Introit
Collect
O God, who were pleased to give us
the shining example of the Holy Family,
graciously grant that we may imitate them
in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity,
and so, in the joy of your house,
delight one day in eternal rewards.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Reading Sirach 3:2-7, 12-14
The Lord honours a father above his children, and he confirms a mother’s right over her children. 3 Those who honour their father atone for sins, 4 and those who respect their mother are like those who lay up treasure. 5 Those who honour their father will have joy in their own children, and when they pray they will be heard. 6 Those who respect their father will have long life, and those who honour their mother obey the Lord. 12 My child, help your parents in their old age, and do not grieve them as long as they live; 13 even if their minds fail, be patient with them; because you have all your faculties do not despise them. 14 For kindness to your mother and father will not be forgotten, and will be credited to you against your sins.
Responsorial Psalm 128: 1-2,3,4-5
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Second Reading Colossians 3:12-17
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Gospel Accamation
Gospel Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” 19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”
Catena Nova
Strange and wonderful is the mystery I behold. In my ears rings the sound of shepherds, not piping a lonely melody but chanting a heavenly hymn. Angels carol, archangels celebrate with song and dance, the cherubim sing hymns, the seraphim give praise, all of them keeping festival as they contemplate God on earth and our nature in heaven. By divine decree he who dwells on high is now here below; by God’s love those who dwell below are raised on high (St. John Chrysostom)
May esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable condition of mind, revive in us, besieged as we are by so many uplifted voices, the general noise and uproar, in our seething and over-sensitised modern life. May the silence of Nazareth teach us recollection, inwardness, the disposition to listen to good inspirations and the teachings of true masters. May it teach us the need for and the value of preparation, of study, of meditation, of personal inner life, of the prayer which God alone sees in secret (Pope St. Paul VI).
True love is delicate and kind, full of gentle perception and understanding, full of beauty and grace, full of joy unutterable. There should be some flavor of this in all our love for others. We are all one. We are one flesh in the Mystical Body as man and woman are said to be one flesh in marriage. With such a love one would see all things new; we would begin to see people as they really are, as God sees them. (Dorothy Day)
There is nothing wrong with dreams—if they are good. The prophets gave a People who lived in darkness, and us as well, an unforgettable dream. We should remain true to it. But that dream is embodied in a mere child. In the child we can see only a shadowy outline of what we hope for. He is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty Hero, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He is Jesus Christ, the child that lay in a manger, the preacher on the mount, the tormented one hanging on the cross, the risen Liberator. According to the New Testament the dream of a liberator and the dream of true peace, are not merely dreams. The liberator is already present and his power already works among us. We can follow him and so begin to make visible something of the
peace, righteousness, and liberty that is his Kingdom. He will complete it. But not in the form of the world we know. He calls us to participate in the creation of a new world —new in every way. If it is new we can’t look to human creations to bring it about—the creations, for instance, that we call families or nations or cultures or civilizations. We can only look through these to something that lies beyond them and that no one actually knows how to describe concretely. The zeal of the Lord will create this! We mustn’t cling to our human creations, no matter how noble we think they can be if only we could act rightly and with love. We are called to look beyond. Our families are called, like the Holy Family, to look beyond all the human imagination can encompass. We are called to follow the child in the manger, and in Nazareth and in Jerusalem, and in the Garden of Gethsemane, and look beyond everything else to the Heavenly Father, as we inadequately call our God. God will lead us beyond our imaginings to a Kingdom that is beyond all kingdoms like we can imagine and so to a peace that is the fullness of life. That is what Mary and Joseph taught Jesus, and what Jesus taught them. Let us teach one another. They we will experience where love leads. (Jurgen Moltmann)
Through God's mysterious design, it was in that family that the Son of God spent long years of a hidden life. It is therefore the prototype and example for all Christian families. It was unique in the world. Its life was passed in anonymity and silence in a little town in Palestine. It underwent trials of poverty, persecution and exile. It glorified God in an incomparably exalted and pure way. And it will not fail to help Christian families-indeed, all the families in the world-to be faithful to their day-to-day duties, to bear the cares and tribulations of life, to be open and generous to the needs of others, and to fulfill with joy the plan of God in their regard (Pope St. John Paul II).
It is very important that children learn from their fathers and mothers how to love one another – not in the school, not from the teacher, but from you. It is very important that you share with your children the joy of that smile. There will be misunderstandings; every family has its cross, its suffering. Always be the first to forgive with a smile. Be cheerful, be happy (St. Teresa of Calcutta).
Every family should look to the icon of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Its daily life had its share of burdens and even nightmares, as when they met with Herod’s implacable violence. This last was an experience that, sad to say, continues to afflict the many refugee families who in our day feel rejected and helpless. Like the Magi, our families are invited to contemplate the Child and his Mother, to bow down and worship him (cf. Mt 2:11). Like Mary, they are asked to face their family’s challenges with courage and serenity, in good times and bad, and to keep in their heart the great things which God has done (cf. Lk 2:19, 51). The treasury of Mary’s heart also contains the experiences of every family, which she cherishes. For this reason, she can help us understand the meaning of these experiences and to hear the message God wishes to communicate through the life of our families (Pope Francis).
Homily
Family Matters
Intercessions (Joe Milner; The Sunday Website)
Loving God, guardian of our homes, when you entrusted your Son to the care of Mary and Joseph, you did not spare them the pains that touch the life of every family. Teach us to rely on your word, that in our trials as in our joys we may be clothed in gentleness and patience and united in love. Make us ever-thankful for the blessings you give us through Jesus Christ, your Word made flesh, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, in the splendour of eternal light, God for ever and ever. Amen. (ICEL; 1998)
Offertory Antiphon
Offertory Hymn
Good people all, this Christmastime
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending His beloved Son.
With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love, this Christmas Day;
In Bethlehem, upon that morn,
There was a blessed Messiah born.
With thankful heart and joyful mind
The shepherds went the Babe to find
And as God’s angels had foretold,
They did our Savior Christ behold.
Within a manger He was laid,
And by His side, the Virgin Maid
Attending on the Lord of Life,
Who came on earth to end all strife.
Come let us then our tribute pay
To our good God as well we may
For all His grace and mercy shown
Through His Son to us, all then unknown;
And when through life we wend our way,
‘Mid trials and sufferings, day by day,
In faith and hope, whate’er befall,
We’ll wait in holy peace His call.
Communion Antiphon
Closing Hymn
Ye sons of men, with me rejoice
And praise the heavens with heart and voice!
For joyful tidings you we bring
Of this heavenly Babe, the newborn King.
Who from His mighty throne above
Came down to magnify His love
To all such as would Him embrace,
And would be born again in grace.
The mystery for to unfold
When the King of Kings, He did behold,
The poor unhappy state of man,
He sent His dear beloved Son.
Give Him your heart the first of all,
Free from all malice, wrath, and gall;
And now He’s on His throne on high,
He will crown you eternally!