As we celebrate the Sunday of Holy Family, our Gospel today speaks about the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. For us, Servites, and for those who are praying the Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows, this event is considered the second sorrow of Our Lady. To protect the Child Jesus from Herod’s murderous plot, an angel appeared in sleep to Joseph to tell him to go to Egypt with his wife, Mary and the Child. But why Egypt? Matthew is very precise in mentioning a prophecy (Hosea 11:1): “Out of Egypt I called my son.” This is a reminder for Mathew’s community of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt. He presents Jesus as the new “Moses” who is about to fulfill the new and eternal covenant between God and man. Coming to Egypt as refugees, the Holy Family trusted in God’s faithfulness and sovereignty amidst danger. Their obedience to God allowed them to avoid Herod’s tyranny and oppression.

Today, our families are challenged by several dangers and difficulties, by modern tyranny and oppression, by uncertainties and fearful circumstances. Despite all these, the Holy Family reminds us of the importance of trusting in God and obeying Him. Though the world resists God’s reign of grace and truth, we need to imitate the faith of Mary and Joseph because God’s plan for our families must be trusted. As we continue to journey together in this Christmas season, we entrust our families to God and we ask the intercession of Joseph and Mary for the Emmanuel to bless and protect of families.

~ Fra. Ronel

FAMILY: GOD’S FIRST SCHOOL OF LOVE & OBEDIENCE

As I contemplate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I am reminded that family is God’s first gift and the first school of love. Even the Son of God chose to grow within a family, learning obedience, sacrifice, patience, and faith in the quiet rhythm of ordinary life. This alone tells me that God is deeply present in our homes, especially in the unseen and uncelebrated moments.

The Holy Family speaks deeply to my own experience of family: imperfect, sometimes wounded, yet always held together by grace. Mary teaches me to treasure and ponder everything in my heart, especially when I do not fully understand God’s plans or the outcome of the trials I face. She shows me how to trust God even in uncertainty. Joseph, through his silent obedience, reminds me that real love is not proven by words but by responsibility, protection, and selfless service. Through their lives, I am assured that God remains present in ordinary struggles, financial worries, misunderstandings, fears, and sacrifices offered quietly out of love.

The Holy Family calls me to reflect on how I live my role within my own family. Do I choose patience over anger, forgiveness over pride, prayer over resentment? They remind me that family is where faith is first lived and witnessed. When Christ is placed at the center, even brokenness can be healed, and even in the midst of challenges, God holds us close.

In honoring the Holy Family, I pray that my home may become a small Nazareth. Even if it is not complete, may it be a place where love is practiced daily, God is trusted completely, and faith is passed on through simple acts of kindness, prayer, and selfless love.

~ Leng

PRAYER TO START THE WEEK

Lord God, you guided the Holy Family through danger and uncertainty. Teach us to trust Your voice, even when the path is unclear. Protect us in times of fear, strengthen our obedience, and lead us where Your will is fulfilled. Amen.