Last week, we celebrated Christmas which is a family celebration. Being together and exchanging gifts emphasizes the strong desire for reciprocal communion and sheds light on the highest values of the family institution. This is shown by the communion of love between persons based on truth, on love, on the indissoluble fidelity of husband and wife and on openness to the gift of life. In the light of Christmas, the family sees its vocation as a community of shared plans, solidarity, forgiveness and faith, where individuals do not lose their identity, but contribute with their own specific gifts to the growth of all. This is what occurred in the Holy Family, presented by faith as the first model for families enlightened by Christ.
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family. Let us look to the Holy Family of Nazareth as an example for all Christian and human families. It radiates genuine love and charity, not only creating an eloquent example for all families, but also offering the guarantee that such love can be achieved in every family unit. Love is the most common characteristic of any family. Love is the glue that keeps families together. The love between a husband and wife is just as important as parent to a child. Love embraces trust and safety.
As Catholics, we can look to the Holy Family as a role model. They have qualities that make a family unit work. They also tell us that you don’t need to be perfect to be a family. Therefore, the Feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families. The main purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families. Our family life becomes sanctified when we live the life of the Church within our homes. This is called the "domestic church" or the "church in miniature." St. John Chrysostom urged all Christians to make each home a "family church," and in doing so, we sanctify the family unit. Just how does one live out the Church in the family? The best way is by making Christ and his Church the center of family and individual life. Ways to do this include: reading scripture regularly, praying, attending Mass weekly, imitating the actions of the Holy Family, and so forth, all done together.