Fr. Gerard Lecomte, CJM
The feast of the Holy Family is a relative newcomer on the calendar, first observed in 1921 on the Sunday within the octave of Epiphany and then in 1969 moved to the Sunday within the octave of Christmas. First and foremost, this Sunday is part of the Christmas season. In the songs, homily, and other texts, the feast of the Holy Family clearly must be observed as a Christmas liturgy.
One might think that the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is too remote, too special, too holy to be an effective model for our families. But just like our families, they enjoyed times of great joy but also suffered through terrible hardships. The delight of a newborn baby was accompanied by the fear that led them to flee to a foreign land. Today let us pray that the faith and love shown by the Holy Family may sustain us through both our joys and our struggles.