FEAST
OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH
ANGELUS
POPE FRANCIS
Saint
Peter's Square
Sunday,
28 December 2014
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
On this first Sunday after Christmas,
while we are still immersed in the joyous climate of celebration, the Church
calls us to contemplate the Holy Family of Nazareth. The Gospel today presents
Our Lady and St Joseph at the time when, 40 days after Jesus’ birth, they go to
the temple in Jerusalem. They do so in religious obedience to the Law of Moses,
which requires that the first born son be presented to the Lord (cf. Lk
2:22-24).
We can imagine this tiny family, in the
midst of so many people, in the temple’s grand courtyards. They do not stand
out, they are not distinguishable.... Yet they do not pass unnoticed! Two
elderly people, Simeon and Anna, moved by the Holy Spirit, approach and praise
God for that Child, in whom they recognize the Messiah, the light of the people
and the salvation of Israel (cf. Lk 2:22-38). It is a simple moment but rich
with prophecy: the encounter between two young spouses full of joy and faith
due to the grace of the Lord; and two elderly people also filled with joy and
faith through the action of the Spirit. Who causes them to meet? Jesus. Jesus
makes them meet: young and old. Jesus is He who brings generations closer. He
is the font of that love which unites families and people, conquering all
diffidence, all isolation, all distance. This causes us to also think of
grandparents: how important their presence is, the presence of grandparents!
How precious their role is in the family and in society! A good relationship
between the young and the elderly is crucial for the journey of the civil and
ecclesial community. Looking at these two elderly people — Simeon and Anna —
let us greet from here, with applause, all the worlds’ grandparents.
The message that comes from the Holy
Family is first of all a message of faith. In the family life of Mary and
Joseph, God is truly at the centre, and He is so in the Person of Jesus. This
is why the Family of Nazareth is holy. Why? Because it is centred on Jesus.
When parents and children together breathe
in this climate of faith, they have an energy that allows them to face even
difficult trials, as the experience of the Holy Family shows, for example, in
the dramatic event of their flight to Egypt: a difficult ordeal.
The Baby Jesus with his Mother Mary and
with St Joseph are a simple but so luminous icon of the family. The light it
casts is the light of mercy and salvation for all the world, the light of truth
for every man, for the human family and for individual families. This light
which comes from the Holy Family encourages us to offer human warmth in those
family situations in which, for various reasons, peace is lacking, harmony is
lacking, and forgiveness is lacking. May our concrete solidarity not diminish
especially with regard to the families who are experiencing more difficult
situations due to illness, unemployment, discrimination, the need to
emigrate.... Let us pause here for a moment and pray in silence for all these
families in difficulty, whether due to problems of illness, unemployment,
discrimination, need to emigrate, due to difficulty in understanding each other
and also to disunion. Let us pray in silence for all these families....
(Hail Mary...).
Let us entrust to Mary, Queen and mother
of the family, all the families of the world, that they may live in faith, in
accord, in reciprocal aid, and for this I invoke upon them the maternal
protection of the One who was the mother and daughter of her Son.
© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Post a Comment