No Christmas without family peace

I am really torn apart when I come across families who are living in hell because, not family peace, but family hatred and jealousy are the order of their day. For them Christmas will simply be another gloomy, unbearable Good Friday.

Most of them blame others for lack of family peace although some are sincere and blame themselves as well. "Where is love?" one may ask. Parents got married because they loved each other. They had children when they loved each other. So what happened to their conjugal love now?

Of course, we must not overlook the numerous happy families around us who enjoy the gift of family peace. How pleasant it is to see the members of a family united altogether! This unity is further cemented by praying together. The family that prays together stays together. They find time at home to daily say, at least, the Our Father in the morning, a short prayer before meals, and a decade of the rosary some time during the day.

Then, taking part fruitfully in daily Mass, not necessarily all the family together, families receive abundant graces that will strengthen and enhance their family love and peace.   

But when God is eliminated from family life, disintegration creeps in. There and then our pride takes the upper hand and tries to persuade us that we are right when we are wrong. Stubbornness becomes our new god and the main stumbling block in the path to family peace. As soon as stubbornness starts to reign supreme, family peace becomes a stranger and families begin to be rent asunder. 

Stubbornness can only be overridden by love. It is possible for families to maintain or regain their peace and this can be brought about through love, I would say, genuine love where we are interested solely and only on how much we love others and not on how much others love us. Thus we continue to love every member of our family even if one of them does not reciprocate his or her love to us. This is possible first and foremost by having God's love burning in us. In time and with God's grace, love will generate love.

If in your family peace is missing, start with yourself! Decide, with God's help, to start loving unconditionally all the other members of your family, including those who have left home.

There are many ways to show this genuine Christian love. You will see, then, how peace starts growing again among you. You will make miracles in your family itself and sooner or later you will promote peace not only in your family but also in other families as well.

If family peace is missing in Christmas, no other gift can substitute it.