With these words from the psalm, the liturgy of today's feast greets Jesus, born in Bethlehem, as he crosses the threshold of the temple in Jerusalem for the first time. Forty days after his birth, Mary and Joseph take him to the temple, to fulfil the law of Moses: "Every first-born male shall be holy to the Lord" (Lk 2:23; cf. Ex 13:2, 11).

The evangelist Luke emphasises that Jesus' parents are faithful to the law of the Lord, which advised the presentation of the newborn and prescribed the purification of the mother. However, it is not on these rites that the word of God intends to draw our attention, but on the mystery of the temple that today welcomes the one whom the old Covenant promised and the prophets awaited.

For him the temple was destined. The day was to come when he would enter it as "the angel of the covenant" (cf. Ml 3:1) and reveal himself as "the light to enlighten the nations and the glory of the people (of God), Israel" (Lk 2:32).

2. Today's feast is like a great anticipation: it anticipates Easter. In the liturgical texts and signs, in fact, we glimpse, almost in a solemn messianic announcement, what is to be fulfilled at the end of Jesus' mission in the mystery of his Passover. All those present in the temple of Jerusalem find themselves to be almost unconscious witnesses of the foretaste of the Passover of the New Covenant, of an event that is now at hand in the mysterious Child, an event that will give new meaning to everything.

The doors of the sanctuary open to the wondrous king, who "is here for the ruin and resurrection of many in Israel, a sign of contradiction" (Lk 2:34).

At the moment, nothing reveals his kingship. That forty-day-old infant is a normal child, the son of poor parents. Those closest to him know that he was born in a stable near Bethlehem. They remember the heavenly songs and the visit of the shepherds, but how can they think, even those closest to them, even Mary and Joseph, that this child - according to the words of the Letter to the Hebrews - is destined to take care of Abraham's offspring, the only high priest before God to atone for the sins of the world (cf. Heb 2:16-17)?

In fact, the presentation of this child in the temple, as one of the first-born sons of the families of Israel, is precisely a sign of this; it is the announcement of all the experiences, sufferings and trials to which he himself will undergo in order to come to the aid of mankind, to those men whom life very often puts to the test.

It will be he, the merciful, unique and eternal Priest of God's new and unchanging Covenant with humanity, who will reveal divine mercy. He, the revealer of the Father, who "so loved the world" (Jn 3:16). He light, the light that illuminates every man, in the succession of the various stages of history.

But, again for this reason, in every age Christ becomes "a sign of contradiction" (Lk 2:34). Mary, who today, as a young mother, carries him in her arms, will become, in a singular way, a sharer in his sufferings: the Virgin's soul will be pierced by a sword, and her suffering together with the Redeemer will serve to bring truth into the hearts of men (cf. Lk 2:35).

3. The temple of Jerusalem thus becomes the theatre of the messianic event. After the night of Bethlehem, here is the first eloquent manifestation of the mystery of the divine Christmas. It is a revelation that comes as if from the depths of the Old Covenant.

For who is Simeon, whose words inspired by the Holy Spirit resound under the vault of the temple in Jerusalem? He is one of those who "waited for the comfort of Israel", whose expectation was filled with unwavering faith (cf. Lk 2:25). Simeon lived with the certainty that he would not die before he saw the Lord's Messiah: a certainty coming from the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 2:26).

And who is Anna, daughter of Phanuel? An elderly widow, called by the Gospel "prophetess", who never left the temple and served God with fasting and prayers day and night (cf. Lk 2:36-37).

4. The characters, who take part in the event commemorated today, are all included in a great symbol: the symbol of the temple, the temple of Jerusalem, built by Solomon, whose pinnacles indicate the ways of prayer for every generation of Israel. The sanctuary is indeed the crowning point of the people's journey through the desert towards the Promised Land, and expresses a great expectation. The whole of today's liturgy speaks of this expectation.

The destiny of the temple in Jerusalem, in fact, does not end with representing the Old Covenant. Its true meaning from the beginning was the expectation of the Messiah: the temple, built by men for the glory of the true God, would have to give way to another temple, which God himself would build there, in Jerusalem.

Today, he comes to the temple who says he will fulfil its destiny and must 'rebuild' it. One day, while teaching in the temple, Jesus would say that that building built by human hands, already destroyed by invaders and rebuilt, would be destroyed again, but that destruction would mark the beginning of an indestructible temple. The disciples, after his resurrection, understood that he called his body a "temple" (cf. Jn 2:20-21).

5. Today, then, dear friends, we are experiencing a singular revelation of the mystery of the temple, which is one: Christ himself. The sanctuary, even this Basilica, must not so much serve worship as holiness. Everything to do with blessing, especially the dedication of sacred buildings, even in the New Covenant, expresses the holiness of God, who gives himself to man in Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

God's sanctifying work touches temples made by the hand of man, but its most appropriate space is man himself. The consecration of buildings, though architecturally magnificent, is a symbol of the sanctification that man draws from God through Christ. Through Christ, every person, man or woman, is called to become a living temple in the Holy Spirit: a temple in which God truly dwells. Of such a spiritual temple Jesus spoke in his conversation with the Samaritan woman, revealing who are the true worshippers of God, those who give glory to him "in spirit and in truth" (cf. Jn 4:23-24).

6. Dearly beloved, St Peter's Basilica is gladdened today by your presence, dear Brothers and Sisters, who, coming from so many different communities, represent the world of consecrated persons. It is a beautiful tradition that it is you who form the holy assembly in this solemn celebration of Christ "Light of the Gentiles". In your hands you carry burning candles, in your hearts you carry the light of Christ, spiritually united with all your consecrated brothers and sisters in every corner of the earth: you constitute the irreplaceable and priceless treasure of the Church.

