The children were gathered in the narthex of the local church. The air was filled with excitement. Something very special was about to occur. Was it Christmas? No. Was it First Communion time? No. It was Epiphany! Epiphany, which comes from the Greek word epiphainen, means “to shine upon; to manifest; and to make known or reveal.” What the children and the entire congregation were about to do would help bring all these definitions to life.

As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, we reflect on the importance of family in our own lives and in the life the Church. Pope Francis does just this in his papal exhortation The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia).

Some years ago as I was wandering through our local outdoor nursery, I came upon a lawn fountain filled with lovely koi swimming serenely. As I leaned over to take a closer look, I became aware of my reflection in the water and remembered a Proverb: “As water reflects a face back to a face, so one’s heart is reflected back by another” (27:19).