This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family at the regular Mass times, followed by the Feast of Mary, Mother of God, on New Year’s Eve at 6 p.m. and New Year’s Day at 9 a.m. We’ve already shared an explanation of Mary, Mother of God on The Net blog—today we want to focus on the importance of these feasts and their focus on family.
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is a great model for our own family life: loving, hardworking, and humble. That God entrusted His son—his very self!—to the loving care of a carpenter from Nazareth and his young bride should be a huge confidence boost to those of us who feel ill-equipped as parents at times. Reflect on what you know about the Holy Family. How can you model your family life on theirs?
Mary, of course, is more than a model of motherhood for faithful Catholics—she is our own spiritual mother, given to us by Jesus Himself, and the very image of faithful discipleship. Jesus gives her to us not just as a role-model, however, but as a powerful intercessor who, like any good mother, takes our humble gifts and elevates them, lets us know that we are loved, and guides us gently to our Father.
One final note: These two feasts lend themselves to family celebration and reflection, so consider not only coming to Mass, but planning a special meal or dessert at home; re-reading the Gospel stories of the Nativity (Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 1:18-25), the Presentation at the temple (Luke 2:22-40), and the finding of Jesus in the temple (Luke 2:41-52); discussing family hopes and dreams for the New Year; or even praying a family Angelus or Rosary.
And don’t forget: the Catholic calendar is chock full of feast days for various saints and events in the history of the Church. Take time each week to celebrate our Catholic faith!
For more on the Holy Family; Mary, Mother of God; and “normal” families like our own, see the links below.
Feast of the Holy Family
- Feast of the Holy Family (Crossroads Initiative article—también en Español)
- We Are a Pilgrim People (ArchangelStomp.com blog post)
- The Unpleasant Ancestors of Christmas (Fr. Mike Schmitz video)
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
- Mary, Mother of God? (Crossroads Initiative article—también en Español)
- Mary, Mother of God: Saint of the Day for January 1 (Franciscan Media audio/article)
- Reflection for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Aleteia article)