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Living Liturgically: Creating a Domestic Church
Sunday after Christmas
THE FEAST OF
THE HOLY FAMILY
The feast of the Holy Family highlights the family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus as a holy unity blessed by God. Their domestic life is one sanctified by God's grace. And we are called to imitate them, in life and love, as families. Families are the bedrock of society, established by God Himself through the example of the first family of Adam and Eve.
This feast was proposed and established by Pope Leo XIII in 1893 as an optional celebration, and later was added officially to the Church's universal liturgical calendar by Pope Benedict XV in 1921. Both popes observed cultural, social, and political attacks on the concept of the family unity and wanted to emphasize how critical the family is to God's plan for humanity.
A family tradition...
Do a round of family validation, perhaps during a family meal. Tell each member of your family what you love about them, what gifts you see they have, and how you are grateful for them. Let every person participate in turn.
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