Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Dec 29

Written By Keel Agency LLC

Letter from the Pastor

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Dec 31, 2023

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

To illustrate the importance of the family, Pope Francis had declared March 19, 2021 to June 26, 2022 to be the Year of the Family. In his encyclical, Amoris Laetitia [The Joy of Love] he wrote, “The family is the first school of human values.” [274] It is in the family that we first learn everything! It is where we learn how to speak. It is where we learn who we are, what we believe and what we don’t believe, and it is where we learn that we are loved and it is where we first love someone else. There is no greater school than the family.

As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family this weekend, and as we look forward to the year that is about to come, let us give thanks to God for the gift of our families and the gift of our family of faith. Pope Francis also reminded us in Amoris Laetitia, “No family drops down from heaven perfectly formed; families need constantly to grow and mature in the ability to love.” [324] Perhaps we also need to pray for healing where there is division in our families, both biological as well as in our family of faith. May God inspire us to go beyond that which divides us and allow us to focus on that which unites us.

Let us also pray for the human family. For all of humanity, that we might come closer to the world where we do recognize each other as brothers and sisters and lay down our weapons that destroy, be they guns, bombs, or even our words, attitudes, and evil judgements. Let us pray that we will all be inspired by the Holy Spirit to be brother or sister to all of creation, God’s creation, so to come closer to returning to Eden.

Let us look to the Holy Family and the strength and courage they had to live the lives that we all know was not easy and often painful. My we too live our lives with that same courage to love Christ into our world.

May the world soon know the peace of God’s kingdom, and may we help to make it so.

On behalf of the entire Parish Staff, may you and your family have a blessed and peaceful New Year.