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Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Today's Lectionary Readings
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When I reflect on the celebration of today's feast, what often
comes to mind is how fitting it is that we commemorate the Holy Family
during the Christmas season. Of course, they are the protagonists in
the birth of Jesus we celebrate on Christmas day. Christmas and the
days surrounding it are often cherished because of time we have with
family. With family in mind, we turn to the Holy Family as the model
of family life which was inaugurated with Jesus' birth.

Striving to follow the Holy Family as families, we turn to the
exhortation of St. Paul in the letter to the Colossians: "Put
on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with
one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against
another; ...And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of
perfection."

However, with this somewhat idyllic picture, today's Gospel from
Matthew relates how reality set in for Jesus, Mary and Joseph in their
flight to Egypt. Just as reality sets in for so many families. Our
various Catholic Charities agencies support and serve families
irrespective of whatever factors have led them to our doorsteps. As
the Catholic Charities network we seek to "put on, as
God's chosen ones" the virtues enumerated by St. Paul.

In part, the vision statement for Catholic Social Services (CSS) of
the Archdiocese of Philadelphia states that "CSS exists to
transform lives and bring about a just and compassionate society
where...families are healthy and strong..." We can
confidently express this when we uphold a tenet of Catholic social
teaching which recognizes that the family is "the primary and
vital cell of society." And, in acknowledging this teaching, we
look to the Holy Family with the belief that, as proclaimed in the
Responsorial Psalm verse, "Blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways."

Fr. Dennis M. Weber, SdC, is a priest of the Servants of Charity and
Director of Ministry & Mission for the Developmental Programs
Division of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia.




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