In the Feast of the Holy Family, Leo XIV recalls “the disturbing shadow” of Herod, which falls over “the radiant picture of Christmas,” obliging Joseph to take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, where “the flame of domestic love grows, to which the Lord has entrusted his presence in the world and gains strength to bring the light to the whole world.”
Faced with this mystery, the Pope asks Catholic families to illuminate the societies in which they live and be “light of hope, school of love and instrument of salvation.” And to distance themselves from the “mirages” of the Herods of the moment with “their myths of success at any price, of power without scruples, of empty and superficial well-being, and often suffers the consequences with loneliness, despair, with divisions and conflicts.” And Prevost concludes by asking for the blessing of our families and all families in the world.
After the Angelus and Christmas greetings, the Pope asked for peace in the world and, above all, for children, the elderly and vulnerable people who suffer as a result of wars.
Full text of the catechesis by the Pope
Dear brothers and sisters: Happy Sunday!
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family and the liturgy proposes to us the account of the “flight into Egypt” (cf. Mt 2,13-15.19-23).
It is a time of trial for Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Over the radiant picture of Christmas, the disturbing shadow of a mortal threat is projected, almost impromptu, which has its origin in the tormented life of Herod, a cruel and bloodthirsty man, feared for his cruelty, but precisely because of this deeply alone and obsessed by the fear of being dethroned. When he learns from the wise men that a “king of the Jews” (cf. Mt 2:2) has been born, feeling threatened in his power, he decrees the death of all the children of the age of Jesus.
In his kingdom, God is accomplishing the greatest miracle in history, in which all the ancient promises of salvation are fulfilled, but he is unable to see it, blinded by the fear of losing the throne, his riches, his privileges. In Bethlehem there is light, there is joy; some shepherds have received the heavenly announcement and before the manger they have glorified God (cf. Lc 2,8-20), but nothing of this manages to penetrate the armored defenses of the royal palace, except as a distorted echo of a threat that must be stifled with blind violence.
However, precisely this hardness of heart highlights even more the value of the presence and mission of the Holy Family, who, in the despotic and covetous world that the tyrant represents, is the nest and cradle of the only possible answer of salvation: that of God who, with total gratuity, gives himself to men without reserve and without pretension. And the gesture of Joseph, who obediently to the voice of the Lord, safely carries his wife and child, manifests itself here in all its redemptive meaning. Indeed, in Egypt the flame of domestic love to which the Lord has entrusted his presence in the world grows stronger and gains strength to carry the light to the whole world.
While we contemplate with wonder and gratitude this mystery, let us think of our families and of the light that they too can bring to the society in which we live. Unfortunately, the world always has its “Herods,” its myths of success at any price, of unscrupulous power, of empty and superficial well-being, and often suffers the consequences with loneliness, despair, with divisions and conflicts. Let us not allow these illusions to smother the flame of love in Christian families.
On the contrary, let us protect within them the values of the Gospel: prayer, frequent recourse to the sacraments —especially confession and communion—, healthy affections, sincere dialogue, fidelity, the simple and beautiful realism of good words and gestures every day. This will make them a light of hope for the environments in which we live, a school of love and an instrument of salvation in the hands of God (cf. FRANCIS, Homily at Mass for the Xth World Meeting of Families, 25 June 2022).
Let us then ask the Father of Heaven, through the intercession of Mary and Saint Joseph, to bless our families and all families of the world, so that, following the model of the family of his Son made man, they may be for everyone a sure sign of his presence and of his endless love.
José Manuel Vidal
Religion Digital
English version translated with AI