The Feast of the Holy Family

Sunday, December 26, 2021

The readings for the Feast of the Holy Family for Year C focus on consecration, holiness, and sacred spaces. In the first reading (Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14) we hear about honoring our fathers. The alternate first reading (1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28) tells of how Samuel was dedicated to the Lord by his mother Hannah. The psalm (Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5) speaks of family as a blessing. The alternate psalm (Psalm 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10) speaks of the beauty of God’s dwelling place. In the second reading (Colossians 3:12-21) we hear that love is the perfect bond. The alternate second reading (1 John 3:1-2, 21-24) we are told that we are children of God. The gospel (Luke 2:41-52) the story when the Holy Family went to Jerusalem and Jesus was lost and then found at the temple, which he called his “Father’s house”.

This is a good time to think about our own sacred spaces – our church, our prayer space at home, and even the earth. Here are some ideas:

Sunday Mass – A Gift Or An Obligation?

Is getting your family to Sunday mass a chore or a gift? Do the teens in your life resist joining you in the pew every Sunday?

Start a Prayer Journal

Lent is a time when we explore ways to deepen our prayer lives. A prayer journal is a good way to stay focused during prayer. I find this an especially helpful practice for teens who are trying to develop a deeper prayer life. But it is appropriate for all ages. #prayer

Family Circle Game

Family Circle is a game which works well as an icebreaker or for a lesson about relationships. It also makes sense for a meeting about human dignity. We are all members of God's family.

Let the Peace of Christ Control Your Hearts

And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.

Why Were You Looking for Me?

When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”