Votes : 0

December 30, 2022 - Feast Of The Holy Family

Fernando Armellini - Fri, Dec 30th 2022

Greeting

The Lord loves you.

In our families and communities
may the Lord unite you in his love
and may you do everything in his name.
His peace be always with you. R/ And also with you.

Gospel: Mt 2:13-15, 19-23

When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.

Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod had died, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt and said,
"Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel,
for those who sought the child's life are dead."
He rose, took the child and his mother,
and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea
in place of his father Herod,
he was afraid to go back there.
And because he had been warned in a dream,
he departed for the region of Galilee.
He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth,
so that what had been spoken through the prophets
might be fulfilled,
He shall be called a Nazorean.

 Intercessions

With the Holy Family of Nazareth we trust in the Lord who knows all our needs, and we ask him to bless all human families. Let us say: R/ Lord, bless your people.

–          For the family of the Church, that it may be a mother and a home for all people in need, let us pray: R/ Lord, bless your people.

–          For all married couples, that they may keep the freshness of their first love or rediscover it, let us pray: R/ Lord, bless your people.

–          For all the families of the world, that they may keep growing in mutual appreciation and service, let us pray: R/ Lord, bless your people.

–          For children and young people, that their parents may be concerned about their growth and happiness, let us pray: R/ Lord, bless your people.

–          For separated couples and their children, that they may meet warmhearted people whose understanding love help them to overcome the failure of their home life, let us pray: R/ Lord, bless your people.

–          For our Christian communities, that as members of one family we learn to carry each other’s burdens and to share each other’s joys, let us pray: R/ Lord, bless your people.

Father, we trust in you. May we not deny one another all the love you show us in Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

 Commentary

Being Holy Family

Read:

The Book of Sirach offers insights into how to be a ‘holy family’ where respect, love, kindness, and care reign supreme. According to Paul, when the word of God dwells at the center of our lives, the above virtues unfold in us. Matthew narrates the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt.

Reflect:

Becoming a holy family is hard work. The family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus testifies to it. Joseph and Mary saying “yes” to God’s will did not magically make their life any easier. They had to live through poverty, homelessness, exile, near loss of the child, widowhood, and death by crucifixion…. Doesn’t this family sound just like some families we have met around? Or perhaps even our own families? That thought should console us and give us hope. If the Holy Family went through such struggles, our struggles are not exceptional. And if they survived them with trust in the words of God, we too can do so, making the word of God central to our lives. It must also impel us to be a word of God for the families around.

Pray:

Pray for a family that you know to be going through hard times. 

Act:

Reach out to that family with a practical help that you can afford.

 

 

 

share :
tags icon tags :
comments icon Without comments

Comments

write comment
Please enter the letters as they are shown in the image above.