The history of Christianity confirms the value of your religious vocation: especially linked to you, down through the centuries, is the spread of the saving power of the Gospel among peoples and nations, on the European continent and then in the New World, in Africa and the Far East.

We wish to remember this especially this year, during which the assembly of the Synod of Bishops dedicated to consecrated life in the Church will be held. We must remember it in order to give glory to the Lord and to pray that such an important vocation, together with the vocation to family life, will not be stifled in any way in our time, nor even in the now approaching third millennium.

7. Today's Eucharistic Celebration brings together consecrated persons working in Rome, but in mind and heart we join with the members of Orders, Religious Congregations and Secular Institutes, scattered throughout the world, those especially who bear a special witness to Christ, paying for it with enormous sacrifices, not excluding at times martyrdom. With special affection I think of the men and women Religious present in the regions of the former Yugoslavia and in the other territories of the world, victims of an absurd fratricidal violence.

In greeting you, I also greet the other representatives of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Cardinal Prefect, the Secretary and all the collaborators. This is your common feast.

May Christ the light of the world be glorified in you, dear Sisters and Brothers! May Christ, the sign of contradiction for this world, be glorified. In him man lives: in him everyone becomes the glory of God, as St Irenaeus teaches (cf. St Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, 4, 20, 7). You are the epiphany of this truth. That is why you are so loved in the Church and why you spread great hope in humanity. Today, in a special way, we beseech the Lord that the evangelical leaven of your vocation may reach more and more hearts of young men and women and impel them to consecrate themselves unreservedly to the service of the Kingdom.

I say this thinking also of the others present who have come for the Wednesday General Audience. Certainly, many of them know consecrated persons, they realise the price of this personal consecration in the Church, they owe so much to the nuns, to the religious brothers who work in clinics, in schools, in the different environments of each people of the world, across the whole earth. I would like to invite these guests at our general audience today, dedicated to religious life, to pray for all the consecrated persons of the world, to pray for vocations. Perhaps this prayer will awaken some vocations in the hearts of young people.

8. Together with Mary and Joseph we go today on a spiritual pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem, the city of the great meeting. And with the Liturgy we say: "Arise, ye ancient doors . . .". Those who belong to the lineage of Abraham's faith find there a common point of reference. Everyone wants it to become a significant centre of peace, so that - according to the prophetic word of Revelation - God may wipe away every tear from the eyes of men there (cf. Rev 21:4), and that wall, which has remained over the centuries as a remnant of Solomon's ancient temple, may cease to be the "wall of weeping", and become a place of peace and reconciliation for believers in the one true God.

We make a pilgrimage to that city today, in a special way, we who have drawn our whole life's inspiration from the mystery of Christ: a life unreservedly dedicated to the Kingdom of God. Our pilgrimage culminates in communion with the Body and Blood, which the eternal Son of God took for Himself by becoming man, in order to present Himself to the Father, in the flesh of His humanity, as a perfect spiritual sacrifice, and thus fulfil the Covenant God made with Abraham, our father in faith, and brought to perfection in Christ (cf. Rom 4:16).

The Bishop of Rome looks with love towards Jerusalem, from where his first Predecessor, Peter, left one day and came to Rome driven by the apostolic vocation. After him also the Apostle Paul.

At the end of the second millennium, the Successor of Peter bends his knees to those places sanctified by the presence of the living God. Wandering around the world, through cities, countries, continents, he remains in communion with the divine light that shone there, in the truly holy land two thousand years ago to enlighten the nations and peoples of the whole world to enlighten us, beloved.

[Pope John Paul II, homily 2 February 1994]

Before our eyes we can picture Mother Mary as she walks, carrying the Baby Jesus in her arms. She brings him to the Temple; she presents him to the people; she brings him to meet his people.

The arms of Mother Mary are like the “ladder” on which the Son of God comes down to us, the ladder of God’s condescension. This is what we heard in the first reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews: Christ became “like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest” (Heb 2:17). This is the twofold path taken by Jesus: he descended, he became like us, in order then to ascend with us to the Father, making us like himself.

In our heart we can contemplate this double movement by imagining the Gospel scene of Mary who enters the Temple holding the Child in her arms. The Mother walks, yet it is the Child who goes before her. She carries him, yet he is leading her along the path of the God who comes to us so that we might go to him.

Jesus walked the same path as we do, and shows us the new way, the “new and living way” (cf. Heb 10:20) which is he himself. For us, consecrated men and women, this is the one way which, concretely and without alternatives, we must continue to tread with joy and perseverance.

Fully five times the Gospel speaks to us of Mary and Joseph’s obedience to the “law of the Lord” (cf. Lk 2:22-24,27,39). Jesus came not to do his own will, but the will of the Father. This way – he tells us – was his “food” (cf. Jn 4:34). In the same way, all those who follow Jesus must set out on the path of obedience, imitating as it were the Lord’s “condescension” by humbling themselves and making their own the will of the Father, even to self-emptying and abasement (cf. Phil 2:7-8). For a religious, to advance on the path of obedience means to abase oneself in service, that is, to take the same path as Jesus, who “did not deem equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Phil 2:6). By emptying himself he made himself a servant in order to serve.

For us, as consecrated persons, this path takes the form of the rule, marked by the charism of the founder. For all of us, the essential rule remains the Gospel, yet the Holy Spirit, in his infinite creativity, also gives it expression in the various rules of the consecrated life which are born of the sequela Christi, and thus from this journey of abasing oneself by serving.

