On this first Sunday after the Nativity of the Lord, which is called the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the gospel tells of an angel who again appears to Joseph in a dream and warns him to take Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt to escape from King Herod who ordered the baby Jesus killed.  Joseph does as the angel warns him, and he and his wife and child flee to Egypt under the cover of darkness, remaining there until the threat of Herod is over due to his death.

The angel then tells Joseph to return to Israel and once enroute, Joseph hears that Herod’s son, Archelaus, has been enthroned and Joseph again worries that he too may pose a threat to his new born son, so instead Joseph takes Mary and Jesus to the region of Galilee, to the town of Nazareth. Remember what the prophets foretold of Jesus, “He shall be called a Nazorean.”

All this is to remind us that God has a plan for everyone—from the Holy Family to your family,  including you—and that we must reflect on the meaning of family from the perspective of the Gospel. In this Matthean Gospel, we hear that the Holy Family faced grave challenges. This is the common bond among all families—every family, from the holy ones to the not-so-holy-ones face challenges: challenges in  marriage, with children and elderly parents, challenges in the economy, challenges in faith lived out in the midst of busy sports schedules and vacations, to challenges in politics, culture and in intra-familial  squabbles, in sicknesses and more. We are all the same, in many ways. I see this in my priesthood, no  matter which home I am called to, big or small, fancy or not, whole or broken, our human conditions are very similar.

Yet, in today’s gospel message, there is something unique about the Holy Family and how they “handled” their challenges. You see, the Holy Family in Matthew’s gospel used the gifts of faith, obedience, and love as their “launch pad” for their concern of one another. Their perspective on the world is viewed by deep faith, unconditional love and faithful obedience to God; they understand that He has a plan for them, and that He will see His Plan to fruition—to the end, and for the excellence of Jesus, Mary and  Joseph.

How do we all face the challenges of family life? Is it with the belief that “I can handle it, I don’t need anyone’s help, after all, I am in charge of my life? Or, do I believe that me and my family are part of God’s Plan? Do I believe—like the prayer we pray at the end of every Mass, our priesthood vocation prayer, that “God, You have created us for a definite purpose…” Let us move forward this New Year with deep faith, unconditional love and faithful obedience to God, that we Trust in His Plan for us and our families, and we believe that He shall see our lives out to their natural end, and that it shall be for our eternal  excellence. May we see the Holy Family’s Trust and Love as an example for us to imitate in the midst of all our challenges of life—the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is after all, for our Eternal Good.