The holy family

Today I saw Love encapsulated in a white heart-shaped image of Joseph, Mary and little boy Jesus. They were a family devoted to God, with Mary having immediately agreed to follow God's will of bearing and raising littleJesus. Joseph, similarly was perfectly willing to obey God's Will and marry Mary who would be pregnant with the Holy Spirit's baby. Meanwhile, Jesus temporarily relinquished his divinity to be a defenceless baby, dependent on his earthly parents' upbringing. (See Philippians 2:6-7). They were a poor family. They had to hide in Egypt, soon after Jesus had been born in a cattle stable, as Herod had ordered the massacre of newborn baby boys. When that threat was over, they lived in Nazareth in frugal conditions with Joseph as a carpenter. God is Love and with this holy family's example, we can see that God's love is not manifested in material objects and perfect circumstances. In fact, when Jesus sent his disciples out to proclaim God's Kingdom, they had very few possessions. "Do not get any gold, silver or copper to take with you in your belts - nor bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep"(Matthew 10:9-10). In other words they will automatically find that they are paid appropriate wages according to the work they do. Remember, the work of God is to believe in Him who He has sent - Jesus! As His expression of love, God wants to give us "daily bread", which is the provision of exactly what we need each day. Ths is not the accumulation of possessions and perfect conditions.