Homily for Sunday, December 28, 2025
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph – Year A
Sirach 3:2–6, 12–14 | Psalm 128 | Colossians 3:12–21 | Matt.2:13-15, 19-23
“A Home Where God Can Grow”
Friends, in the glow of Christmas still surrounding us, the Church invites us into a home. Not a perfect home—but a holy one. We are invited into the life of the Holy Family, where love is real, faith is tested, and God is allowed to grow. This is the reality of the Holy Family—not sentimental, not idealized, but faithful under pressure.
Joseph is warned in a dream, and he does not hesitate. He rises in the darkness, takes Mary and the Child, and leaves everything behind. No explanations. No guarantees. Only trust. Joseph teaches us that real love acts decisively when life and dignity are at stake. Mary, too, walks this road of uncertainty—holding the Child who is God’s promise, even when the future feels unsafe. And Jesus, though helpless and silent, is already fulfilling Scripture: God entering fully into human vulnerability.
This is a powerful truth for us today.
The Holy Family shows us that holiness is not found in comfort, but in faithfulness amid uncertainty. Families are not spared hardship, but they are given grace to endure. God does not promise a life without danger—He promises His presence within it.
Saint Paul reminds us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These virtues are not learned in theory. They are learned in homes—especially homes under strain. Sirach tells us that honoring one another brings blessing and healing, because love practiced daily becomes a sanctuary.
Today’s feast speaks to every family, especially those facing anxiety, illness, financial strain, conflict, migration, or loss. The Holy Family tells us: God is with you on the road.
Even Egypt—the place of exile—becomes a place of protection. Even fear becomes a pathway for God’s plan. What seems like disruption becomes divine direction. God chose not only to be born into a family—but to be shaped by one. A family where love required patience, where obedience was learned, where trust was practiced daily. The Holy Family reminds us that holiness is not forged in perfection, but in faithfulness.
Sirach tells us that honoring one another in family life brings blessing and healing. Saint Paul calls us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, patience, and love—virtues learned first and most deeply at home. These are not abstract ideals. They are practiced in forgiveness after arguments, in gentleness when patience runs thin, in choosing love again.
The Holy Family was not spared difficulty—but they allowed God to dwell during it. And so today, the Church turns to our families—not to judge them, but to bless them. Some families here are joyful and strong. Others are wounded, strained, or incomplete. Some carry grief, estrangement, or exhaustion. This feast is not reserved for ideal families; it is for real families, where God still longs to dwell.
The "Holiness" of this family wasn't found in the absence of struggle, but in how they carried that struggle together. They show us that the home is the first cathedral, and the kitchen table is the first altar. In the messiness of our own family lives—the disagreements, the aging parents, the rebellious teenagers, the financial worries—God is not just a guest; He is the foundation.
As we look toward a new year, let us move away from the pressure of being a "perfect" family and instead strive to be a "holy" one—a family that makes room for God in the ordinary moments.
The good news is this: Any home that makes room for love makes room for God.
Three Takeaways for This Week
1. Holiness grows through patience, not perfection
Your family does not need to be flawless to be faithful. Like Mary and Joseph, trust that God is at work even when you do not fully understand. Just as Mary and Joseph searched for Jesus, there are seasons where God feels "lost" in our homes. Don't be discouraged by spiritual dry spells or family conflict. Holiness is found in the persistent, loving search for Christ in one another, even when he seems hidden by the stresses of life.
2. Let love shape daily life
Small acts—listening, forgiving, showing kindness—are the building blocks of holy families. What we practice at home forms who we become. St. Paul gives us a "family uniform" in the reading from Colossians: heart-felt compassion, kindness, humility, and patience. These aren't just feelings; they are choices. Before reacting to a family member this week, ask yourself if your words are "clothed" in the gentleness of the Holy Family.
3. Make your home a place where God is welcome
Prayer, compassion, and mutual respect invite Christ to dwell with us. When God is at the center, even imperfect families become places of grace. Sirach reminds us to care for our parents when their "mind fails." A family’s holiness is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable members. Whether it is a toddler or an elderly grandparent, we serve Christ best when we serve those who can do the least for us in return.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus did not save the world from a distance. He grew up within a family. May He grow within ours as well. May the Holy Family bless our homes, heal our wounds, strengthen our love, and help us become places where God can truly grow. Amen.
