Rise, Take the Child and His Mother, Flee to Egypt, and Stay there until I Tell You

12-28-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh lorchir, VC

The weekend following Christmas is traditionally celebrated as the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family of Nazareth. On this feast day of the Family, the Church invites us as we thank God for the blessing and example of the Holy Family in Nazareth. That we express gratitude to God for the family in general, and for our families in particular, to seek to imitate the example of the Holy Family, to pray especially for families that are experiencing difficulties and turbulence and to work to promote family life in our communities. The Readings at Mass this weekend are carefully chosen to project the virtues of family life, virtues we are invited to imitate and so give life to our faith in preparation for the joy we shall have as God’s great family for eternity in the life to come.

In the First Reading, Sirach gives wise instructions to his son whom he exhorts to take care of his parents in their old age, not minding their imperfections, since the Lord does not forget kindness to aged parents and forgives the sins and answers the prayers of the one who fulfils this holy obligation. In the Second Reading, St. Paul instructs all Christian families and communities to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. This is certainly the recipe for a functional Christian family, that bonds by charity and one faith, each member of the family bears with other members, and since disagreements are bound to occur, forgive each other as God forgives all our transgressions in His great family the Church.

To be able to forgive, one must intentionally step away from chronic selfishness and see things from the perspective of others. Selflessness, which is essential for good family relationships, is a virtue that Joseph, the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus, had in abundance. The first selfless thing he did in Scripture was to set aside his decision to divorce Mary quietly when he found her pregnant after he was instructed to take her as his wife by an Angel in a dream. As a consequence of his commitment to this Divinely given task, Joseph had to suffer, together with Mary and the infant Jesus, all the humiliating assaults from the elements as they settled for a manger when Christ was born. Joseph dutifully took the newborn Christ and his Blessed Mother to the temple in fulfillment of the letters of the law, as well as to “introduce” Him to the worship of the One True God. He would have to hurriedly flee to Egypt and endure an unplanned exile for the safety of the infant Christ when Herod sought to kill Him. When he returned to Israel, he had to se‚ le in Nazareth in order to keep Jesus safe from the prying eyes of Herod Archelaus. Joseph must have taught Jesus his carpentry trade, too. It is quite interesting that there are no direct quotations from Joseph in Scripture and he disappears unceremoniously after Jesus was found teaching the elders in the temple at the age of twelve. Joseph is the silent father and husband that protects, provides and shields his family from evil, teaches his faith and trade to his Son in union with his wife, and obviously places the comfort and welfare of family over everything else except obeying God’s will. The world needs fathers like Joseph, mothers like Mary and families like the Holy Family of Nazareth who witness to the Gospel in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity. If you have had reason to keep away from God’s great family, your Church, please forgive and return home where God our loving Father is waiting for you.

As we prepare to enter into a new year, may God help us to resolve to mend fences with our families if there are cracks, pray for the sanctification of all families and off er to be answers to our own prayers by promoting in both private and public lives family virtues that build a Christian society.

Please be kind and may God bless you.

Fr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC