The Holy Family is the name given to the family unit of Jesus: The Divine Son of God Jesus, his mother Mary, and his foster-father Joseph. We know very little about the life of the Holy Family through the Canonical Scriptures. They speak of the early years of the Holy Family, including the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the flight into Egypt, and the finding of Jesus in the temple.
Various non-canonical works, including the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, try to fill in the blanks. However, even though these apocryphal works may contain some truth from oral tradition, they have been deemed unworthy of canonical status because of the way they present Jesus. While the exact details of the day-to-day life of the Holy Family may be unknown, we can still learn a lot from the stories we do have.
Devotion to the Holy Family is a recent development, but one that naturally grows out of a love for Jesus and his family. The cult of the Holy Family grew in popularity in the 17th century, and several religious congregations have been founded under this title. The Holy Family also became portrayed in popular art of the period. On October 26, 1921 the Congregation of Rites (under Pope Benedict XV) inserted the Feast of the Holy Family into the Latin Rite general calendar. Until then it had been celebrated regionally.
Popes before and including Benedict XV (especially Leo XIII) promoted the feast as a way to counter the breakdown of the family unit. Today the Church celebrates the Feast on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s Day (Known as the Feast of Mary Mother of God in the Catholic Church). If both Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Sundays, no Sunday exists between the two dates, so the Church celebrates the Holy Family Feast on December 30th. If the feast falls on the 30th, attendance is not obligatory. Up until 1969, the Holy Family feast was kept on the first Sunday after the Epiphany. It was transferred to its current date in 1969.
The Feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families too. The main purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. Our family life becomes sanctified when we live the life of the Church within our homes. This is called the “domestic church” or the “church in miniature.” St. John Chrysostom urged all Christians to make each home a “family church,” and in doing so, we sanctify the family unit. Just how does one live out the Church in the family? The best way is by making Christ and his Church the center of family and individual life. Ways to do this include: reading scripture regularly, praying daily, attending Mass at least on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, imitating the actions of the Holy Family, and so forth, all done together as a family unit.
In addition to cultivating positive actions, the Church understands that various actions and behaviors are contrary to God’s Divine plan for the family, and these should be avoided. These include abortion, contraception, same-sex marriage, polygamy, embryonic stem-cell research, divorce, spousal abuse, child abuse, and co-habitation. Catholic Teaching is that a marriage must be open to children. Anything artificial that prevents this is contrary to divine law. Also, poverty, lack of health care, and other social justice concerns must be addressed by faithful Christians because of the negative effect these conditions have on the family unit.
The Holy Family feast is a good time to remember the family unit and pray for our human and spiritual families. We also may take this feast to reflect on the value and sanctity of the family unit, and to evaluate our own family life. What ways may it be improved? What would Jesus, Mary, and Joseph do? Finally, we can use this feast to ask ourselves what are we doing to promote the family within our own cultures, neighborhoods, and communities.
Never realized that this is what we celebrate on my birthday. thanks.
i love you catholic
[…] uCatholic […]
O Holy Family, pray for our human and spiritual families.
[…] post Feast of the Holy Family appeared first on […]
holy family sna po mtpos n problema ko s mga gmot risdin n green rivotril syclop xanor serenace akineton ziproc altrox akidin vit ni kuya emil tolanz sna wg n po un gmulo s isip ko pls sna wla n bmulong kalain bakekang panget pg umiinom ako gmot umaga at gabi pls sna wg n tmambay s lbas cla gami aldrin chris kalbo pls sna tmhmk n pristina pls sna wg n kmi mgkailangan ni pyt pls sna wg n rn sna sya mglakwatsa pls sna umuwi n sya maaga plgi pls sna wg nko mlgsan ng ngipin kht kelan pls sna wg nko mhilo mtrnta matense kht kelan pls sna wg nko guluhin ng taong nkkslmuha ko pls sna mgnda araw ko plgi pls sna mklipat nko by lpit n sna mgswa nmn kklakwatsa cla pyt at manas pls tska nlng pls sna mtgl p mgpbkod c kalbo pls sna wg n rn sna sya mgitra lbas nla pls sna wg n rn sna sya mgybng kotse nya pls sna wg n rn sna sya tmambay nla pls sna mka di out ako pg umiinom ako gmot o vit aalis man ako o hndi pls sna mkmove on nko pumogi mgka gf sna mgkwork n din sna bmlk n ung dtng ako sna gmling n c papa sna kya n nya kht la oxygen sna thmk lng pgcelebrate new yr d2 pristina pls wla inuman tmbay wla cla gami aldrin chris kalbo pls sna mgnda araw ko plgi pls sna wla lkad cla pyt at manas ngaun pls sna ptwd po s lht ng kslanan ko tnx amen
[…] the Catholic Church, yesterday was the Feast of the Holy Family. Every year on the Sunday after Christmas, we celebrate that God chose to be born into a […]
Lord Jesus Christ, who, being made subject to Mary and Joseph, didst consecrate domestic life by Thine ineffable virtues; grant that we, with the assistance of both, may be taught by the example of Thy holy Family and may attain to its everlasting fellowship. Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
Dear Lord, bless our family. Be so kind as to give us the unity, peace, and mutual love that You found in Your own family in the little town of Nazareth.
Saint Joseph, bless the head of our family. Obtain for him the strength, the wisdom, and the prudence he needs to support and direct those under his care.
Mother Mary, bless the mother of our family. Help her to be pure and kind, gentle and self-sacrificing. For the more she resembles you, the better will our family be.
Lord Jesus, bless the children of our family. Help them to be obedient and devoted to their parents. Make them more and more like You. Let them grow, as You did, in wisdom and age and grace before God and man.
Holy Family of Nazareth, make our family and home more and more like Yours, until we are all one family, happy and at peace in our true home with You. Amen.
THE. HOLY. FAMILY,,,,,,,
SHOWS. US. THE. WAY. TO. LIVE,,,,,
WITH. UNCONDITIONAL,,,,,,LOVE
AND. KINDNESS!!!
THEY. TEACH. US. TO. GIVE,,,,,,,,,,,OF,,,OURSELVES…….IN….
ALL. POSSIBLE. WAYS. FOR. OUR
FELLOW,,,,MAN !!!
FOR,,,PEACE. ON. EARTH !!!
Litany to Saint Joseph:
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Blessed offspring of David, pray for us.
Light of patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Chaste custodian of the Blessed Virgin, pray for us.
Guardian of the Son of God, pray for us.
Defender of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
O Joseph, most just, pray for us.
O Joseph, most chaste, pray for us.
O Joseph, most prudent, pray for us.
O Joseph, most forceful, pray for us.
O Joseph, most obedient, pray for us.
O Joseph, most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of labourers, pray for us.
Patriarch of the home, pray for us.
Protector of virgins, pray for us.
Strength of the family, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us.
Terror of demons, pray for us.
Protector of the church, pray for us.
Lamb of God, You who take away the sins of the world, forgive us O Lord
Lamb of God, You who take away the sins of the world, hear us O Lord
Lamb of God, You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Let us pray; Lord Jesus, through the merits of the devoted spouse of Your most holy Mother, help us, we beseech Thee, that what of ourselves we cannot obtain, may be granted through the intercession of the Most Holy Patriarch, Saint Joseph. You who reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.
(Partial Indulgence granted for each of six approved litanies, including Saint Joseph’s Litany, prayed daily for holy souls!)
08DEC2020-08DEC2021 = Year of Saint Joseph