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Your [imperfect] Holy Family
See the Good, Make it Better
by Rev. Robert J. Hater, Ph.D.
Cincinnati, Ohio: Franciscan Media, August 28, 2015, 160 Pages
The primary audience for this book is primarily Catholic lay faithful, who are seeking a practical, theologically sound approaches to strengthening family and renewing the Church in the face of the attack against both by present-day culture. Pastors, lay pastoral ministers, and theologians will also find this book filled with useful information and helpful suggestions.
The subject of this book is family as a “domestic church” where its members may find the love, peace, and joy of Christ in an intimate community of persons who are united together in a relationship that “is marked by some degree of permanence.” [1] The authors thesis statement is that the Holy Family was healthy, yet had struggles that today’s family can relate to, learn from and imitate in order to deal “satisfactorily with hurt, tension, brokenness, or conflict.” [2]
The Introduction should not be skipped. It contains useful background information and resources as well as important definitions and descriptions for understanding the different perceptions of family.
The early chapters set the theology of brokenness in the family with references to Sacred Scripture especially Jesus’ genealogy which included sinners and foreigners, Mary’s pregnancy outside of marriage, His birth into poverty, and the family’s flight to Egypt. The Holy Family is offered as a model for dealing with the life cycles every family experiences, through joyful times of peace and challenging times of sorrow, as well as for the importance of balancing the needs of one's immediate family with the demands of "God's larger family." Healthy families realize the importance of mutual support, especially in times of pain and suffering. The entire family must pull together for the individual members to prosper.
The book continues with a discussion about how family and community life has drastically changed since the early twentieth century, creating a crisis that is destroying family unity, isolating individuals, fragmenting the society, and threatening peace. This change has created a need for more intentionality inside the immediate family and larger Church community to create a Catholic identity and to make Christ present to its members. The family, or domestic church, can be a visible sign – a sacrament – of invisible grace. It is a source of new life for the Church and where evangelization begins, by word and example: to teach about Jesus as well as love, forgiveness and hope. The family is where “Christ reveals the mystery and vocation of the person.” [3]
The final chapters of the book offer a picture of the current Church where the number of Catholics remain steady but vocations to the priesthood and religious life have declined. As the Catholic landscape changes, the family needs to become a more significant focus of parish catechesis, religious instruction, prayer and devotions. Various suggestions and examples are discussed, with peer ministry and the importance of discovering and sharing God in the family story being highlighted. Families that create a vibrant Catholic family life give birth to positive attitudes toward its members, neighbors, strangers, enemies, and the larger Christian community. The Catholic home becomes a “school of Catholic learning” that teaches and practices Catholic values, beliefs, and moral principles. It is a safe harbor in the journey that moves through pain and struggles… and a beacon of hope for those who believe in the Risen Lord and in His power to save those who believe!
Throughout the book, the author uses compelling, true stories to bring his main ideas to life and not only add interest to the material but also inspire the reader to think more deeply about each topic. He also includes activity suggestions and reflection points at the end of each chapter. This book encourages "imperfect people" to strive for holiness in their families – immediate, extended, community... and with the larger family of God.
