Hope in the Midst of Darkness

During these last days of seeing with tremendous sadness the desperate attempts of people trying to flee Afghanistan through the besieged airport of Kabul, I watched a short video that told the story of a husband and wife waiting to get on a plane. They had not even managed to get into the gate at the airport. The woman had given birth only two weeks before. Her husband reported, “My wife is not strong…she is not strong,” as he pointed to her sitting on the ground holding a beautiful infant. Heart wrenching is the only word that could describe the scene. The fatigue and worry were written all over the new mother’s face. Pain and anxiety could be seen in the eyes of the father.
           
It reminded me of another couple we all know who had to flee for their lives from a king who sought their child’s life. St Joseph and Our Lady left all that was familiar to them, their home, their country, their kin, and took the Infant Jesus down into Egypt to save Him from Herod’s murderous threats (Mt 2:13-15). In my mind, that young family in Kabul was a contemporary mirror image of that famous flight into Egypt.
           
An assessment of King Herod’s intent to take the life of the newborn King of the Jews would certainly describe political motives in an effort to have power and to achieve his own ends. He may have had some personal ideas that drove his decision to murder the Holy Innocents (Mt 2:16-18). In the end, whatever his motives, it brought darkness and death.
           
In what has played out in the nation of Afghanistan over the past few weeks, we can also see a quest for power and control with little or no thought to the consequences of how many innocents would have to lose their lives in the process. In the desperate flight of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph into Egypt and the attempted flight of that young family in Kabul a profound reality emerges. In the midst of the chaos and violence of the times, families walk the path of suffering and sorrow.
           
Often, when great crises and catastrophic situations unfold like the one in Afghanistan, it is easy only to see it on the level of politics, economics and ideologies. We, however, cannot forget that stark situations can often devastate the lives of families, of mothers and fathers and children.
           
We do not need to leave our own nation and our own home area to see such devastation cause pain and anxiety in families. We can see it happen in families in our parishes and our neighborhoods. Children can be neglected, abused or disposed of as victims of the pain in the lives of their parents or relatives. Husbands and wives can be driven apart by misunderstanding or violence, by isolation or difficult circumstances. Parents and children may lose their identity in a culture that seeks to redefine who they are and forces an agenda upon them that confuses and violates them as created male and female in the image and likeness of God.
           
The Church always has tremendous care for the lives of our families. We always look to Jesus, Mary and Joseph for help and hope, especially when families find themselves in times of darkness and desperation. We see in the Holy Family, God’s plan of salvation and life for us all. Whether it be in Palestine of old, in Kabul of today, or in our own diocese, God’s love shines through the darkness to give meaning and purpose to the lives of families.
           
The Second Vatican Council said, “The family is, so to speak, the domestic church” (Lumen Gentium, #11). For us, the domestic church means that the way we live our faith in our homes, in our family relationships, has a ripple effect on the Church Universal and the whole world. If our lives are based on prayer, our families will be immersed in the Mystery of God. If we go to Mass together, our families will know the living Presence of Christ in our lives. If we care for one another and sacrifice for one another, this caring and sacrificial love will pour out into the lives of others. If our life as a family mirrors the relationship Christ has with His Body the Church, we do become the domestic church and bring His hope and His light to the world.  Our families need to bring the Gospel message of Christ’s mercy and love in a world that can be so filled with violence and despair.
           
When we see a family fleeing in fear in another country, when we see a family in our own parish or community divided by misunderstanding or hurt, when we experience our own family suffering, we look to that Holy Family who did not have an easy time. We look to them and see that God was in their midst in the Person of Jesus and we have hope.
           
Recognizing the unwavering faith, hope and love that filled Our Lady and St. Joseph, we pray for families everywhere. We bring their intentions to the altar at the Sacrifice of the Mass, to Jesus Himself.  We know that when suffering afflicts a family in Afghanistan, in China, in Russia, in Mexico, in Nigeria, or any other nation including our own, we, as the family of God, are in solidarity with them, we help them bear their sorrows.  We are called by the Gospel to reach out them to remind them that, through our love and good works, Christ is with them, that through the darkness, His light dawns!


Jesus, Mary and Joseph we pray,
Be with every family in harm’s way!
Accompany them, guide them and give them hope!

Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh