As Mary and Joseph present the Christ child in the temple, the responses of Simeon and Anna instruct us how we receive the Lord in our lives today.
Mass Readings – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
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Tag Archives: Holy Family
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph offers us an example of family life and inspires us to reach out to our own families with the love of the Lord.
Mass Readings – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
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Holy Family of God, pray for us!
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Daily Mass: God works in and through our families. Catholic Inspiration
On this feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we see how God worked through the Holy Family, and recognizing how the Lord works through our own.
Mass Readings – Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
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The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Catholic Inspiration
The Gospel of Luke recounts how Jesus is reunited with Mary and Joseph after they searched for three days to find him. May our families also be reunited with the Lord in “his Father’s house” as we encounter Christ in prayer and sacrament.
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Study, Pray, Serve: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
There are several options for the Feast of the Holy Family. Here are some key points to consider for your preparation for Mass.
1st Reading – Sirach 3:2-7,12-14
- This passage is an exhortation regarding family life and relationships.
- God is the origin of family life, and authentic care within the family gives glory to God.
1st Reading – 1st Samuel 1:20-22,24-28
- Hannah’s birth of Samuel becomes a model for the birth of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel.
- Samuel will grow and become a prophet for the nation.
Psalm – 128:1-5
- “Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.”
- The psalm speaks of blessings within the context of family life.
Psalm – 84:2-3,5-6,9-10
- “Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.”
- The home becomes a place where God dwells among a family.
2nd Reading – Colossians 3:12-21
- The first part of the passage offers advice regarding how we interact with one another.
- The second part of the passage speaks directly to relationships within the family.
2nd Reading – 1st John 3:1-2,21-24
- We are children of God, configured through our love for Jesus.
- As disciples of the Lord, we now are called to love one another.
Gospel – Luke 2:41-52
- After searching for three days, Joseph and Mary discover Jesus in the Temple among the teachers.
- Jesus, while being obedient to his parents, displays an advanced knowledge and wisdom.
Mass Readings – Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (with all options)
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The Holy Family: Reminding us how God is present at all times. Catholic Inspiration
The Holy Family reveals how God is present within our families at all times in life – good and bad – and supports us with grace and strength. Holy Family, pray for us!
Mass Readings – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
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The Holy Family
Study: What is going on in my family right now? What dynamics, concerns, and strengths are we facing?
Pray: Call upon God’s grace for your family. Be specific and practical!
Serve: How can we help bless our families right now? What can we do to strengthen and unite together as a holy family?
Mass Readings – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
During this holiday season I am amazed – even with all the challenges of COVID-19 – at how many people creatively reorganize their schedules and events to accommodate the many family events that happen during this time of the year. Many people spend long hours on the road, sometimes celebrating Christmas two or three times with different branches of the family tree.
For some people this time of year can be a mixed blessing. The stress of traveling with uncertain weather, compounded with the hectic expectations of the commercial side of the season, can sometimes lead us to view Christmas as an exercise in frustration. This frustration is particularly true when we add the unique issues that are part of our own family.
All of us are part of a family. Some big, others small, some scattered across the globe, others spaced along a couple of city streets. In our extended families there are people we can’t wait to see, and there may even be some who are difficult to get along with for a conversation. Within our families there is usually a mixture of joy and sorrow, peace and discomfort, calm and chaos.
Yet like it or not, God has planted us within these groups of people to help us find our place within the larger world. Our families help define who we are, how we experience life, and what our dreams and hopes are for the future. With all their strengths and weaknesses, our families help us understand the meaning and purpose of our lives.
The fact that we celebrate the family of Jesus helps us realize that God is present within our families, too. The “Holy Family” was not perfect. Hardship and persecution followed them before and after the birth of the baby Jesus. They struggled and suffered like every other family, celebrating the joys and sorrows that accompany us all through life.
The struggles of the Holy Family help us see that the journey of our own families is not an easy one. Yet we can take hope that just as God was present to them, so too will the Lord strengthen us.
The feast of the Holy Family can remind us all that God truly walks with us in our own families. Within the blessings and limitations that exist in our families, we recognize God’s loving touch – shaping our lives and helping us see the “Holy Ones” that God has placed in our midst.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Note: This post was modified from one that was published on December 25, 2017.
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The Holy Family: An example for us all. Catholic Inspiration
The blessings and burdens of the Holy Family inspire us to face our joys and sorrows with the grace of Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
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The Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph
Study: Recall a time when you were particular grateful for the gift of your family. What made the difference?
Pray: Reflect on the needs of your family. Thank the Lord for your blessings and offer your petitions for their needs.
Serve: How can you help someone in your family right now?
Mass Readings – The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Big or small, far-flung or close to home…we all come from a family. Sometimes our families are in better/worse places, depending on emotions, finances, relationships, illness, death, and a multitude of challenges and blessings that life can throw our way.
And while no family is perfect, every family provides opportunities for us to grow. Whether it is getting along, practicing forgiveness, being patient, working together, or dealing with the idiosyncrasies that are part of every human group…there is no place like family for teaching us lessons that are part of our journey to become the best version of ourselves.
The Holy Family faced plenty of blessings and burdens. Here are a few of the blessings:
- Encounters with the angel Gabriel
- Choirs of angels singing and rejoicing
- Visits from distant Magi and nearby shepherds
- The brilliant light of the Star as a sign from God
But, then, there are some real burdens:
- Explaining Mary’s pregnancy (before marriage to Joseph)
- Fleeing for their lives from King Herod’s soldiers
- Refugees in Egypt – far from family
- And one day…Mary will stand before the Cross of Jesus
Clearly, this family is unlike any other; yet together they faced situations that are similar to many even today. They knew what it was like to be grateful for what they had, and they knew what it was like to face suffering and pain.
But there’s two points I want us to hold close:
- They did it together
- God was with them
What’s true for the Holy Family is true for our families! We have opportunities to work together, cooperating and uniting to strengthen the bonds within our families – and when we face challenges we call upon the Lord to give us the grace and strength we need to put faith into family, hope into our homes, and love into our lives.
May this season give us plenty of opportunities to work together with God’s grace in our families – the place where we have been located by the Lord to practice our “homework for holiness” as we journey through this life.
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Note: This post was first published on December 25, 2014.
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A Holy Family Resolution. Catholic Inspiration
The Holy Family faced the blessings and burdens of life with Christ in their lives. Jesus is present in our hearts, our homes…and our families. May we do all that we can to build up the relationships we have within our families, in preparation for when God unites us with our family in Heaven.
Mass Readings – Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks- Daily Mass: Christ offers a wise response to a verbal trap
- Daily Mass: Christ is our cornerstone
- Study, Pray, Serve: The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
- The Most Holy Trinity: A communion of love
- Daily Mass: The precepts of the Lord bring joy to the heart
- Daily Mass: Faith, Prayer, and Forgiveness
- Daily Mass: We want to see Jesus
- The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Daily Mass: We offer our lives to the Lord
- Daily Mass: Behold your Mother
Three Great Things 