It is interesting in these days of celebration, while contemplating the Holy Family, to draw some lessons from Saint Yves family life, in order to understand the fundamental part that a family plays in the blooming of the talents of its members.

Saint Yves parents belonged to the low aristocracy of Brittany. His father, Hélor, was the local squire, giving his name to Saint Yves’ family: Hélory of Kermartin. His grandfather, Trancoët, had fought in the Crusades alongside Saint Louis of France. His mother, Azou de Quenquis, belonged to a noble family, the lords of Pommerit-Jaudy, a village in the vicinity. It is said that the young Yves asked his mother how he could please her and she would have answered: “Always act in such a manner that you may become a saint.”

At a young age, Yves displayed intellectual capacities that caused his parents to accept his desire to undertake his studies. As the elder son of a noble family, Yves was destined to become a soldier. But the young Saint Yves showed intellectual abilities and a passion for study that persuaded his parents to give up the idea of a military career for him and allow him to pursue his studies.

Acting that way, Yves’ parents accomplished exactly the mission of parents: allowing their children to achieve their own vocations, which required giving up their own desires and dreams about them and accepting to challenge established social rules, for the later may not always fit God’s will. Indeed, God wants the happiness of His children, like every mother and father normally want. But, the difference is that he never errs either about the aim, or about the means used to reach it.

Actually, family is the school of choice he wants us to use to learn to live in community. The aim of a family is not to recluse itself selfishly on its happiness or on its problems, which can be very difficult and painful. Family teaches us how to create our own happiness, generously spreading love around us. Family is the school for charity, forgiveness, sharing, patience, confidence, respect towards the others, giving of oneself, sometimes self-sacrificing ourselves for those we love. Then, family allows each of its members to carry his or her best fruits.

Of course, it is easier to begin this exercice with people we naturally love: the members of our family. However, the ultimate goal of a family is to teach us how to act towards everyone in the same way we act with those we love because we all belong to the same family, as we are all God’s children. This process is well sumed up by Saint Paul who urges us to support one another. It clearly means that, on one hand, we should help each other to develop our talents and qualities, and on the other hand, acceipt one another with our limits and faults.

When we accept to be taught and instructed that way, we enable all the communities to which we belong (village or city, country or region, religious or professional, school or sport team…) to accomplish its vocation: to help each of its member to carry one’s best traits.

* Stained-glassed window in Louannec Church: Saint Yves was able to open Kermartin manor, the family house of the Hélorys in Minihy-Tréguier village, for all the poor: doing so, he became on a very concrete manner their brother in Christ.