Dec
29
Authority and the Family—The Holy Family of Jesus (Cycle A)
Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Psalm 128; Colossians 3:12-21; Luke 2:22-40
Authority is a dirty word in our culture, particularly here in the U.S, rebels that we are. We dislike the idea of anyone telling us what to do. Our automatic response to anyone who tries to direct us is, “You’re not the boss of me!”
Well, more or less. We might have less petulant ways of saying it, but it amounts to the same thing: You’re not the boss of me.
The problem with this attitude is that it doesn’t paint a realistic picture of life—either of our community life together or our private family lives. An orderly society requires some kind of authority, and our family lives likewise need some kind of ordering authority to function properly.
Authority is a dirty word in our culture, particularly here in the U.S, rebels that we are. We dislike the idea of anyone telling us what to do. Our automatic response to anyone who tries to direct us is, “You’re not the boss of me!”
Well, more or less. We might have less petulant ways of saying it, but it amounts to the same thing: You’re not the boss of me.
The problem with this attitude is that it doesn’t paint a realistic picture of life—either of our community life together or our private family lives. An orderly society requires some kind of authority, and our family lives likewise need some kind of ordering authority to function properly.
