Family

When we consider the word “family”, we immediately think of our own family, and many of us extend family to include relationships that develop through experiences; lifelong friends, teammates, roommates, soldiers, and so many other situations that bring people together.  Family is defined as “a group of persons who come from the same ancestors” and also as “one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic.”  What this means to me is that if we go back far enough, we can probably find common ancestors regardless of race and despite our differences.  We are bound together as family because we are part of the human family, created by God.

In our Catholic faith, the month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family, and it is in them that we find the perfect example of what it means to be a family.  Joseph loved his wife and, because of a dream, accepted a child not his own.  Mary was dedicated to a child that came to her through a message from an angel.  Two people accepted each other regardless of these unusual circumstances and became an example of love for us all.  They came together as a family disregarding the circumstances that should have undone any possibility of being together. The Holy Family is for us an example of love for each other. Understanding their struggles helps us when we see each other and realize we are all family.  When we disregard any external characteristics that are merely cosmetic, we recognize that our hearts are all the same, and without them, we simply cannot survive.    

Family is a critical part of our ministry here at your Catholic cemeteries. When I meet with your Catholic cemetery staff, I am always uplifted by their commitment to you and your deceased loved ones.  It is heartwarming to watch them go out of their way to assist a member of our family.  I have seen how respectful they are when caring for the body of a loved one, a member of our human family.  None of those external characteristics matter when ministering to the deceased and caring for our families.

No family is perfect, but if we all just step back for a moment and realize that the definition of “family” makes us all one, life would be just a bit better. 

God bless,

Andrej Lah

Director of Cemeteries