A Sunday Thought About the Feast of the Holy Family
Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family, which follows the feasts of St Stephen (26th), St John (27th), Holy Innocents (28th) all following, of course Christmas Day. It's quite a sequence.
The very day after Christmas, Holy Mother Church, in her Roman Rite, puts before us the feast of the first martyr, St Stephen, followed by the feast of St John, the beloved disciple, followed by a day to remember the horrible murder of male children up to two years old perpetrated by King Herod after the birth of Our Lord. And so the Silent Night precedes daily reminders of martyrdom, enduring love, terrible tragedy, surrounded and bound together by the serene images of the Holy Family we witness in the creches that remain displayed all around us.
I "visited" our creche this morning, as the day dawned, to spend a few moments in prayer and contemplation - something I try to do each day as long as the creche remains in its place of honor in our home. This day, in the face of that serenity, I'm reminded all that Mary and Joseph endured from those first days before Our Lord's birth, beginning with the arduous journey to Bethlehem with Mary about to give birth, finding no "proper" place for Mary to deliver the Savior of the world, followed shortly thereafter by yet another arduous journey to Egypt in response to the angel's warning of Herod's murderous intentions towards Jesus. Are the peace and joy in the faces of the Holy Family in all those creches around the world somehow misleading in the face of the actual events of their daily lives in those first days?
As Catholics, we know the answer. The peace and joy of Christmas bind together and overcome the difficulties and suffering of those first days of Our Lord's life on earth, just as it does for all of us as we face our own difficulties and suffering in this world. Yes, if we only "let" Him, He will bring His peace and joy each and every day of our lives.
It is in this spirit that we Christians, who know the real meaning of Christmas, wish each other a "Merry" one during (at least) these Twelve Days of Christmas. And it is in this spirit that I leave you today with the glory of Handel's great "Hallelujah" chorus from Messiah on this Fifth Day of Christmas, the feast of the Holy Family.
I picked this splendid version by the King's College choir, performed with original period instruments and an all-male chorus, for its visual quality, brilliant sound, and crisp performance of one of the most - probably THE most - frequently performed pieces of great music. I don't know about you, but for me it never ceases to move and inspire. On this feast of the Holy Family, we can join our "Hallelujah" with the peace and joy of the Little Babe in our creche surrounded by Mary and Joseph, the shepherd with his sheep, the ox and ass and (soon) the Three Kings, in a spirit of gratitude and praise.
A very Merry Christmas to you all!
The very day after Christmas, Holy Mother Church, in her Roman Rite, puts before us the feast of the first martyr, St Stephen, followed by the feast of St John, the beloved disciple, followed by a day to remember the horrible murder of male children up to two years old perpetrated by King Herod after the birth of Our Lord. And so the Silent Night precedes daily reminders of martyrdom, enduring love, terrible tragedy, surrounded and bound together by the serene images of the Holy Family we witness in the creches that remain displayed all around us.
I "visited" our creche this morning, as the day dawned, to spend a few moments in prayer and contemplation - something I try to do each day as long as the creche remains in its place of honor in our home. This day, in the face of that serenity, I'm reminded all that Mary and Joseph endured from those first days before Our Lord's birth, beginning with the arduous journey to Bethlehem with Mary about to give birth, finding no "proper" place for Mary to deliver the Savior of the world, followed shortly thereafter by yet another arduous journey to Egypt in response to the angel's warning of Herod's murderous intentions towards Jesus. Are the peace and joy in the faces of the Holy Family in all those creches around the world somehow misleading in the face of the actual events of their daily lives in those first days?
As Catholics, we know the answer. The peace and joy of Christmas bind together and overcome the difficulties and suffering of those first days of Our Lord's life on earth, just as it does for all of us as we face our own difficulties and suffering in this world. Yes, if we only "let" Him, He will bring His peace and joy each and every day of our lives.
It is in this spirit that we Christians, who know the real meaning of Christmas, wish each other a "Merry" one during (at least) these Twelve Days of Christmas. And it is in this spirit that I leave you today with the glory of Handel's great "Hallelujah" chorus from Messiah on this Fifth Day of Christmas, the feast of the Holy Family.
I picked this splendid version by the King's College choir, performed with original period instruments and an all-male chorus, for its visual quality, brilliant sound, and crisp performance of one of the most - probably THE most - frequently performed pieces of great music. I don't know about you, but for me it never ceases to move and inspire. On this feast of the Holy Family, we can join our "Hallelujah" with the peace and joy of the Little Babe in our creche surrounded by Mary and Joseph, the shepherd with his sheep, the ox and ass and (soon) the Three Kings, in a spirit of gratitude and praise.
A very Merry Christmas to you all!
Comments