Through this “law” which is the rule, consecrated persons are able to attain wisdom, not something abstract, but a work and gift of the Holy Spirit. An evident sign of such wisdom is joy. The evangelical happiness of a religious is the fruit of self-abasement in union with Christ… And, when we are sad, we would do well to ask ourselves, “How are we living this kenosis?”

In the account of Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple, wisdom is represented by two elderly persons, Simeon and Anna: persons docile to the Holy Spirit, led by him, inspired by him. The Lord granted them wisdom as the fruit of a long journey along the path of obedience to his law, an obedience which likewise humbles and abases, but which also lifts up and protects hope, making them creative, for they are filled with the Holy Spirit. They even enact a kind of liturgy around the Child as he comes to the Temple. Simeon praises the Lord and Anna “proclaims” salvation (cf. Lk 2:28-32, 38). As with Mary, the elderly man holds the Child, but in fact it is the Child who guides the elderly man. The liturgy of First Vespers of today’s feast puts this clearly and beautifully: “senex puerum portabat, puer autem senem regebat”. Mary, the young mother, and Simeon, the kindly old man, hold the Child in their arms, yet it is the Child himself who guides them both.

Here it is not young people who are creative: the young, like Mary and Joseph, follow the law of the Lord, the path of obedience. The elderly, like Simeon and Anna, see in the Child the fulfilment of the Law and the promises of God. And they are able to celebrate: the are creative in joy and wisdom. And the Lord turns obedience into wisdom by the working of his Holy Spirit.

At times God can grant the gift of wisdom to a young person, but always as the fruit of obedience and docility to the Spirit. This obedience and docility is not something theoretical; it too is subject to the economy of the incarnation of the Word: docility and obedience to a founder, docility and obedience to a specific rule, docility and obedience to one’s superior, docility and obedience to the Church. It is always docility and obedience in the concrete.

In persevering along the path of obedience, personal and communal wisdom matures, and thus it also becomes possible to adapt rules to the times. For true “aggiornamento” is the fruit of wisdom forged in docility and obedience.

The strengthening and renewal of consecrated life are the result of great love for the rule, and also the ability to look to and heed the elders of one’s congregation. In this way, the “deposit”, the charism of each religious family, is preserved by obedience and by wisdom, working together. By means of this journey, we are preserved from living our consecration in “lightly”, in an unincarnate manner, as if it were some sort of gnosis which would ultimately reduce religious life to caricature, a caricature in which there is following without renunciation, prayer without encounter, fraternal life without communion, obedience without trust, and charity without transcendence.

Today we too, like Mary and Simeon, want to take Jesus into our arms, to bring him to his people. Surely we will be able to do so if we enter into the mystery in which Jesus himself is our guide. Let us bring others to Jesus, but let us also allow ourselves to be led by him. This is what we should be: guides who themselves are guided.

May the Lord, through the intercession of Mary our Mother, Saint Joseph and Saints Simeon and Anna, grant to all of us what we sought in today’s opening prayer: to “be presented [to him] fully renewed in spirit”. Amen.

[Pope Francis, Homily 2 February 2015]

(Holy Family of Nazareth)

How is it that Jesus had such sublime words on Love? And where did he learn the language of love?

God wanted to have Family as an icon of himself, so that in the exercise of domestic virtues, soul would become an oasis of peace, and would turn into gift.

Among the many possible ways he had of coming, he has chosen the forge of the hearth, because it remains the true school of loving kindness, the place in which the Creator’s design is fully manifested.

The family is the primer and syllabary of love because it is the image of the Trinity. In fact, the relationship of love between spouses, sustained by faith and prayer becomes poetry that supports, and does flourish.

The family together in mutual submission receives the eye of God and thus overcomes each trial.

From the intensity of relationship – which is a sign of the supernatural - then tenderness comes, the smile of the soul and an anticipation of paradise here on earth.

Spousal love: image of the Trinity that doesn't close itself, nor become narrow-minded. So: the nuclear family becomes a springboard for mission, a gateway to a reality without fences and barricades, the universal Family.

Jesus did experience of motherly love, of a mother's heart beating for her son, for it's in the mother's heart that the sons can find rest.

This is the characteristic of the feminine genius, in the experience of gestation before, and then in the life. The mother makes room inside for growth within the womb, and then feeding, educating and supporting, by welcoming, maturing and respecting the identity of the other...

Christ experienced paternal love, more manly and demanding maybe, but able to care and protect. He experienced a model of hard work, attention, (ready suitcases always) and presence.

Like us, Jesus lived the right to receive love, but he also satisfied the love of his parents. Because even filial love strengthens the family and helps not to disflake it.

In short, it's in the family that Jesus lived the experience of all the nuances of love, in the arms of Mary, and on Joseph's side. This is the model that the liturgy proposes today so that we too draw from the perennial sources and do not become dangerous crock pots, emptied and wandering.

Here's the secret...

In the Holy Family of Nazareth there was no opposition or resistance to the Word of God. Their life was not easy, but in contrast to what is happening around and maybe even in our homes, in moments of crisis, difficulties and even misfortunes were not a reason for mutual estrangement and collapse.

On the contrary, obstacles became a stimulus to dialogue, for union, for service towards the weaker one and (at the moment) most in need of help.

The couple have always moved together, in agreement and with heart and mind turned to God in making their choices. They did so, not to cultivate a selfishness circle, but to live a warmth that overflows.

For the Christian, the Family is the core of society and cannot be devalued, but it should not be considered or lived as an idol. Even Jesus at one point distanced himself from certain environmental constraints and opened himself to horizons of wider scope.

He was born into a Family, to become a citizen of every land, because every child is a gift from God to all humanity. Restricting the prospects and pleasing oneself to a small world of affections and interests that ignore universal fraternity means demeaning what remains a simple stage in a growth, to leap towards other destinations.

