Gospel Reading: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
Take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt.
When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’
When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He shall be called a Nazorean.’
Saints’ Words:
Happiness is to be found only in the home and in the family circle where God is loved and honored, and everyone loves and helps and cares for the other.
--Theophane Venard, letter to his brothers, 1851
Prayer:
God almighty, give to the manhood a fuller understanding of the dignity and responsibility of their calling. Make them careful providers, gentle protectors, and shining examples of Christian virtue in their homes. Give to the women a true realization of the dignity and purpose of motherhood. Let the beautiful example of Your most holy Mother inspire them with a deep loyalty and constant devotion to their homes. May the life of Your Divine Son inspire a spirit of love, respect, and obedience in the souls of our children. Grant that fathers, mothers, and children may in their souls have charity, which is the bond of perfection. May the peace of Christ reign in our hearts and homes, so that, instructed by the example of Your Holy Family, we may be received by You into our eternal home, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
