A few months ago I had the privilege of participating as a spiritual companion along with other companions in a program called Family Spirituality.
The Center for Religion and Spirituality at my alma mater, Loyola Marymount University, organized this program to support families in their search and encounter of a spirituality of living faith within the family life.
The families we served were of various compositions. With a father and mother, or single parents in charge of their children, as well as grandparents who spend a lot of time taking care of their grandchildren.
It was such a transformative program for everyone, including for us companions who supported the process.
One of the changes that I was able to perceive in all the participants, which caught my attention the most, was that there was a very deep appreciation for being able to be present and listen to one’s children and/or partner.
This ability in itself does not necessarily “change” any problem, but as a first step it does support us in knowing that we are not alone in our own family when we go through difficult situations.
In your family experience, how present are you to those in your life?
How present have you perceived that your family members are towards you?
No one gives what they do not have. And if we have not learned how to be present and listen to others, we will not be able to do so with our loved ones.
Would you like your loved ones to be more present towards you?
They would probably also like the same from you.
On the feast of the Holy Family, the readings invite us to be patient with one another, in all directions within the family dynamic.
In this year that is ending, how have you been doing in your family relationships?
How have you been doing with patience, respect, support, help, encouragement to others?
It is very healthy to observe what has not worked, in order to discover other ways of relating.
In my own search, I have asked myself many questions. I want to share them with you. I offer them to you as a gift from heart to heart with the hope that it can be of support in your own life. Do you receive it?
You can adapt these questions to observe your part of the relationship with the members of your family.
What is God inviting you to do?
If the Spirit leads you, share these questions with the members of your family, and with Jesus the carpenter. And perhaps, you will discover a new way of relating.
Marisol
P.S. We can hear about what God invites us to in our families in the readings of the feast of the Holy Family, year / cycle C.