The Family is yes a small domestic Church wanted by God as a syllabary of the many nuances of love [sponsal, maternal, paternal, filial] but like ‘ferment’.

As a solid platform it must then allow us to boldly take flight, with a leap towards life.

(Homily to the young people of Taizé, Rome, December 30, 2012)

[St  Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (December 28, 2025)]

Mt 2:13-15,19-23 (13-23)

The dreams narrated by Matthew consist solely of the words of the Lord, which ask only to be actively accepted (Mt 1:20; 2:12-13, 19-22).

The evangelist addresses the communities of Galilee and Syria, which included Jewish Christians persecuted by the Synagogue, encouraging and inviting them to open their hearts to the Faith.

For this reason, in the stories of Jesus' childhood, he introduces the figure of a Family that believes in God's dreams, which are very different from the terrifying cunning of men and religions.

In the Gospels, the secret of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is precisely their renunciation of common opinions - of the normal plans of their surroundings - and their decision to make the Father's plan their own.

Our focolares too can discover the Lord's plan, both in external events and in intimate listening - moving forward together.

Thus, once again, Matthew invites us to reflect on the profound meaning of the coming of the Kingdom of God.

The cruelty of Herod - an exasperated egocentric - became proverbial even in Rome.

In his final years, absurdly withdrawn into a restless adherence to himself, he had three of his sons killed and issued a decree [not carried out due to his death] ordering the elimination of the most influential among the Jews - both to gradually eliminate the (perceived) pretenders to the throne and to quell dissent in the territory.

In the Gospel passage, the king is an icon of the will to power that kills those who recall the spirit of Christ's childhood: the Son of God placed his being in the Father's Mission.

[Such decentralised humility saves us not only in the order of grace, but also in that of human balance].

Matthew wrote his Gospel in response to the situation the Church was experiencing at a very critical moment.

After the year 70, the only groups that survived the destruction of Judaism were the Messianic Christians and the Pharisees - both convinced that armed struggle against the Roman Empire had nothing to do with the fulfilment of the Promises.

Not many years after the disaster in Jerusalem, the Pharisee sect, now deprived of its place of worship - the centre of national identity - began to organise itself in order to centralise the government of the synagogues.

Accused of betraying their particular culture and customs, the Judaizers who recognised Jesus as the Son of God were eventually expelled from the synagogues themselves.

The growing opposition and then the explicit separation from the people of the Covenant exacerbated the confusion of the faithful and the problem of the very identity of the first assemblies of Faith, groups that were clearly suffering.

Matthew encourages them to avoid defections, supporting those who had received the harsh excommunication from the leaders of popular religiosity, who until then had been admired for their marked devotion and held in high esteem.

To help overcome the trauma, the Good News addressed to converts of Jewish origin sought to reveal Jesus as the true fulfilment of the Prophecies and the authentic Messiah - in the figure of the new Moses who fulfils the promises of liberation.

Like him, persecuted, he had to move and flee incessantly (cf. Ex 4:19).

According to a widespread belief in Judaism, the time of the Lord's Anointed One would bring back the time of Moses.

But the ancient leader of 'the Mountain' had imposed a relationship between God and the people based on the banal obedience to a Law.

The genuine and transparent Son, on the other hand, now offers his brothers and sisters in Faith a creative relationship of bliss and communion based on Similarity.

This relationship is called to surpass the ancient justice of the Pharisees (Mt 5:20).

So, let us not fear - even for ourselves - the harassment that is simply to be expected.

Rather, let us see it as an opportunity to bear witness to love and strong involvement in the very story of the Master - reinterpreted in the first person.

Here, too, is indicated a new path of seeking the Light or Star that guides our steps.

Everything like the Magi - foreigners, yet authentic worshippers of the Lord.

They knew how to avoid the vigilance of the sovereign - so they found their own dwelling place, deviating from the planned route.

Like the Envoy of God par excellence who experienced the same fate as his people, the churches of all times can live in Him an identical story of Exodus.

An unprecedented journey, a hotbed of exploration and change of mentality; of consolation and more vivid hopes - with inexorable contrasts.

Christ is the hidden and persecuted Messiah, founder of a new, humble and fraternal People. The seed of an alternative society to the ruthless one in the field.

The crowning of the hopes of all men.

The rejection of the Lord's Way itself casts a dark atmosphere: it becomes the preservation of the beastly.

Rejection of humanisation... whose cure lies in the trust of the 'little ones', in the youthful and 'childish' audacity that knows no impossibility.

The innocent children of that extermination are figures of the children of God of every century, as 'peers' of Jesus, capable of re-actualising his spontaneous time - contrary to violence and death.

They are the persecuted and killed because of the paradoxical subversive force of their tender Faith as tiny and sincere beings who allow themselves to be saved and do not care about roles.

The opposite of the servile and flattering, devoured by calculation; always ready to defer to the ferocious holders of power. Intimidated by the possibility that a soft and frail form of life could destabilise their positions.

But in the event of serious oppression, even the energy of sadness that runs through painful events (vv. 17-18) will make us rediscover what really matters.

This will allow us to be reborn (in tears, in darkness), separating us too from that kind of character.

In Matthew's theology, Jesus is the 'firstborn son' who supplants the chosen people [here, the people that God went to fetch in Egypt].

The eminent Son re-proposes the Exodus of his people: in Him, the ancient story - including that of the sons of Jacob - is revived for a renewed and now unpostponable Liberation.

Involved in all the trials and tribulations, the Lord wants to walk together with us on the path towards our emancipation.

He is the fullness of the Holy Scriptures: the complete culmination of the Law and the Prophets.

