Cycle A - Year I:  

30 December 2022: Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Sirach 3:2-4, 12-14 (or Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17)

Gospel:  Please Read  Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 

God loves the family!

The Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family traditionally on the first Sunday after Christmas Day. But since it falls on New Year's Day (and the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God), the Holy Family Feast is moved to 30 December 2022, Friday.

The Feast of the Holy Family commemorates their life together and the celebration focuses on religious family life as well. Because this Feast is not just about the Holy Family, but about our families, too.  The purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. Jesus chooses to be born in a human family, with Mary as His Mother and Joseph as protector. This speaks loudly how highly God  regards family life.

In the Gospel narrative Matthew writes about the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt to protect the infant Jesus from King Herod who wanted to kill the Child.  This tells us that even in Jesus' time, family life is challenging and never easy.  The Holy Family, with Mary and Joseph and the infant Jesus had to work through difficult circumstances from the conception of Jesus.  And Mary had to give birth to Jesus away from home in the town of Bethlehem. Soon after Jesus' birth, the Holy Family was forced to flee to Egypt to escape King Herod.

Yet, it is in His human family, fraught with trials and challenges of everyday living that Jesus grew in wisdom, age and grace to prepare for His saving work.  In much the same way, God intends to prepare us for life's many challenges and makes us strong in His grace through the ups and downs of family life.

St. Joseph in the Gospel narrative is depicted as a man who was obedient to God. He models how the father of every home exercises his role as head of the house by seeking first and foremost the will of God for himself and his family. That is why it is important for both parents to be always close to God, to be prayerful and to have an obedient spirit so that they can hear God speak and follow His plan for the family.

God loves the family! By the Incarnation of the Son, God unites Himself with everyone through the family. St. Mother Teresa wrote: "The family that prays together stays together, because such a family learns something about how God loves each one of us."  

Today's Feast of the Holy Family is a good time to pray for our human and spiritual families. Let us reflect on the value and sanctity of the family unit and evaluate our own family life. How can we promote the family within our own cultures, neighborhoods, and communities?

A blessed Feast of the Holy Family to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!