India News

By Sr. Molly Fernandes SFN

Sancoale - Goa , Dec 30 : On this day, the 29th of December, the Sisters of Holy Family of Nazaeth Congregation, together with the Church, especially with the Collaborators and benefactors of the Congregation, celebrated the feast of their Patron:The ‘Holy Family’, who are spread all over Goa and India, spreading the Kingdom of God through different apostolates. The sisters are fondly known as Sancoale Sisters, whose headquarters are at Sancoale, Goa - India.

At the headquarters, Rev. Fr. Kenneth Teles, the Parish Priest of Sancoale -Our Lady of Good Health Church, celebrated the Holy Eucharist, emphasizing on the importance of silence, faith and trust in God, a silent and powerful manifestation when Jesus remained in the Temple and the obedience of Jesus, to return back with his parents to Nazareth.Fr. Teles also urged the sisters to be the living witnesses, for Christian witness requires consistency between how one lives and what one proclaims.

The feast of the Holy Family invites us to celebrate our relationships with those whom we live with utmost compassion and understanding while executing Leadership in any field and not like Hitler, urged the Fr. Teles. It reminds us that the greatest gift we can give others is to respect and nurture their freedom to become all God has created them to be. Whether it is with children, spouses, siblings or members of our communities, we know it will not be easy. But like Mary and Joseph, trusting in God.

Everyone present had a message to take, be they parents, wives, husbands, children and the religious, through the breaking of the day’s readings or the Word of God. The sisters renewed their commitment to the Lord through the renewal of their Vows during the Eucharist.

As I reflect on this feast, I see, the feast of the Holy Family offers us an opportunity to reflect on the mystery of family life. In reality, every family and community share the perplexing, frustrating, demanding challenge of family life as described by St. Luke in his gospel. But, Mary and Joseph faced the difficult discovery that Jesus was not with them while going back. It is a real story of a family conflict and is symbolic of all kinds of relationships.

Every family and community has its share of the challenges. We know what it is like when family members do not go along with us on the journey. Mary confronted Jesus in the Temple with care and concern.

The family is ordained by God. We don’t choose our parents! Neither do our families. Even before we were born on earth, we belonged to a family. On the day of marriage, the Church questions the couple about the duty of raising children. Yes, parents have a sacred duty to raise their children in love, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and help one another, to observe God's commandments and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.

The virtues of the Holy Family are: adoration, joy, thanksgiving, wonder at the mysteries of God and many other virtues.

The first prayer we hear from Mary is, “May it be done to me according to your word.” When Jesus faced the greatest test of his life, he prayed, “Not my will but yours be done.” The precious pearl He picked up from his mother. Yes, children learn from their parents, so the need to be role models to the children is what the feast urges parents to do. For, Mary and Joseph, listening to God, responded favourably to be the parents of Jesus, and in this they formed the Holy Family.

The Holy Family is an example for all, of the quality of relationships they had between them, imbued with the love of God. The Holy Family is an important and benevolent symbol that the Church emphasises and gives us. They are models of faithfulness, silence, faith, trust in God, forgiveness, communion, love, sacrifice, humility, simplicity, respect, obedience, acceptance, etc.

Love for God was the cornerstone of the Holy Family. Their love for the Father and their desire to be faithful to him and to please him in all things was what also strengthened their love for each other.

On this occasion we thank God for His unconditional love, success and protection, over our congregation and each member, as I believe that the Lord continues to hang around while we continue making the master known on this journey, as pilgrims of hope, as missionaries like St. Francis Xavier and St. Joseph Vaz.

Let us pray this prayer "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." Yes, Father, bless our families, our communities after the heart of the Holy Family of Nazareth.