Recently, my daughter and I spent the day together. We were having a great day, but I had this nagging anxiety nipping away at my ability to be fully present to her. Struggling to not cave into despair, we left the house to drive around. A curious thing happened. New to the area, I decided we would learn more backroads, and we wound up at our local parish. A great, strong peace swept over me, and I felt a gentle pull to go in and rest for a while.

We parked and went inside. My daughter had the time of her life. She cackled and laughed and walked up and down the aisles with a big smile. She loved being there, just us, in front of the Holy Family statues and alone in the church with Jesus—and so did I. Although I actively kept her from climbing the choir loft stairs, there was still a sense of being seen by Jesus. I felt His peace and assurance in the moment that all would be well, and that’s all I needed.

As a husband, father and worker, I often find it difficult to find the time and energy to dedicate to prayer, let alone to be patient with myself when I am not able to meet my standard of a holy prayer life. Yet, when I do pray, it’s amazing how much it helps manage the chaos of my life.

I used to think that Jesus wasn’t capable of fully understanding the struggle of family life. He had a perfect childhood and life, right? He had a perfect mother and a nearly perfect father. He did not have to deal with the internal consequences of original sin, and He had a constant, clear line of communication with God any time He wanted.

This line of thinking leaves out, though, the struggles Jesus and His family did face: the scandal of sin; the deep sorrow that comes with seeing the people they loved suffer (and they truly loved everyone); then not being understood (and often outright rejected) when trying to help. Add in Simeon’s prophecy of their future suffering (Lk. 2:27- 35) and, for Jesus, the ability to read and know the true intention of hearts. I now see the Holy Family in a new light.

Jesus’ family life, alongside prayer, may be the key to enduring the hardships we face every day as parents and children. How did the Holy Family handle misfortune? Sorrow? Bad days? Frustrations? Boredom? We don’t know many specifics, but we do know they were righteous. Reflecting on the Church’s moral teachings reveals concrete ways for us to become righteous in our own lives. These same teachings can be a window for us into what righteous living may have looked like in the Holy Family’s home.

Jesus could have just plopped down on earth as a 30-year- old man and started His public ministry immediately, but that was not the Father’s plan. The plan was significantly larger, and it included the battle we are all witnessing today over the family, the very foundation of humanity. He knew we would be a part of this vital chapter in Salvation History, and in it He has a purpose for each one of us.

Trenton Scroggins  is the Director of Digital Engagement for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. [email protected]

This article appeared in the June 2024 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.