Take a good look at this cartoon. Take a good look at it. When I saw it I couldn’t stop laughing. There is the Blessed Mother and her son Jesus at bath time. There Jesus the baby is standing on the bathwater, and his mother is saying to him, “Get in the water. Don’t walk on top of it.”

It reminds me that every family has its ups and downs, even the holy family as we know, Mary and Joseph and Jesus. They had their ups and downs. They had their difficult moments. I’m thinking of when they went to visit the Temple when Jesus was of age, and they lost him for four days. Mary is upset with her son and she says, “Where were you? Don’t you know we’d be worrying about you?” Jesus’ response was, “Mother, didn’t you know this is where I needed to be?” Every family has its ups and downs.

You know, on the 27th of December of this year, my nephew … I have one nephew, five nieces, one nephew. My nephew Peter turned 27. This past fall I had the privilege of marrying him. He’s a wonderful kid. I remember that day he was born 27 years ago. I was so excited. I remember running to the store when I got the news and I bought him a baseball, I bought him a football, I bought him a basketball, and I bought him his first razor. I can remember going to the hospital and seeing this little baby boy and presenting the gifts to him with my brother and my sister-in-law and family gathered.

Babies bring great joy into our lives, and yet every family over the years, in the raising of our children, has ups and downs, good moments and difficult moments. I think the wonderful thing about the Feast Day of the Holy Family is it reminds use to focus on how to live as family, as family, as mothers and fathers and grandparents and aunts and uncles and children, but really as the family of God as well. Remember what was said in the scripture this morning. “Live with one another in charity. Forgive one another. Let peace be the binding force that holds us together as the family of God, and within all of our families.” We gather this day at the table of the Lord to celebrate Eucharist, to give thanks and praise God for our family and for the family of God, for we are all God’s children.