Daily Gospel Reflection
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December 29, 2019
Now after the magi had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”
Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”
Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”
In the cover of darkness, a Middle Eastern man, wife, and small child flee from a threat of imminent danger, seeking refuge for years in a foreign land.
A segment from last night’s “News at 10” or the Gospel according to Matthew?
This familiar passage following the Christmas Nativity resonates with me in a unique way, given my work with Catholic Relief Services—we are striving to serve the Holy Family in disguise amidst the current refugee crisis.
Of the millions around the world forced from their homes by ongoing violence in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia, Central African Republic, and even my husband’s native Nigeria, one person, in particular, comes to mind. Zahaya is a young Syrian mother from Homs who fled to Lebanon with her husband and infant son. She shared with us what it means to lose everything: your home, your culture, your savings, your photo albums, and almost your identity itself with no way to prove that your son is your son.
In spite of all she has lost and the terror she has experienced, Zahaya holds tightly to hope. She dreams of a peaceful future—of a world filled with compassion, rather than fear.
During this Christmas season in today’s divided world, I ask God to grant me steadfast courage like Zahaya—like Mary and Joseph—to choose hope over fear. I pray also for God’s perseverance as I join with my parish community to help Christ’s light shine brighter in my local community.
As we reflect on the Holy Family, may their journey inspire us to go out of our comfort zones to practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy: building bridges of peace, comforting the grieving, taking in the refugee family, and welcoming the stranger into our homes and hearts.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-living God, may this time of Christmas keep us mindful of the ways your Son is present to us, in all we hear and see and touch. In him, the one whose name we call Emmanuel, is our joy complete. We pray this in his name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
The Feast of the Holy Family is an important feast in the life of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Blessed Basil Moreau, the founder of the Congregation, envisioned a community of priests, sisters, and brothers, all united together just as Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were united together in the Holy Family.
In fact, Blessed Moreau established the Sacred Heart of Jesus as patron of the priests, St. Joseph as patron of the brothers, and Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, as patron of the sisters (she is also patron of the congregation as a whole as well).
Blessed Moreau wanted this community to be rooted in the virtues that were present in Jesus’ home in Nazareth. Following the model of love offered by the Holy Family, the Holy Cross community attends to one another in their struggles, assists one another in their good works, and celebrates together in times of joy.
All of us come from a family, and though few of our families are as holy as the Holy Family, the relationships between parents and children, spouses and siblings, continually offer opportunities to grow in virtue and in service to one another.
Today's featured image of the Holy Family comes from the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art on campus and is used with their permission. To enjoy more of the Raclin Murphy Museum's images on the Holy Family, visit their collection here. Relics of the Holy Family rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, including a fragment of Jesus’ crib and a portion of the cloth band with which Mary carried Jesus when she and Joseph fled to Egypt.
On this feast of the Holy Family, may we serve each other and grow in holiness within our families!
To learn even more about the Holy Family watch this video lecture from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame.
Image Credit: Simon Vouet (French, 1590-1649), The Holy Family, ca. 1604, oil on canvas. Raclin Murphy Museum of Art: Gift of Joyce McMahon Hank, 1983.023