The
Holy Family is the name given to the family unit of Jesus: The Divine Son of
God Jesus, his mother Mary, and his foster-father Joseph. We know very little
about the life of the Holy Family through the Scriptures. They speak of the
early years of the Holy Family, including the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the
flight into Egypt, and the finding of Jesus in the temple. While the exact
details of the day-to-day life of the Holy Family may be unknown, we can still
learn a lot from the stories we do have.
Devotion to the Holy Family grew in popularity in the 17th century, and
several religious congregations have been founded under this title. The Holy
Family also became portrayed in popular art of the period. On October 26, 1921
the Congregation of Rites (under Pope Benedict XV) inserted the Feast of the
Holy Family into the Latin Rite general calendar. Popes before and including
Benedict XV,(especially Leo XIII) promoted the feast as a way to counter the
breakdown of the family unit. This Feast-day is particularly important in our own
time too. Today the Church celebrates the Feast on the Sunday between Christmas
and New Year's Day.
The
Feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own
families too. The main purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as
the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. The
Feast of the Holy Family is a good time to remember the family unit and to pray
for our human and spiritual families. We also may take this feast to reflect on
the value and sanctity of the family unit, and to evaluate our own family life.
What ways may it be improved? What would Jesus, Mary, and Joseph do? Finally,
we can use this feast to ask ourselves what we are doing to promote the family
within our own parish, cultures, neighborhoods, and communities. May God bless
all of our families. I have included
this special prayer for you to pray with your own family at home.
The
following prayer is the official prayer of the Missionaries of the Holy
Family.
Jesus,
Son of God and Son of Mary, bless our family. Graciously inspire in us the
unity, peace and mutual love that you found in your own family in the little
town of Nazareth.
Mary,
Mother of Jesus and our Mother, nourish our family with your faith and your
love. Keep us close to your Son, Jesus, in all our sorrows and joys.
Joseph,
Foster-father to Jesus, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from
harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.
Fr. Phil