In fact, in the Gospel passage, references to Christ as the new Moses are clear: he escaped the massacre and fled his own land.

In short, the evangelist wants to emphasise that with Jesus, the authentic Exodus towards fulfilment began - where milk and honey flow [cf. Ex 3:5-8], that is, where God Himself is present.

The Promised Land is not a physical place - coveted and renowned as that reserved for the priestly class, with sacred enclosures or courtyards (vv. 22-23).

Its appeal is extended even to pagans!

In Matthew's Gospel, this is evident from the outset (genealogy) and from the first to pay homage to the newborn; from the persecutions, the flights, the 'clandestine' return (v. 23).

The Kingdom of God begins - not by chance - in Nazareth: a place of people still considered cavemen; from a landless family, exposed and defenceless - but not degenerate...

This is why it sets us free.

From childhood, Jesus participates in the perilous events of his people.

According to the ancient mentality, all this means that He is united with the fate of the People of God throughout his life.

Here, Egypt is an icon both of a land of refuge and of a land from which to leave again - to establish a different reality of innocent mothers and fathers.

A small flock; a remnant of Israel, with which Christ identified himself.

As in the story of Moses, the opposing forces are overwhelming, yet they cannot destroy the energies of genuine Life, which will triumph over the powers of death.

To internalise and live the message:

In realising yourself in Christ, how have you broken down the prison of common thinking, of power, and of its fears?

How has the example of the ecclesial family helped you?

The reflective aspect of the House of Nazareth

The house of Nazareth is the school where we began to understand the life of Jesus, that is, the school of the Gospel. Here we learn to observe, to listen, to meditate, to penetrate the profound and mysterious meaning of this manifestation of the Son of God, so simple, humble and beautiful. Perhaps we also learn, almost without realising it, to imitate. Here we learn the method that will allow us to know who Christ is. Here we discover the need to observe the picture of his stay among us: that is, the places, times, customs, language, sacred rites, in short, everything that Jesus used to manifest himself to the world. Here everything has a voice, everything has a meaning. Here, in this school, we certainly understand why we must maintain spiritual discipline if we want to follow the doctrine of the Gospel and become disciples of Christ. Oh! How willingly we would like to return as children and enrol in this humble and sublime school of Nazareth! How ardently we would like to start again, close to Mary, to learn the true science of life and the superior wisdom of divine truths! But we are only passing through, and we must set aside our desire to continue learning, in this house, the never-ending formation of the intelligence of the Gospel. However, we will not leave this place without having gathered, almost furtively, some brief admonitions from the house of Nazareth.
First of all, it teaches us silence. Oh! If only the esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable atmosphere of the spirit, were reborn in us, while we are stunned by so much noise, clamour and loud voices in the agitated and tumultuous life of our time. Oh! Silence of Nazareth, teach us to be steadfast in good thoughts, intent on the inner life, ready to hear well the secret inspirations of God and the exhortations of true teachers. Teach us how important and necessary are the work of preparation, study, meditation, the interiority of life, prayer, which God alone sees in secret. Here we understand the way of family life. May Nazareth remind us what family is, what the communion of love is, its austere and simple beauty, its sacred and inviolable character; may it show us how sweet and irreplaceable education in the family is, may it teach us its natural function in the social order. Finally, let us learn the lesson of work. O dwelling place of Nazareth, home of the carpenter's Son! Here above all we wish to understand and celebrate the law, severe certainly but redemptive of human toil; here to ennoble the dignity of work so that it may be felt by all; to remember under this roof that work cannot be an end in itself, but that it receives its freedom and excellence not only from what is called economic value, but also from what turns it to its noble end; here, finally, we wish to greet the workers of the whole world and show them the great model, their divine brother, the prophet of all the just causes that concern them, namely Christ our Lord.

[Pope Paul VI, Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth, 5 January 1964]

Dear brothers and sisters […] we are joyfully celebrating the Holy Family of Nazareth. It is a most suitable context because Christmas is the Feast of the family par excellence. This is demonstrated by numerous traditions and social customs, especially the practice of gathering together as a family for festive meals and for greetings and the exchange of gifts; and how can the hardship and suffering caused by certain family wounds which on these occasions are amplified go unnoticed? Jesus willed to be born and to grow up in a human family; he had the Virgin Mary as his mother and Joseph who acted as his father; they raised and educated him with immense love. Jesus' family truly deserves the title "Holy", for it was fully engaged in the desire to do the will of God, incarnate in the adorable presence of Jesus. On the one hand, it was a family like all others and as such, it is a model of conjugal love, collaboration, sacrifice and entrustment to divine Providence, hard work and solidarity in short, of all those values that the family safeguards and promotes, making an important contribution to forming the fabric of every society. At the same time, however, the Family of Nazareth was unique, different from all other families because of its singular vocation linked to the mission of the Son of God. With precisely this uniqueness it points out to every family and in the first place to Christian families God's horizon, the sweet and demanding primacy of his will, the prospect of Heaven to which we are all destined. For all this, today we thank God, but also the Virgin Mary and St Joseph, who with much faith and willingness cooperated in the Lord's plan of salvation.

(Pope Benedict, Angelus, 28 December 2008)

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

1. […] Church is celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family. 

As at the crib, in a glance of faith we embrace together the divine Child and the persons beside him: his most holy Mother and Joseph, his putative father. What light shines from this Christmas “group icon”! A light of mercy and salvation for the whole world, a light of truth for every person, for the human family and for individual families. How lovely it is for spouses to be reflected in the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph! How comforting for parents, especially if they have a small baby! How enlightening for engaged couples, struggling with their plans for life! 

