THE GREAT ADVENTURE OF PARENTHOOD

It’s strange that our over-regulated society does next to nothing to prepare young people for parenthood. We license driving an automobile, and insist on passing stringent exams for any number of professions, such as law, medicine and engineering. Yet there is no exam, no license, in fact, very little training for people about to embark on one of the most difficult challenges of their lives: raising children.

The feast day for December 31, that of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, reminds us that Joseph and Mary dealt with their own struggles. In fact, they had not had time to prepare for starting a household in the manner traditional to Hebrew young couples. Though betrothed, that is, promised to each other, they had not begun married life. Mary was still too young.

But God changed all that, with the Archangel Gabriel’s announcement that Mary was with child and would, through a virgin birth, bear the Son of God. What can possibly prepare you for that news?

As a young woman, Mary could have responded in any number of ways. And Joseph, as a man who could only have been shocked by the fact that Mary was bearing a child clearly not his own, could have responded quite naturally as his society dictated and disowned Mary.

But they didn’t, and their responses to God’s decision to send his only Son to earth holds important lessons for us today as we struggle with the demands of parenthood.

In the Gospel of Luke, Mary replied to the words of Gabriel with her immediate affirmation: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.”

In Matthew, the news is given to Joseph in a dream. Joseph is told to not fear taking Mary for his wife and raising the child as his own. As is the case throughout the New Testament, Joseph says nothing but shows his affirmative response to God’s call through his actions.

The holy family share many struggles and even threats to their lives in the early stages of their lives: Jesus born in a stable, the flight to Egypt to escape Herod’s order to kill the first-born of each Jewish family around Bethlehem, even the terrifying moments when Jesus seemed lost in Jerusalem until the terrified parents found him in the temple arguing with the elders. But they remained in tune with God through their own prayer lives and accepted the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In this way, they came to live their normal lives in Nazareth and, as today’s Gospel says: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the favour of God was upon him.”

We know it is not always so easy to discern God’s will in our lives. And as much as we would like to, we do not control every aspect of the lives or our children; nor should we. We are called upon to use all our love, wits, knowledge and wisdom in this task; along with one thing more: faith that, in the end, God is there with us, guiding us, consoling us when necessary, by our sides.

Joseph Sinasac is the recently retired Publishing Director of Novalis Publishing. He has been involved with religious communications for almost 45 years as an author, journalist, editor and TV and radio commentator on all things Catholic.