LA SAGRADA FAMILIA DE JESUS, MARIA Y JOSE 2025.

Queridos hermanos y hermanas: hoy, la Iglesia católica nos invita a celebrar la Sagrada Familia de Jesús, María y José. En ella vemos una familia sencilla, pobre y trabajadora, pero profundamente llena de Dios. Una familia en la que deben inspirarse todas las familias cristianas. La Sagrada Familia no fue una familia perfecta desde el punto de vista humano: vivieron la incertidumbre, el miedo, el cansancio, la migración forzada, la incomprensión y la violencia. Y, sin embargo, fue allí donde Dios quiso habitar.

El Evangelio nos muestra que la familia es el primer lugar donde se aprende a amar, a escuchar, a obedecer y a confiar. Jesús, el Hijo de Dios, no vino al mundo como un adulto poderoso, sino como un niño que necesitó una madre y un padre que lo cuidaran y educaran. Con ello, Dios dignifica cada

hogar y nos dice que la familia no es un invento humano, sino parte de su plan de amor.

María nos enseña a confiar plenamente en Dios, incluso cuando no lo entendemos todo. José nos enseña el silencio obediente, la responsabilidad y la valentía para cuidar. Jesús nos enseña que el amor verdadero se vive en lo cotidiano: en el hogar, en el trabajo, en la paciencia diaria.

Para nosotros, los creyentes, la familia debe ser la primera escuela donde los niños aprenden los valores y principios fundamentales que luego compartirán con los demás y con la sociedad. Permítanme compartir con ustedes algunas preguntas: ¿Creen que María y José tuvieron algún desacuerdo? ¿Creen que sabían todo lo que tenían que hacer con su hijo? ¿Recuerdan a sus padres? ¿Cuántos eran en su familia? ¿Se peleaban con sus hermanos? ¿Les corregían sus padres si se equivocaban? ¿Les permitían hacer todo lo que querían? ¿Hay algo que puedan hacer para mejorar el diálogo y la unidad en su familia?

Queridos hermanos y hermanas, los padres tienen la obligación de educar a sus hijos en el amor y esta tarea no se puede delegar en la sociedad, internet, las redes sociales, otras instituciones ni, mucho menos, en los medios de comunicación social. Hoy en día es muy importante valorar la institución familiar como escuela donde se forman los futuros ciudadanos que contribuirán al desarrollo de la sociedad.

La Sagrada Familia nos enseña a poner a Dios y su proyecto en el centro de nuestras familias. Por eso, los padres tienen la obligación de transmitir valores espirituales a sus hijos, para que estos puedan echar raíces y dar fruto en su adultez. No tengan miedo de practicar su fe delante de sus hijos, de llevarlos a la iglesia, de enseñarles a rezar y de seguir invitándolos a practicar su fe, aunque ya sean jóvenes o adultos. La gran lección que podemos aprender de la Sagrada Familia es que, si Jesús está en el centro de nuestras familias, todos los enemigos de estas serán derrotados, todas las dificultades y vicisitudes serán superadas y prevalecerán el amor, la paz, el perdón, el diálogo, la comprensión, la fidelidad y la unidad.

Siguiendo el ejemplo de la familia de Nazaret y sus valores, recordemos hoy, queridos hermanos y hermanas, a nuestras familias y recemos por nuestros padres, que nos dieron la vida; por nuestros hermanos, con los que aprendimos a dialogar, compartir y, a veces, a pelear y a reconciliarnos; y por

nuestros abuelos, que nos enseñaron grandes valores. Demos gracias a Dios por la familia que nos ha dado, por la familia en la que hemos crecido y por la familia que tenemos. Demos gracias también por los valores con los que nos hemos formado o nos estamos formando. Pidamos a Dios que conceda amor, paz, comprensión, diálogo y perdón a todas las familias del mundo.

P. Luis Segura M.S.C.

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THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH 2025

Dear brothers and sisters: Today, the Catholic Church invites us to celebrate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. In them, we see a simple, poor, and hardworking family, yet profoundly filled with God. A family that should inspire all Christian families. The Holy Family was not a perfect family from a human perspective: they experienced uncertainty, fear, weariness, forced migration, misunderstanding, and violence. And yet, it was there that God chose to dwell.

