Holy Families

Take just one look around your local Church and you will see what most people see. You will see a room full of families. They may not all look the same, but the families of the Church are what keep the faith alive. Children don’t take themselves to Church. Parents don’t learn how to nurture the faith in their children from some book. It takes a holy family, dedicated to God, to keep the faith alive.

There are many examples of holy families in the life of the Church. Today is the commemoration of Saint Gregory of Nyssa. He was the brother of Saint Basil, Saint Peter of Sebastia, and Saint Makrina. He was the son of Saint Emmelia. He was the grandson of Saint Mackrina. You can read a brief explanation of his life here. By today’s standards it is hard to imagine, but they did exist. They still exist if you look for them in the pews.

In today’s reading, chosen for the commemoration of Saint Gregory, Saint Paul explains that each of us have been given different gifts for the building up of the body of Christ. Next time you are in Church, look closely at the holy families sitting near you. Follow their example. You never know. You may be the ‘next’ holy family the Church commemorates.

BRETHREN, grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (in saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4.7-13