Sacred Hearts
As men and women, husbands and fathers, and wives and mothers, we look to the model of Joseph and Mary as the archetype of Christian spouses, and we look to the Holy Family as a model to imitate for our own families. As parents, we encourage our children to model themselves after the Christ Child and the young and brave Shepherd Boy King David, but also after Mary and St. Joseph.
Naturally, regardless of sex, marital status, or whatever state in life we hold, we look separately to each of these individuals for inspiration, most especially our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
What's so powerful about the Hearts of the Holy Family is that what they represent—and who they inspire us to be like—is absolutely and fundamentally antithetical to the secular world. The Holy Family stands in stark contrast to what modern society often deems as archaic, privileged, patriarchal, sanctimonious, intolerant, and discriminatory.
The Holy Family reminds us, first and foremost, that God made man and woman to complement each other, bolstering what each sex lacks.
27 And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
Matthew 19:4
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
4 Who answering, said to them: Have ye not read, that he who made man from the beginning, Made them male and female? And he said:
God intended men and women to join in marriage, becoming one flesh united by God in the indissoluble sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
24 Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh.
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
6 Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
Although the Holy Spouses did not have marital relations, they nonetheless preserved themselves before their marriage, as we are all commanded to do.
Though shall not commit adultery and though shall not covet thy neighbors wife as seen in the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21.
9 Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
10 Nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God.
11 And such some of you were; but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of our God.
2 But for fear of fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
They preserved themselves in chastity both before and after their marriage for supernatural reasons. While Mary and Joseph were undeniably human, they were also unique in world history; there will never be another person quite like them. So, while their extraordinary lives might seem incomprehensible or even unrelatable, we shouldn't view them as alienated from our shared humanity, nor should we liken them to demigods or superheroes. Instead, we must see them as the epitome of human holiness—the closest a human being can possibly become to God, apart from Jesus, who is both fully man and fully God.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it:
26 That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life:
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.
28 So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself.
29 For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the church:
30 Because we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh.
32 This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular love his wife as himself: and let the wife fear her husband.
It's like a bodybuilder who breaks the world record, setting the highest bar imaginable or historically recorded; that high bar gives us something to aim for.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
In many 12-Step Programs, there's a requirement to believe in and surrender oneself to a Higher Power. By doing so, a person always has something to hold them in check, to place themselves under and offer up their burden to, and most importantly, to strive to imitate and be like.
The Holy Family encourages us to strive for holiness in our marriages through obedience to God, chastity, and traditional biblical morals and values, all in accordance with God's divine and natural law.
We are called to live and raise our families through nature and grace, with each member living according to their state in life and their unique role within marriage or family life.
You might face reactions ranging from admiration to disdain. People may marvel at your unwavering commitment to your spouse, amazed you've only been intimate with them or had children with just one person. On the other hand, some might scowl at the sight of your large family, kids overflowing from your grocery cart.
The "new weird" is, in fact, traditional: it's marrying one person, being intimate only with your spouse, and having children with that one person. It's about being open to life, trusting fully in God, and surrendering all things to Him. This goes beyond just an unwavering, monogamous marriage and a house or bus full of children. It's about building up the Kingdom of God through the Domestic Church. This means upholding all that God commands and teaches us through the Magisterium of the Church and Sacred Scripture. It's about passing down our sacred tradition through our legacy: our children, the family we build, and the faith we share with others in this life. Ultimately, it's about having the gusto to be what the world hates and humbly accepting "holy villainy" in the eyes of the world.
Devotion to the Holy Family is not only a winter devotion during the Advent and Nativity seasons; it's something we should meditate on often, if not daily, and not just something we sequester to a liturgical season.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
The image of the Holy Family or the Sacred Hearts reminds us to pray and worship as a family, and to die to ourselves for the sake of our spouse and children. It calls us to sacrifice all we can to help them reach salvation through Christ our Lord.
Consecration To The Holy Family
O Lord Jesus,
you lived in the home of Mary and Joseph in Nazareth.
There you grew in age, wisdom and grace
as you prepared to fulfill your mission
as our Redeemer.
We entrust our family to you.
O Blessed Mary,
you are the Mother of our Savior.
At Nazareth you cared for Jesus
and nurtured him in the peace and joy of your home.
We entrust our family to you.
O Saint Joseph,
you provided a secure and loving home for Jesus and Mary,
and gave us a model of fatherhood
while showing us the dignity of work.
We entrust our family to you.
Holy Family,
we consecrate ourselves and our family to you.
May we be completely united
in a love that is lasting, faithful
and open to the gift of new life.
Help us to grow in virtue,
to forgive one another from our hearts,
and to live in peace all our days.
Keep us strong in faith, persevering in prayer,
diligent in our work, and generous toward those in need.
May our home, O Holy Family,
truly become a domestic church
where we reflect your example in our daily life. Amen.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us!
Prayer To The Sacred Hearts
Heart of Jesus, I adore Thee! Heart of Mary, I implore thee! Heart of Joseph, pure and just! In these three Hearts I place my trust!
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