To gather round the Bethlehem grotto contemplating there the Holy Family, enables us to appreciate the gift of family intimacy in a special way, and spurs us to offer human warmth and concrete solidarity in those unfortunately numerous situations which, for various reasons, lack peace, harmony, in a word, lack “family”. 

2. The message that comes from the Holy Family is first of all a message of faith: the family of Nazareth is a home which truly centres on God. For Mary and Joseph, this choice of faith becomes concrete in their service to the Son of God entrusted to their care, but it is also expressed in their mutual love, rich in spiritual tenderness and fidelity. 

With their life, they teach that marriage is a covenant between man and woman, a covenant that involves reciprocal fidelity and rests upon their common trust in God. Such a noble, profound and definitive covenant, as to constitute for believers the sacrament of love of Christ and of the Church. The spouses’ fidelity stands like a solid rock on which the children’s trust rests. 

When parents and children together breathe this atmosphere of faith they have a ready energy that enables them to face even difficult trials, as the Holy Family’s experience shows. 

3. […] I commend to Mary “Queen of the family” all the world’s families, especial- ly those that are encountering serious difficulties, and I invoke her motherly protection upon them.

(Pope John Paul II, Angelus, 29 December 1996)

A few days after Christmas, the liturgy invites us to turn our eyes to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It is good to reflect on the fact that the Son of God wanted to be in need of the warmth of a family, like all children. Precisely for this reason, because it is Jesus’ family, the family of Nazareth is the model family, in which all families of the world can find their sure point of reference and sure inspiration. In Nazareth, the springtime of the human life of the Son of God began to blossom at the moment he was conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit in the virginal womb of Mary. Within the welcoming walls of the House of Nazareth, Jesus’ childhood unfolded in joy, surrounded by the maternal attention of Mary and the care of Joseph, in whom Jesus was able to see God’s tenderness (cf. Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2).

In imitation of the Holy Family, we are called to rediscover the educational value of the family unit: it requires being founded on the love that always regenerates relationships, opening up horizons of hope. Within the family one can experience sincere communion when it is a house of prayer, when affections are serious, profound, pure, when forgiveness prevails over discord, when the daily harshness of life is softened by mutual tenderness and serene adherence to God’s will. In this way, the family opens itself up to the joy that God gives to all those who know how to give joyfully. At the same time, it finds the spiritual energy to be open to the outside world, to others, to  serving brothers and sisters, to cooperation in building an ever new and better world; capable, therefore, of becoming a bearer of positive stimuli; the family evangelizes by the example of life. It is true that  there are problems, and at times arguments in every family. “Father, I  argued...”. But we are human, we are weak, and we all quarrel within the family at times. I will tell you something: if you quarrel within the family, do not end the day without making peace. “Yes, I quarrelled”, but before the end of the day, make peace. And do you know why? Because a cold war, day after day, is extremely dangerous. It does not help. And then, in the family there are three words, three phrases that must always be held dear: “Excuse me”, “Thank you”, and “Sorry”. “Excuse me”, so as not to be intrusive in the life of others. “Excuse me: may I do something? Do you think I can do this? Excuse me”. Always, not being intrusive. “Excuse me”, the first phrase. “Thank you”: so much help, so much service that we do for one another within the family. Always say thank you. Gratitude is the lifeblood of the noble soul. “Thank you”. And then, the hardest one to say: “I am sorry”. Because we always do some bad things and  often someone is offended by this: “I am sorry”, “I am sorry”. Do not forget the three phrases: “excuse me”, “thank you”, and “I am sorry”. If there are these three phrases in a family, in a family environment, then the family is fine.

Today’s feast reminds us of the example of evangelizing with the family, proposing to us once again the ideal of conjugal and family love, as underlined in the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia, promulgated five years ago this coming 19 March. And there will be a year of reflection on Amoris laetitia and it will be an opportunity to focus more closely on the contents of the document [19 March 2021-June 2022]. These reflections will be made available to ecclesial communities and families, to accompany them on their journey. As of now, I invite everyone to take part in the initiatives that will be promoted throughout the Year and that will be coordinated by the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life. Let us entrust this journey with the families of the whole world to the Holy Family of Nazareth, in particular to Saint Joseph, attentive spouse and father.

May the Virgin Mary, whom we now address with the Angelus prayer, grant that families throughout the world be increasingly fascinated by the evangelical ideal of the Holy Family, so as to become leaven of a new humanity and of a concrete and universal solidarity.

[Pope Francis, Angelus, 27 December 2020]

IV Sunday in Advent (year A)  [21 December 2025]

May God bless us and the Virgin protect us! As we approach Christmas, the Word of God reminds us of the Lord's faithfulness even when the unfaithfulness of his people might weary him (first reading). The Gospel introduces us to Saint Joseph, the man who silently accepts and fulfils his mission as father of the Son of God. 

*First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (7:10-14)

