Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Year A)

 Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Year A)

Si 3:2-6, 12-14, Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17, Matthew 2:13–15, 19–23

(Image courtesy: Google)

Dolly was on her first day at the kindergarten. Her teacher asked her: “What’s your father’s name?” “Daddy”, she answered casually. “I know. What’s his real name?” “Daddy”, Dolly insisted. “I know, that’s how you call him. What does your mother call him?” Dolly was very clear now, “She doesn’t call him anything. She loves him!”

That’s the type of holy family we celebrate today.

The first reading reminds us of duties of children towards their parents, the duty of respecting and obeying parents, authority that stands in the place of God. As people under authority we sometimes like to question our superiors and their decisions, we feel we know better and perhaps we do. Jesus the son of God was the obedient son of Mary and Joseph. He was the obedient son of God. “My food is to do the will of my Father in Heaven”. In these days when authority is questioned there is still place for obedience in our lives.

The Gospel of Matthew presents a striking scene. Jesus is still an infant, fragile and voiceless, when His life is threatened. Joseph is warned in a dream and is asked to do something extremely difficult: to flee his homeland and take his family to Egypt. This is not a comfortable journey. It is migration under threat, life on the run, uncertainty about food, shelter, and the future. The Son of God becomes a refugee. The Holy Family knows fear, insecurity, and the pain of being uprooted.

Many families today live this same Gospel. Across the world and in our own country, families are displaced due to war, violence, economic hardship, climate disasters, and social instability. Migrant workers leave their homes to earn a living, often separated from spouses and children. Refugee families cross borders with nothing but hope. The Holy Family assures them that God is not absent from such journeys. God walks with families even when the road leads to Egypt.

Let us look again at Joseph. He speaks no words in the Gospel, yet his obedience speaks powerfully. He listens to God, acts decisively, and places the safety of his family above his own comfort. In a time when fatherhood is often weakened, questioned, or absent, Joseph stands as a silent but strong presence. He teaches us that love is shown not by dominance but by responsibility. Fathers today are called to be present, to protect, to nurture faith, and to model integrity.

Mary too plays a quiet but central role. She treasures events in her heart, trusting God even when she does not fully understand. She carries anxiety, exile, and uncertainty without bitterness. Many mothers today carry invisible burdens: balancing work and home, worrying about children’s futures, facing loneliness or sacrifice. Mary assures them that God sees their hidden strength and honours their faithfulness.

Jesus grows up in Nazareth, in an ordinary home, learning obedience, work, and prayer. The Son of God spends most of His life not performing miracles, but living faithfully within a family. This reminds us that holiness is forged in ordinary routines: shared meals, forgiveness after conflict, caring for one another, praying together, and persevering through difficulties.

Today families face many challenges: breakdown of marriages, domestic violence, addiction, excessive screen time, erosion of shared values, and economic stress. Some families are wounded and fragmented. This feast is not meant to burden them with guilt but to offer hope. The Holy Family was not spared suffering, yet God transformed their struggles into a path of salvation. Grace works not in perfect situations but in surrendered hearts.

The feast also calls the wider community and the Church to responsibility. Families do not exist in isolation. Policies, social structures, workplaces, and institutions must support family life rather than weaken it. When families are ignored or burdened unjustly, society itself becomes fragile. To protect families is to protect the future.

What, then, can we take home from today’s celebration?

First, let families rediscover prayer, even if it is simple. A short prayer together, a moment of silence, a blessing before meals can reconnect the family with God.

Second, let there be time for listening. Genuine listening heals more than many words. Families grow strong when members feel seen and valued.

Third, let forgiveness be practiced generously. No family is free from hurt. Forgiveness is not weakness; it is the strength that keeps love alive.

Fourth, let families become places of hospitality and compassion, sensitive to the struggles of others. A family that opens its heart becomes a living witness of the Gospel.

On this feast of the Holy Family, we place all families on the altar: joyful families, broken families, struggling families, and families longing for healing. May Jesus, Mary, and Joseph walk with every home. May they teach us that holiness begins at home, grows through love, and shines most brightly when faith is lived in the ordinary realities of life.

Happy Feast