On this day of the feast of the Holy Family, it is only fitting that we dwell on God our Father’s great love for each and everyone of us. Being obedient unto Him and faithful we see just how Blessed we are. He has kept us free from all evil and harm and we thrive in living our lives to the full through our His Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
That loving exchange of love between God our Father and us, must naturally flow down to love of parents, then of our children and our brethren. If we say that we honour God our Father can we then say we do not honour our father and mother. We all do not have perfect parents but nonetheless we are called to honour and love them just the same. Not just in their presence but even when we are not alongside them in our thoughts, words and actions.
Just as children see and learn from the words and actions of their parents, let us turn to the Holy Family for guidance how we should live together as one family in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen
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First reading
Ecclesiasticus 3:2-6,12-14 ·
He who fears the Lord respects his parents
The Lord honours the father in his children,
and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons.
Whoever respects his father is atoning for his sins,
he who honours his mother is like someone amassing a fortune.
Whoever respects his father will be happy with children of his own,
he shall be heard on the day when he prays.
Long life comes to him who honours his father,
he who sets his mother at ease is showing obedience to the Lord.
My son, support your father in his old age,
do not grieve him during his life.
Even if his mind should fail, show him sympathy,
do not despise him in your health and strength;
for kindness to a father shall not be forgotten
but will serve as reparation for your sins.
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Gospel
Matthew 2:13-15,19-23
The flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth
After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
I called my son out of Egypt.
After Herod’s death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he left for the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled:
‘He will be called a Nazarene.’
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