It is around 735 BC. The kingdom of David has been divided into two states for two centuries: Samaria in the north and Jerusalem in the south, where Ahaz, a young king of twenty, reigns. The political situation is dramatic: the Assyrian empire, with its capital at Nineveh, dominates the region; the kings of Damascus and Samaria, already defeated by the Assyrians, now rebel and besiege Jerusalem to replace Ahaz with an allied ruler. The king panics: 'the heart of the king and the heart of the people were agitated like the trees of the forest by the wind' (Isaiah 7:2). The prophet Isaiah invites him to calm down and have faith: God has promised to keep David's dynasty alive; stability depends on trust in the Lord: if you do not believe, you will not remain steadfast. But Ahaz does not listen: he turns to idols and goes so far as to commit an atrocious act forbidden by the prophets, sacrificing his only son by passing him through the fire (cf. 2 Kings 16:3). He then decides to ask Assyria for help, a choice that entails the loss of political and religious independence. Isaiah strongly opposes this: it is a betrayal of the Covenant and of the liberation that began with Moses. In this context, Isaiah offers a sign: "Ask for a sign from the Lord your God." Ahaz responds hypocritically, pretending humility by not asking for it so as not to tempt the Lord, while he has already decided to entrust himself to Assyria. Isaiah replies rather harshly, saying not to weary 'my God', as if to indicate that Ahaz has now placed himself outside the Covenant. Despite the king's unfaithfulness, God remains faithful and, says Isaiah, 'the Lord himself will give you a sign': the young woman (the queen) is pregnant and the child will be called Immanuel, 'God with us'. This message from Isaiah is one of the classic texts of biblical messianism. Neither the enemies nor the king's sin can nullify the promise made by God to David. The child – probably the future king Hezekiah – will know how to choose good thanks to the Spirit of the Lord, and even before he grows up, the threat from Samaria and Damascus will disappear. In fact, shortly afterwards, the two kingdoms are destroyed by the Assyrians. Human freedom remains intact, and even Hezekiah will make mistakes; but Isaiah's prophecy affirms that nothing can prevent God's faithfulness to David's descendants. For this reason, throughout the centuries, Israel will wait for a king who will fully realise the name of Immanuel. The birth of the child is more than good news: it is an announcement of forgiveness. By sacrificing his son to the god Moloch, Ahaz compromised the promise made to David; but God does not withdraw his commitment. The birth of the new heir shows that God's faithfulness surpasses the unfaithfulness of men. The 'sign' thus takes on another encouraging messianic dimension, which we see more clearly in this Sunday's Gospel. 

Important elements to remember: +Historical context: 735 BC, divided kingdom, threats from Syria, Samaria and Assyria. +Ahaz's panic and Isaiah's invitation to faith. +Serious unfaithfulness of the king: idolatry and sacrifice of his son. +Wrong political choice: alliance with Assyria. +Isaiah's sign: birth of the child called Immanuel. +Immediate fulfilment: destruction of Syria and Samaria by Assyria. +Central theme: the unfaithfulness of men does not nullify God's faithfulness. +Birth as an announcement of forgiveness and continuity of the Davidic promise.

Responsorial Psalm (23/24, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6)

The psalm takes us to the temple in Jerusalem: a great procession arrives at the gates and two choirs dialogue, asking: 'Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?' The image recalls Isaiah, who describes the thrice-holy God as a consuming fire before which no one could 'stand' without his help. The people of Israel have discovered that this totally 'Other' God also becomes the totally 'near' God, allowing man to remain in his presence. The psalm's answer is: 'Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, who do not turn to idols'. This is not primarily a matter of moralism, because the people know that they are admitted before God by grace, not by their own merit. Here, 'pure heart' means an undivided heart, turned solely to the one God; 'innocent hands' are hands that have not offered sacrifices to idols. The expression 'does not turn/literally does not lift up his soul' indicates not turning to empty deities: 'lifting up one's eyes' in the Bible means invoking, praying, recognising someone as God. This verse recalls the prophets' great struggle against idolatry. Isaiah had already opposed Ahaz in the eighth century; and even during the Exile in Babylon, the people - immersed in a polytheistic culture - were tempted to return to idols. The psalm, sung after the Exile, reminds us that the first condition of the Covenant is to remain faithful to the one God. Seeking the face of God is an image taken from the language of the court: only those who are faithful to the King can be admitted into his presence. Idols are defined as 'empty gods': Psalm 115 masterfully describes their nullity – they have eyes, mouths, hands, but they do not see, speak or act. Unlike these statues, God is alive and truly works. Fidelity to the one God is therefore the condition for receiving the blessing promised to the fathers and for entering into his plan of salvation. This is why Jesus will say: 'No one can serve two masters' (Matthew 6:24).

This fidelity, however, does not remain abstract: it concretely transforms life. The pure heart becomes a heart of flesh capable of eliminating hatred and violence; innocent hands become hands incapable of doing evil. The psalm says: "He will obtain blessing from the Lord, justice from God his salvation": this means both conforming to God's plan and living in right relationship with others. Here we already glimpse the light of the Beatitudes: Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God... blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice. The expression 'lift up your eyes', expressed here as 'those who do not turn to idols' (v. 4), returns in Zechariah and in the Gospel of John: 'They will look on the one they have pierced' (Jn 19:37), a sign of a new encounter with God.

Important elements to remember: +Scene in the temple with the dialogue of the choirs. +God is thrice holy and at the same time close: he allows man to 'stand' before him. +'Pure heart' and 'innocent hands' as fidelity to the one God, not idolatry and the prophets' constant struggle against idolatry (Ahaz, Exile). +Idols as 'empty gods'; criticism of Psalm 115. +Fidelity to the one God as the first condition of the Covenant, which has as its ethical consequences a righteous life, a renewed heart, and non-violent hands. 

