Family is a disciple:Presentation is an act of love, thanksgiving, charity, sanctification, and unification of family with God's will in Holy love.

Presentation is an act of love, thanksgiving, charity, sanctification, and unification of family with God's will in Holy love.

Love is a decision and family call of life is a decision of responsibility, accountability, and love. Love has a mystical side and the reality side to it. Many times we romanticize the mystical side of the love and care less about the reality and responsible side of love. The reality side of the family love is that it comes with the parcels of challenges, which is common to all the marriages. Sometimes the challenges may be equivalent to the Cross. When I think of that, the Cross has a meaning, purpose, function, and fruits to the total goodness of the family. It is the natural design, some of them are designed by divine purpose along the family life. The meaning, functions, and purpose of the cross is invisible and it is beyond human ability to understand, as it is divine and holy. Suffering is holy and it is like a fire that consumes all malice and misgivings. One who is suffering in any dimension and in any manner and in any realm and in any degree is directly under God's care. I believe God is in control in those situations.

The Cross is a privilege. The challenges of families which come from within or outside the family are the privileges of the family. Sometimes challenges are the healthy indications of  an active family. Only a brave and valiant warrior gets wounded in the battle and bear multiple scars. Love and hurts are inseparable. The more you are prepared to love, the love more you are prepared to face the challenges. The more you are given, the more you will be asked. The more the capacity of love, the more the burden will be.  Only the trees which have fruits will attract the birds and animals, which may cause confusions and trials to the tree and inhabitants of the tree. Similarly, the more you take up the responsibilities of love, the more the strength for bearing the cross will be bestowed. Many families give up in the face of trials so easily these days. This has to change. There is no shame in trials, temptations, sufferings, and challenges. There is hope for all the situations in the Holy Cross. There is nothing that God cannot fix it. Everything is under His control, if we choose Him to Guide us. Divisions among or between families come from the ego, fear, intimidation, and in-capacitation. Most of the times it comes from the love laden hearts which lacks not the love but the bravery. Bravery is in the embrace of the Cross it is not is the abandonment of the cross. It is in the willing acceptance of the Cross not in the escape from the Cross. I remember, Blessed Pope John Paul's saying in his physical suffering, One does not come down from the Cross. His saying had strengthened me various times in family, job, or in many situations in a tangible manner. The Cross comes when you have a strong love, Cross is visible for those who choose to love. The Cross is an integral part of life for those who are responsible in love.

Above all I believe,  Cross is a sign of God's trust in us. When someone think of that, that may change the way they look at the challenges, which may visualize the different perspective perhaps a glorious perspective of sufferings. Many times the answer to the challenges are built within the challenge. Most of the time families' remedy for the sufferings are present within the family and in the core of the  trials, temptations, sufferings, and challenges. This very reason, accepting the Cross in the Name of Lord is the first step for the consolation. Acceptance also portrays the acknowledgement of human inability to solve but request and surrender for divine intervention at the foot of the Cross. 

Acceptance of responsibilities, accountability of love within the family life is a glorious call. The divine call which has been entrusted to us by our heavenly Father. He trusts us more than we give credit for ourselves. His trust is visible in times of challenges, troubles, and hardships. He is constant in the family life. When the family presents their troubles and trials with the Holy Cross of Jesus, the family's natural cross becomes the redemptive cross, which may have millions of implications for the family and to the world in God's plan, and the fruits have functions beyond the single family in God's love. Presentation of the family with all its fruits and challenges to God is a virtue and holy obedience that may enable families to taste the love of God through family life, as anything presented to God is consecrated and it becomes holy.

Acceptance of the family sufferings and challenges as an honor, privilege, and the sign of  God's trust in us is a tough job, however, the fruits compel worth trying. Suffering is constant in human life. If so, why not suffer with the company of God Himself, why go alone and suffer all alone? Something to think about.

Jesus said, " Fear not, I am with you!"