Happy Feast of the Holy Family! Happy New Year 2026!
Happy Feast of the Holy Family! Happy New Year 2026!
Happy Feast of the Holy Family! Happy New Year 2026!
Young people announce their engagement and begin wedding preparations. They are excited, but they also have questions and concerns about the future. What makes a man a real man, what makes a woman a real woman? And we can add, what makes a child a real child? The answers are found in the Holy Family.
The mission of Mary and Joseph was to bring to the world. It was not an easy journey for them. They had lots of unknown factors in their lives. We read in the Gospel that the angel told Joseph in a dream to take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you (Matthew 2:13). Consider the time of their betrothal. Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but they didn’t live together. According to their custom, after the betrothal, they are legally married. They didn’t live together until the wedding ceremony, which could be a year later. When Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant, he struggled to accept Mary as his wife. Mary and Joseph followed God's will. Joseph took Mary as his wife, and at the birth of Jesus, a holy family was founded.
In the first reading, Ben Sirach reminds us of the Fourth Commandment, “Honor your father and mother.” In the book of Exodus 20:12, we read, “Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” Ben Sirach reminds us that those who honor their parents will gain riches and long life. In the second reading from Colossians, St. Paul speaks about virtues in life. He describes a family code.
In today’s Gospel (Matthew 2:13-15,19-23), Joseph leads the family to Egypt as the angel warned him. It reminds us of the Old Testament Exodus. Hosea (11:1-2) dates the real beginning of Israel from the time of the exodus. It applies to the return of Jesus from Egypt (Mt 2:15). Jesus is the new Moses who came to lead his people from bondage and oppression to light. The Holy Family lived in Egypt as refugees, where their forefathers were slaves. After the death of Herod, again the angel told them to go back home. Joseph had his concerns, but he followed the angel's direction.
God works miracles through families – young and old. Abraham and Sarah, Zachariah and Elizabeth were faithful for many years. God’s promises were fulfilled in their old age. Mary was chosen at a young age to become the mother of God, and Joseph was selected to be her husband. On this feast of the Holy Family, let us take a moment to reflect on our families. God brought miracles into our lives and our families.
Happy New Year! January 1st, we embrace the New Year 2026, and celebrate the solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. The Feast of Mary is a very appropriate way to begin a new year, reminding us to rely on the powerful intercession of our heavenly mother. The church also observes this day as the World Day of Peace and invites us to pray for lasting peace throughout the New Year. Let us pray that the Lord Jesus and his mother Mary may enrich our lives during the New Year with an abundance of God’s blessings. 2025 is gone, and 2026 is born! Every birth is filled with possibilities.
Let us take the passage from the book of Numbers and bless each other in the New Year 2026!
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!
Blessed New Year 2026 and Happy Feast of Mary, Holy Mother of God!
Thank you! I want to express my gratitude to cluster parishioners, councils and committees, organizations, cluster parish staff, deacons, musicians, volunteers, and well-wishers who participated in different ministries. Thank you!