30/12/2012 FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH

30-12-2012 FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH BY IKECHUKWU OGUN P FR

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is a perfect family. Ipso facto, is a model and exemplary family to all families as to make a better society, for the family intrinsically and ontologically is the first Church, first school and first society and if there is a lack in any form or negligence of duty by the parents, guardian, priests, pastors or teachers, the effect is a society that sees God or Word of Life (Bible) as an enemy or cause of many anomalies in our lives.

Behold this: “Is high time we know what to do with the Bible and some Church’s teachings based on the Scriptures so as to suit our modern and contemporary time, it is too obsolete for our time.” This was said by a 25 years old girl, a final year student of Law to me while in the Confessional with her. What comes to my mind immediately was Wis. 2:12 Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. (Cfr. Jer. 11:19; 20: 10-13; Jn. 5:16-18; Mt. 26:3-4; 23). Indeed nobody is accusing anybody of anything rather the voice of God or true conscience of such people is a disturbance to themselves.

Can the Bible be taken as an obsolete or antiquated book or Literature which is out of context, not modern or contemporary to this electronic world, jet-age, satellite age, computer orientated world, globalized atmosphere, nuclear or atomic or astronomic age? The answer has nothing to do with polemics, riddles, debates, academic research, self orientated feelings or egocentric likings or personal ideas or it-depends-on-what-we-mean-syndrome, etc. If we believe we are humans and more so children of God, we ought to know that we are created in the image and likeness of God as a result of his Mercy and Love. Therefore, despite whatever condition one may see himself or herself, bad as it may be, difficult as we may conceive it, ill luck as we may term it, negative connotations as we may attribute to it, or thinking that the favours that we receive is sui generis, as well a scit omnia and out of our own personal endeavours and that no help came from any angle, it be divine, supernatural or natural, we are simply inhuman and ungrateful to the Creator. The fact and concept of being a Christian answers it all. The Bible as the Word of God and Word of Life is ever new and present, both in the past, now and in the future, so every part of it helps in our moral, spiritual, educational, social, holistic and integral formation, for the family is the first church and the first school; where there is malformation, misinformation and unformed members, we are bound by this act to see errors and things-out-of-fashion and not modern or contemporary in the Word of God, once it touches any part of our sinful and imperfect actions which we see as being current. To say that the society is weighing hard on or negatively influencing the family, is as a result of negligence on the primary duties because the society is intrinsically made up of the family. Negligence by parents is never true love to their children and is always detrimental not only to the family but to the society at large. Therefore, wise children pay attention when their parents correct them, but arrogant people never admit they are wrong. Good people will be rewarded for what they say, but those who are deceitful are hungry for violence Prov. 13:1-2. The violence in the society is tantamount to primary or basic lack of duty, hence, if you don’t punish your children, you don’t love them. If you do love them, you will correct them Prov. 13:24. This is very obvious because, if have sons, educate them. Teach them self-discipline while they are young. If you have daughters, keep them virtuous, and don’t be too indulgent with them Sirach 7: 23-24. Parents who are God fearing and tries to lead by good example will always be happy with their children. Their children will be like them hence they will always pray thus: O Lord, my Father and Master of my life, do not leave me at the mercy of my own words; don’t let them cause my downfall. I wish I could be whipped for my thoughts, so that Wisdom could discipline my mind. I would not want to be spared when I am wrong; I would not want a single sin to be overlooked! Then I would not keep on sinning, making one mistake after another. I could not fall to my enemies and be humiliated by them. O Lord, my Father, God of my life, keep me from being arrogant; protect me from evil desires. Keep me from being overcome by greed or lust; do not leave me at the mercy of these shameless passions Sirach 23:1-5. Furthermore, parents ought to teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life Prov. 22:6 because, children just naturally do silly, careless things, but a good spanking will teach them how to behave Prov. 22:15. Ipso facto, correction and discipline are good for children. If they have their own way, they will make their mothers ashamed of them Prov. 29:15 hence, discipline your children and you can always be proud of them. They will never give you reason to be ashamed Prov. 29:17. In bringing up the children in a sound discipline according to Sirach 30:1.13, the parents ought to live a prayerful life that it will continue to resound on the auricles of their children in this form: Honour your father with all your heart, and never forget how your mother suffered when you were born Sirach 7: 27-28. When we imbibe the good teachings of our parents, many favours and forgiving and compassionate nature of God is assured among us, cfr. Sirach 3: 1-16. Finally, for mistakes already done by some parents, what they could not do with their expected good exemplary life to their children, they ought and should do now through their knees in constant prayers that God may come to their help, but trusting totally in God because God do not act in a magical way rather when He wills. Oh Lord forgive our insensitivity, our insensibility, our foolishness and above all the scandal which we have caused and engraved into our children and youths and turning towards them to blame them for nothing and of being disobedient, whereas they were imitators of what they saw us do.