The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

The Age of Miracles

They were faithful for so many years—Abraham and Sarah, Simeon and Anna—and God worked miracles through them, the very old. God has the power and the will to bring life where it does not seem possible. To bring life, is about bearing children. To bring life is also about bringing to life—the understanding of mysteries, the experience of perseverance, constant prayer, consistent faith, the wisdom that comes from living a long life. How do we see the beauty of God through the eyes of those who have lived long?

God also works miracles through the very young. The Holy Family, young and inexperienced, dealt with difficulties—finding shelter, escaping the jealousy of rulers, fleeing danger. How do we see the beauty of God through the lives of those who are very young?

For the last nine months of waiting, many of us have experienced family—the very young and the very old—in intense ways. The pandemic forced us to stay at home, to hunker down, to eat together, to play, to pray, to tell stories, to study and to supervise learning, to watch movies, to clean, to finish projects and to start new ones. We have been living the reading from Ecclesiastes—there is a time for everything!

Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to “present him to the Lord.” At various times in our lives, we too present ourselves or others. We present our children for Baptism. RCIA sponsors present their candidates for welcome and acceptance and as witnesses of their readiness to receive the sacraments. Parents present their sons and daughters for Marriage. We present persons who are to be recognized and acknowledged for excellence, for achievements, for lifetime contributions.

If we were to present our family, ourselves, our faith community to the Lord this weekend, what would we experience? How would we feel? How would our presentation give witness to the beauty of God working in our lives? What miracles is God working in our lives, no matter what age we are?