Second Reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Romans (1:1-7)

St Paul opens his letter to the Romans by summarising the whole Christian faith: the promises contained in the Scriptures, the mystery of Christ, his birth and resurrection, the free election of the holy people and the mission of the Apostles to the pagan nations. Writing to a community he has not yet met, Paul introduces himself with two titles: 'servant of Jesus Christ and apostle by calling', that is, sent, one who acts by mandate. He immediately attributes to Jesus the title of Christ, which means Messiah: to say 'Jesus Christ' is to profess that Jesus of Nazareth is the expected Messiah. Paul claims to have been 'chosen to proclaim the Gospel of God', the Good News: proclaiming the Gospel means proclaiming that God's plan is totally benevolent and that this plan is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This Good News, says Paul, had already been promised in the prophets. Without the Old Testament, one cannot understand the New Testament because God's plan is unique, revealed progressively throughout history. The Resurrection of Christ is the centre of history, the heart of the divine plan from the beginning, as Paul also recalls in his letter to the Ephesians, where he speaks of God's will to recapitulate all things in Christ (Eph 1:9-10). 'According to the flesh': Jesus is a descendant of David, therefore a true man and Messiah. "According to the Spirit": Jesus is constituted Son of God "with power" through his Resurrection, and in the Resurrection God enthrones him as King of the new humanity. For Paul, this is the event that changes history because "if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is futile" (cf. 1 Cor 15:14). For this reason, he proclaims the Resurrection everywhere, so that "the name of Jesus Christ may be recognised", as he also writes in his letter to the Philippians (2:9-11), God has given him the Name above every other name, that of "Lord". Paul feels that his apostolic mission is "to bring about the obedience of faith in all peoples". "Obedience" is not servility, but trusting listening: it is the attitude of the child who trusts in the Father's love and welcomes his Word. Paul concludes with his typical greeting: 'Grace to you and peace from God', which is expressed in the priestly blessing in the Book of Numbers: grace and peace always come from God, but it is up to man to accept them freely.

Most important elements to remember: +Summary of the Christian faith: the promises are fulfilled in Christ, in the Resurrection, election and mission. +Paul's titles are servant and apostle, while the title 'Christ' is 'Messiah', which is a profession of faith. +The Gospel is God's merciful plan fulfilled in Christ. +Unity between the Old and New Testaments and Christ in his identity 'according to the flesh' and 'according to the Spirit': he is at the centre of God's plan from the beginning. +The Resurrection is the decisive event, and 'obedience of faith' is trusting listening. +Final blessing: grace and peace, in human freedom.

From the Gospel according to Matthew (1:18-24) 

Matthew opens his Gospel with the expression: "Genealogy of Jesus Christ", that is, the book of the genesis of Jesus Christ, and presents a long genealogy that demonstrates Joseph's Davidic descent. Following the formula "A begot B", Matthew arrives at Joseph, but breaks with the pattern: he cannot say "Joseph begot Jesus"; instead, the evangelist writes: "Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ" (Mt 1:16). This formula shows that the genealogy undergoes a change: for Jesus to be included in the line of David, his birth is not enough; Joseph must adopt him. The Son of God, in a certain sense, entrusts himself to the freedom of a man: the divine plan depends on Joseph's 'yes'. We are familiar with the Annunciation to Mary in Luke's Gospel, which is widely represented in art. Much less represented, however, is the Annunciation to Joseph, even though it is decisive: the human story of Jesus begins thanks to the free acceptance of a righteous man. The angel calls Joseph 'son of David' and reveals to him the mystery of Jesus' sonship: conceived by the Holy Spirit, yet recognised as his son. 'Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife' means that Jesus will enter Joseph's house, and it will be he who will give him his name. Matthew also explains the meaning of the name Jesus: it means 'The Lord saves'. His mission is not only to free Israel from human power, but to save his people from sin. In Jewish tradition, the expectation of the Messiah included a total renewal: new creation, justice and peace. Matthew sees all this encapsulated in the name of Jesus. The text specifies: 'the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit'. There are two accounts of the virgin birth: this one by Matthew (Annunciation to Joseph) and the one by Luke (Annunciation to Mary). The Church professes this truth as an article of faith: Jesus is both true man, born of a woman, included in the lineage of David thanks to Joseph's free choice; and true Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit. Matthew links all this to Isaiah's prophecy: "The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means 'God-with-us'". The Greek translation of Isaiah (Septuagint), which Matthew quotes, uses the term 'virgin' (parthenos), while the Hebrew text uses almah, which means 'young woman' who is not yet married: even the ancient translation reflected the belief that the Messiah would be born of a virgin. Matthew insists: the child will be called Jesus (the Lord saves), but the prophet calls him Emmanuel (God-with-us). This is not a contradiction: at the end of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus will say, 'I am with you always, even unto the end of the world' (Mt 28:20). His name and his mission coincide: to save means to be with man, to accompany him, never to abandon him. Joseph believed and welcomed the presence of God. As Elizabeth said to Mary, 'Blessed is she who believed' (Lk 1:45), so we can say, 'Blessed is Joseph who believed: thanks to him, God was able to fulfil his plan of salvation'. Matthew uses the word "genesis" twice (Mt 1:1, 18), as in the book of Genesis when speaking of the descendants of Adam. This suggests that the entire history of humanity is recapitulated in Jesus: he is the New Adam, as St Paul will say.

Most important elements to remember: Break in the genealogy: Jesus is not "begotten" by Joseph but through adoption fulfils the plan of salvation. Joseph's freedom is fundamental in the fulfilment of God's plan. Title "son of David" and Joseph's legal role. Name of Jesus = "The Lord saves" mission of salvation from sins. +Virgin conception: mystery of faith, true man and true Son of God. +Quotation from Isaiah 7:14 according to the Greek translation ("virgin"). +Jesus and Emmanuel: salvation as the constant presence of God. +Parallel with Elizabeth's beatitude: Joseph's faith. +Jesus as the "New Adam" according to the reference to "Genesis".

Commentary by St Augustine, Sermon 51, on the Incarnation

"Joseph was greater in silence than many in speech: he believed the angel, accepted the mystery, protected what he did not fully understand. In him we see how faith does not consist in understanding everything, but in trusting God who works in secret." Augustine thus emphasises Joseph's unique role: his faith is trusting obedience; he welcomes Christ without possessing him; he becomes the guardian of the mystery that saves the world.

+Giovanni D'Ercole