In today's Gospel Mary and Joseph, realizing that Jesus is not with them, "... started to look for him among their relatives and friends." (Lk 2: 44) It is clear that the Holy Family exists within a matrix of relationships both familial and friendship. Nevertheless, those with primary and immediate care for Jesus are his mother and father. Once upon a time this would have been considered as stating the obvious, however, we seem to live in New Zealand in a society where parents, more and more, abdicate their parental duties to the state, schools, government departments, grandparents, in fact, anybody who will let them carry on with their own pursuits. The model of society that this represents is something like that of the kibbutz system in Israel where both parents would work and the children would be looked after communally. This ensured that the children could all be ideologically correct as the school would impart to them all of their values. The Marxist philosophy which underpinned this idea has failed with the family and everywhere else. The present concept of gender fluidity will likewise fail, sadly, not after having left a trail of destruction and wounded adults who crave a stable and loving family connection. It is a blessing that we, like Our Lady, can when it comes to our faith and family treasure all these things in our heart (cf. Lk 2: 51).
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