The Gospel shows us that the family is the first place where we learn to love, to listen, to obey, and to trust. Jesus, the Son of God, did not come into the world as a powerful adult, but as a child who needed a mother and father to care for and raise him. In this way, God dignifies every home and tells us that the family is not a human invention, but part of his plan of love.

Mary teaches us to trust fully in God, even when we don't understand everything. Joseph teaches us obedient silence, responsibility, and the courage to care for others. Jesus teaches us that true love is lived out in everyday life: at home, at work, and in daily patience.

For us believers, the family should be the first school where children learn the fundamental values ​​and principles that they will later share with others and with society. Let me share some questions with you: Do you think Mary and Joseph ever had any disagreements? Do you think they knew everything they had to do with their son? Do you remember your parents? How many people were in your family? Did you fight with your siblings? Did your parents correct you when you made mistakes? Did they let you do whatever you wanted? Is there anything you can do to improve dialogue and unity in your family?

Dear brothers and sisters, parents have the obligation to educate their children in love, and this task cannot be delegated to society, the internet, social media, other institutions, or, much less, to the mass media. Today, it is very important to value the family as the primary institution where future citizens are formed who will contribute to the development of society.

The Holy Family teaches us to place God and his plan at the center of our families. Therefore, parents have the obligation to transmit spiritual values ​​to their children, so that these values ​​can take root and bear fruit in their adulthood. Do not be afraid to practice your faith in front of your children, to take them to church, to teach them to pray, and to continue inviting them to practice their faith, even when they are teenagers or adults. The great lesson we can learn from the Holy Family is that if Jesus is at the center of our families, all the enemies of the family will be defeated, all difficulties and challenges will be overcome, and love, peace, forgiveness, dialogue, understanding, fidelity, and unity will prevail.

Following the example of the Holy Family of Nazareth and its values, let us remember today, dear brothers and sisters, our families and pray for our parents, who gave us life; for our siblings, with whom we learned to dialogue, share, and sometimes argue and reconcile; and for our grandparents, who taught us great values. Let us give thanks to God for the family He has given us, for the family in which we have grown up, and for the family we have. Let us also give thanks for the values ​​with which we have been formed or are being formed. Let us ask God to grant love, peace, understanding, dialogue, and forgiveness to all the families of the world.

Fr. Luis Segura M.S.C.

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The Holy Family - Totally Available to God’s Will

And truly, today is a beautiful day… We celebrate today the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The term “holy” places this family within the sphere of holiness which is a gift from God but, at the same time, is free and responsible adherence to God’s plan. This was the case for the family of Nazareth: they were totally available to God’s will. How can we not wonder, for example, at Mary’s docility to the action of the Holy Spirit Who asks her to become the mother of the Messiah? Because Mary, like every young woman of her time, was about to realize her life project, that is, to marry Joseph.

But when she realizes that God is calling her to a particular mission, she does not hesitate to proclaim herself His “servant” (cf. Lk 1: 38). Jesus will exalt her greatness not so much for her role as a mother, but for her obedience to God. Jesus said: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk 11: 28), like Mary. And when she does not fully understand the events that involve her, Mary meditates in silence, reflects and adores the divine initiative. Her presence at the foot of the cross consecrates this total willingness. Then, with regard to Joseph, the Gospel does not give us a single word: he does not speak, but he acts, obeying. He is the man of silence, the man of obedience.

Today’s Gospel reading (cf. Mt 2: 13-15, 19-23) recalls this obedience of the righteous Joseph three times, referring to the flight to Egypt and the return to the land of Israel. Under God’s guidance, represented by the Angel, Joseph distances his family from Herod’s threats, and saves them. The Holy Family is thus in solidarity with all the families of the world forced into exile, in solidarity with all those who are compelled to abandon their own land due to repression, violence, and war.

Finally, the third person of the Holy Family, Jesus. He is the will of the Father: in Him, says Saint Paul, there was no “yes” and “no”, but only “yes” (cf. 2 Cor 1: 19). And this is made manifest in many moments of His earthly life. For example, the episode at the temple when He responded to the anguished parents who sought Him out: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk 2: 49); His continual repetition: “My food is to do the will of Him Who sent me and to accomplish His work” (Jn 4: 34); His prayer in the olive grove: “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Mt 26: 42).

