tunnel and will make us capable of the unsuspected in our purpose of loving more and better here on earth as a prelude to heaven.
The mystery of Nazareth guarantees that you will not get lost, that you will not get scattered, that you will not be in the wrong place. Look at your people and your home with that tender light. Routines come to an end; everyday life shines forth. It is at home, with our loved ones, where our ability to truly love, as Jesus did, is tested.
