FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY A
DREAM FOR THE FAMILY
MT 2: 13-15, 19-23
MESSAGE
It is remarkable that on this wonderful feast of the Holy Family, we see how this family, through St. Joseph, was guided and directed by a dream, in fact, three dreams. The first dream was the dream to protect the family from harm. St. Joseph took the Blessed Virgin Mary with the newborn Child Jesus to Egypt to protect them from the dangers of Herod’s lunacy. Hidden far-away in Egypt, the Holy Family grew in love and security.
The second dream was to firmly establish the family in their motherland. St. Joseph took his wife and the Holy Child back to Israel so they feel connected, accepted, and rooted in a history, a kinship, and relationships with God and others.
But there was a third dream, that pushed them to take an unplanned route. Instead of Judea, St. Joseph took his family to Nazareth, an unknown town, a sleepy destination, and yet the would-be setting of the silent growth and development of the Messiah, the Son of God that Israel and the whole world awaited. In Nazareth, the Holy Family grew in faith, hope and love. They grew in simplicity, neighborliness, and self-reliance. In the simplest of surroundings, the Gospel was prepared to be proclaimed to the whole world. The Holy Family, like us, also dreamt, and they followed God’s dreams in their lives.
REFLECT
What dreams do you have for your family? Let your dreams be guided by the Holy Spirit and they will be fulfilled in God’s time. Or have you stopped dreaming for your family? Do not be discouraged and dream again, hope again, pray again that the blessings of God will restore your family to unity and love.