Mary, Joseph, Jesus: the Holy Family of Nazareth which represents a choral response to the will of the Father: the three members of this family help each other reciprocally to discover God’s plan. They prayed, worked, communicated. And I ask myself: you, in your family, do you know how to communicate or are you like those kids at the table, each one with their mobile phone, while they are chatting? In that table there seems to be a silence as if they were at Mass… But they do not communicate between themselves. We must resume dialogue in the family: fathers, parents, sons, grandparents and siblings must communicate with one another.  This is today’s homework, right on the day of the Holy Family. May the Holy Family be a model for our families, so that parents and children may support each other mutually in adherence to the Gospel, the basis of the holiness of the family.

Let us entrust to Mary, “Queen of the Family”, all the families in the world, especially those who suffer or who are in distress, and invoke upon them her maternal protection. [Synthesized from Pope Francis, Angelus, 29 XII 2019]

Rev. Jos Rajesh Peter M.S.C.

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

My friends, our celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family gives us an opportunity to reflect on the blessings of family love. Joseph, Mary and Jesus give us a beautiful example of unselfish family love which all families can strive to imitate.

The first two readings today give us wonderful "guidelines" for family success:

In the First Reading from the Book of Sirach, we hear:

• “Kindness to a father will not be forgotten, it is firmly planted against the debt of your sins.”

• "He who honors his father atones for sins; he stores up riches who reveres his mother."

In the Second Reading Saint Paul tells us:

"You who are wives, be submissive to your husbands.

Husbands, love your wives.

You children, obey your parents.

And fathers, do not nag your children."

My friends, it’s important to know that when Saint Paul wrote this letter,  he presumed that his readers were holy Christians, faithful followers of Jesus.

AND – that the husband loved his wife as Jesus loved the Church.  That is, the husband loved his wife unconditionally - and was a servant to his wife, just as Jesus was the servant to his followers. 

As mentioned earlier, the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus is a wonderful model for us to follow.  Yes, they were a saintly family but they were also a human family.  Like ours, their family had joys, sorrows and fears.

Our Gospel today tells us of the fear that Joseph had when the Angel of the Lord told him that Herod was going to search for and kill the child Jesus.  Joseph, the head of the family who was provider and protector, listened to and believed the Angel because he was a man filled with faith and trust in the Lord.

This was not the only time God spoke to Joseph through an Angel in his dreams.

• It happened when he learned that Mary was pregnant.

• It happened as we heard today when they fled to Egypt because Herod gave orders to kill Jesus.

• It happened when Herod died and Joseph was told that they should return to Israel.

• Then again when Joseph was told that it would be safer to go to Nazareth instead of his  home town…..

I can’t help but be reminded of Joseph taking the Holy Family to another country for protection as people today migrate to another country for the safety and protection of their family.

Joseph is indeed a wonderful role model for fathers, husbands, providers and protectors. 

Now, some may say, “How can I model myself after Joseph ?  God never sent and Angel to me.”  Well, God sends Angels to everyone.  The Hebrew word for Angel is Malak, which means “Messenger.”  A good example of an Angel or Messenger is the Lector who proclaims the Word of the Lord at Mass today.  Another example of an Angel is the Homilist who breaks open the Word of the Lord at this Mass.  We just have to listen as Joseph did with faith and trust in the Lord.

And, Mary…  It’s hard to even imagine the faith and trust she had to say, “Yes” to the Angel…  Knowing the shame and embarrassment she would have to face as an unwed mother.  Her faith and trust in God was so strong that she was able to say, “Yes.”  God knew that.  That’s why she was chosen to be the Mother of his Son.

God knew that Mary would be the mother who would teach and nurture his Son in his early years.  It would be Mary who would teach Jesus and point out the things that were not right with the world and society….

And, Jesus – the role model of a family’s child.  He would learn from Mary and Joseph.

Scripture tells us, “Jesus was obedient to his parents and he grew in age and wisdom.”

Jesus’ obedience never stopped.  The night before he died, we heard Him say:  “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” (C.F. Matthew 27:40)

My friends, we are aware that families vary widely: 

• Married husbands and wives raising children

• Single parents raising children

• Grandparents or aunts and uncles raising children who are not their own

• And children, who have lost their parents and are living with someone else

We ask God to bless and nurture and strengthen these people in their path of life…

Our reflection of the Holy Family today also gives us the opportunity to pray for and help families where there is abuse – that they may know and experience the love of God.

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is a wonderful reminder that God loved us into creation and loves us unconditionally and will never abandon us.