Sunday after Christmas: Feast of the Holy Family

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentence:

Father in heaven, creator of all, You ordered the earth to bring forth life,  and crowned its goodness by creating the human family. In history’s moment when all was ready You sent your Son to dwell in time, obedient to the laws of life in our world. Teach us the sanctity of human love, show us the value of family life, and help us to live in peace with all men that we may share in your life forever. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 128:1-5 (NLT)

How joyful are those who fear the Lord — all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him.

May the Lord continually bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.

A Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Church in Colossae: Colossians 3:12-21 (NLT)

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

A Reading from the Gospels: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 (NLT)

After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”
__________

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Intercessions:

The Holy Family is the name given to the family unit of Jesus: The Divine Son of God Jesus, his mother the Virgin Mary, and his foster-father Joseph…. 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. The Feast 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. 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 the center of family and individual life.

Lord Jesus – You willed to pass the greater part of Your life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth. Graciously receive and consecrate my family as I turn to You today. Defend us, guard us, and establish among us Your holy reverence, true peace and concord in Christian love.

Lord Jesus – You understand the dynamics, strains and joys of human family life – hear my prayers:

+ For our devotional life – that we may prioritize daily Bible reading and prayer… and that we may worship together as a family.

+ For mutual respect and submission – that we love, honor and support one another… husbands for wives, wives for husbands, parents for children, and children for parents.

+ For our godliness – that we may better understand God’s love through our relationships with each other… as people set apart to love and serve God; and that we may be quick to forgive one another, as You have forgiven us.

+ For our responsibilities – that men protect, provide and unite their families; that women nurture, sacrifice and be the heart of their families; and that young people grow in wisdom, maturity and stature as productive, contributing, members of their families.

+ For our protection – that we are shielded from the evils of abortion, homosexuality, divorce, spousal abuse and child abuse; and that we might value the sanctity of Christian marriage and every human life.

+ For our prodigal children – that they might return to the fold of Your care; and that we might stay close to them during trying times – loving them – and trusting You to bring them home.

Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost – may You bless my family, for time and eternity, and may this blessing remain forever with us. Amen.

Hymn: “Come Children of the Risen King” – Stuart Townend

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen