Scripture Reflections for the Feast of the Holy Family

“What could our world and our country look like today if, on this Feast of the Holy Family, we could all embrace that we are part of a global family?”

“At the Annunciation, Mary became the mother of Christ. At the cross and at Pentecost she became the Mother of Christians. At her Assumption she is crowned as the Mother of all humanity and, indeed, of all creation”

“This feast reminds us to be in contact with our neighbors, especially those who are living alone”

“God gave his only Son, to be with us forever. He is entrusted to us, and in this trust, we must learn to love.”

“To celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family is to understand that we are co-heirs of the Kingdom and as such we are all one family. No child should to be lost to hunger, to trafficking, to soldiering, to forced labor. No child should be discriminated against because of religion, origin, mental or physical challenges, or due poverty or illness. It is within our power to build that sort of global family.”

“when we are faced with suffering in the world of today, and in our own families, we should certainly seek the intercession of Mary and Joseph and the consolation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Emulating them we must strive for justice and a beautiful love for all who suffer.”

“Jesus brought to us; the idea of ‘vocation’. Jesus is Vocation himself, called to do his Father’s will. We all have vocations. We must follow them, each in our way”

“The child is often the image of the parents, but in this family Mary is in the image of her Son: without sin she is a mirror for the newness of what God is doing in Christ”

“Jesus escapes from the little world of his family, and then he comes back offering them the vast home of the Kingdom”

“Christian faith does not leave us as it finds us, but it does first have to find us where we are”

"Friends, families teach us that we don’t always get to choose the people we love, but we’re given people that we’re then called upon to love. On this Feast of..."

“How many extended families, gathering this Christmas, could benefit from taking that call to forgiveness and bearing with to heart!”

“We’ve all seen and experienced the lack of forbearance in our own families, and in the world today. And yes, we’ve all contributed to it from time to time. The important thing is to examine our actions regularly, and identify those areas where we can grow. This is all God wants.”

“In this fast-paced world, how can we expect our kids to slow down and seek God’s will in their decisions if we don’t slow down ourselves?”

“This episode certainly wasn’t about Jesus’ rebellion against family life; but it indicated that there will always be an ambiguity and tension in family life if we take seriously the centrality of God in all life”

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"When the Gospels talk about families, we might be a bit surprised. There is nothing sentimental in the Biblical vision of families. They are seen, not as ends in themselves,..."