Families

1 I'll begin with a partial one and then move to a whole, Holy one. I said Hello to Hannah and Liam at Mass earlier this evening. I raised a familiar question: why was Jesus not called Immanuel? The conversation was continued at Liam's house, where he put the question into Google. The discrepancy between the prophecy and the outcome was recognised in a list of websites.

2 Does it matter? (Or should we just sing the familiar words?) Well, it matters to those to whom it matters. The website show that the question is a familiar one, to those to whom it is familiar. I sense that the question, and other ones, are part of the common currency at (even the most conservative of) seminaries. The question has never been mentioned, so far as I can remember, and yet the discrepancy is glaring. No-one says 'Hey, wait a minute, I have a question'.

3 I also think about Joseph. The Catholic tradition has it that Jesus was an only child. Now let's run with that assertion. It means that Joseph never fathered children, even though the assumption is that he and Mary and Jesus formed the Holy Family. (Remember the Millais painting The Workshop.) Mary, ever-virgin; Joseph, never the consumator. Never discussed. That is, never discussed in the pews.

4 And the family (who were) on the boat? Jolly fine boating, I hope. I can imagine that, as I key, you are all enjoying the boat, the company, the Monopoly. What a remarkable opportunity for you all. What a remarkable opportunity to spend a week in each other's company on a boat, in fine weather, on a fine sea. To what enduring recollections it will give rise. No discrepancies, no disputes.

5 It does require an effort of will (an unsuccessful effort) to think of a bike-ride in cold weather as the equivalent to a boat-ride (for a week) in the warm. No, no matter how hard I try.

Don