Tagged: Holy Family

Homily

Sacrifice, Reconciliation, and Joy: Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family – Year C 2021

Today is the feast of the Holy Family, and as we look at the gospel reading today we might be reminded of a similar story, a more modern story. A story of a family taking a long trip during the holiday season who suddenly realize that they’ve left their young son home alone. I’m speaking of course of that 1990 movie Home Alone, where young Kevin McAllister believes he is being bullied by his older brothers and sisters, and ignored by his parents, so he wishes his family...

Simeon and Anna

Homily

Good News for Old and Young Alike – Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family

On this first Sunday after Christmas, the Liturgy invites us to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. And today the gospel presents the Holy Family’s encounter with two elderly people of faith, Simeon and Anna. In the first and second readings, too, we hear about two more elderly people of faith, Abraham and Sarah. Today there is Good News for both the old and the young. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord, and one at a time, Simeon and Anna...

Family / Homily

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family – Year C 2012

Today is the feast of the Holy Family, and as we look at the gospel reading today we might be reminded of another story, a similar story, a more modern story. A story of a family taking a long trip during the holiday season who suddenly realize they’ve left their young son home alone. I’m speaking of course of the 1990 John Hughes movie Home Alone, where young Kevin McAllister is sick of being bullied by his older brothers and sisters, tired of being ignored by his parents,...

The Holy Family

Spirituality

Three Valuable Lessons from the Holy Family

Today’s Office of Readings provides a beautiful meditation from Pope Paul VI on this feast of the Holy Family. As Paul VI reflects, he recalls three things we can learn from Jesus’ upbringing: Silence First, we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace...