Feast and Family

This weekend the feast of the Holy Family is celebrated with a reading from Luke.  It seems that many families are in some type of duress today.  Think of those, particularly Christian, parents attempting to raise a family in the Middle East; the caravans leaving the gang violence in part of Central America, and the poor in America.  While the poor today in are better in much of the world compared to 2000 years ago, they still face some similar problems.  No, this post is not about the feasts that many of us have and continue to celebrate over the holidays, but it will provide some food for thought.

Artwork of the Holy Family in Basilica of the Annunciation

In the reading from Luke Jesus pulls a stunt that upsets his parents.  He stays behind in Jerusalem.  How they went three days without knowing their twelve year old was not in their caravan back to Bethlehem, I really don't know.  When they finally locate the bad boy Mary asks him: “Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you.” For some reason I don't think my wife or I would be that pleasant if that was one of our kids that went missing for three days. The Gospels are silent on whether or not Jesus was grounded, and docked his allowance.  Jesus comes back with somewhat of Marie Barone response, polite but with a dig:  “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?” Before staying behind, he could at least told them he planned to stay back.  Although, they probably would not have allowed a twelve year old to stay alone in the city of Jerusalem.  This bible passage shows the human nature of Jesus, and his sainted parents.  They had trials raising a child, too.  And, obviously, were not perfect parents.

Inside of the Church of the Nativity

Every time I hear that reading I think of onetime when my wife and our two boys, who were quite young, were in a store, and my wife had a hold of the youngest, but the oldest went missing.  It was a mother's worst nightmare.  She found him under a rack of clothes.  At least it did not take her three days to find him, although he was much younger than twelve. Whatever amount of time it was, it was that amount too long.

Wailing Wall, exterior wall of the former Jewish Temple
were Jesus preached when age 12

Children are often a byproduct of families, and the nation has invested a great deal in providing education and care of the younger population. However, families are often at a disadvantage, particularly when they are poor.  Currently, I am reading Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond (2016, Crown Publishers, NY), which chronicles the housing issues of several poverty stricken families in the city of Milwaukee, about ten years ago.  What comes to mind is that it is difficult for persons who have prior evictions, or convictions to obtain housing, but even more so when they have children.  Desmond relays a statistic that couples with children were turned away in 7 of 10 housing searches.  In a footnote he says that unlike race most Americans do not know it is illegal to discriminate against a family with children.  But, regardless he documents that very occurrence in a number of situations.

Dome of the Rock, the old Jewish temple was on that spot

Their is an old testament saying about the sins of the father being passed to the son, and in this case we can say, to some degree, the sins of the adults hamper the children.  One woman, who has children from a prior relationships and another on the way with her current live-in boy friend is quoted in the book  wondering "what was most responsible for keeping them homeless: her drug conviction from several years back, the fact that Ned was on the run and hod no proof of income, their eviction record, their poverty or their children."  (p. 230, Desmond)  She pleads to some landlords that she has all girls, hoping that will impress upon the landlord a more subdued group of children than if they were boys.  Drug convictions seem to be a common thread in the book, few of the main characters have not had drug issues.  Others have mental health issues. At times they are combined.  It can not be pleasant for a young children to experience first hand some of these activities. 

Bethlehem

Yet, there are mothers who have taken their children away from a bad situation.  Other poor show great mercy and care, by allowing a person or a family to live for awhile with them.  In some sense the strength of the community is quite strong in these pockets of poverty.  Some will splurge on a big meal, eating lobster or steak, instead of buying more reasonably priced goods.  Although one poor woman, who was evicted from her trailer in a south side mobile home park asks why should they not be able to have that one indulgence? 

Monks in Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem 

The problem for some of course, is that they over indulge, whether food or drugs, or cigarettes.  How can a society expect children to have stability, which in my mind increases the opportunity of learning, if the family is always on the move? Getting kicked out of their housing unit and scrambling to find new housing, at an affordable price takes time and effort, and will lead to persons being fired from work if they were fortunate to have a job. Many  live off only government assistance, some have low paying jobs.  Will these children be able to break the cycle of poverty into which they have been placed due to their birth circumstances?

Stone Jar, excavation in Cana, where Jesus' first miracle occurred

Of course, Jesus, himself, was not born in a palace, but a stable.  Circumstances were such that Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Egypt to avoid Herod and his slaughter of innocents.  Is that similar to the migrants of today that make their way from the wars and Islamic extremists in the Middle East, or the gang violence in Honduras or Guatemala?  While it is appropriate for a country to set forth immigration standards, a society also has to be aware that people search for a better situation, just as Joseph and Mary did in heading southeast to Egypt after the birth of Jesus.  There is much to ponder in the situation of some families today and to the Holy Family. 

Photos by author, 2013