Jump to: Lens | Reflection Prompts | Weekly Practice
First Reading: Sirach 3 :2-6, 12-14
Psalm: 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5
Second Reading: Colossians 3:12-21 or 3:12-17
Gospel: Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23
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.
Anchor Verse
“Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel,
for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” – Matthew 2: 13
🔎 Lens: Holiness doesn’t exempt you from the hard parts
The Holy Family wasn’t holy because their life was easy. They were holy because they remained faithful when it got hard.
Matthew’s Gospel gives us no manger scene today. No shepherds. No peaceful tableau. Instead: a midnight escape. A terrified father waking his wife. A journey of over 1,200 miles on foot—fleeing a king who wanted their child dead.
Pope Francis, in his homily on the Holy Family, said it plainly: “Joseph, Mary and Jesus experienced the tragic fate of refugees, which is marked by fear, uncertainty and unease. Unfortunately, in our own time, millions of families can identify with this sad reality.”
The Holy Family became refugees. Displaced. Vulnerable. Far from home, in a foreign land, with no guarantee of safety or provision. This is the family the Church holds up as our model.
Not because they avoided suffering. Because they trusted God through it.
St. Paul, in today’s second reading, doesn’t give the Holy Family a pass on the hard work of family life. He tells the Colossians—and us—to “put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another” (Colossians 3:12-13).
Even the holiest families need compassion. Even Mary and Joseph had to bear with each other. Holiness doesn’t mean conflict-free. It means choosing love when it costs something.
Reflection Prompts
- Where in your family life right now are you waiting for things to “calm down” before you can be faithful? What if God is asking you to trust Him in the chaos, not after it?
- The Holy Family became refugees—displaced, vulnerable, far from home. Have you ever felt spiritually displaced? Where do you need God to meet you as “refuge” right now?
- Colossians says to “bear with one another and forgive one another.” Who in your family (immediate or extended) do you need to bear with this week? What would it look like to choose patience instead of withdrawal?
- Joseph acted on incomplete information. Where is God asking you to move forward even though you don’t have the whole picture? What’s one step you can take this week in trust?
Weekly Practice
At Mass
During the Gospel, pay attention to the phrase: “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee.”
Joseph didn’t get a five-year plan. He got a direction and a deadline.
When you hear those words, ask yourself: What is God asking me to do now—not eventually, but this week—that I’ve been postponing because I don’t have all the answers?
Don’t solve it during Mass. Just notice it.
After Mass
This week, pick one person in your household or family circle who consistently frustrates you.
Not to fix them. Not to have “the talk.” Just to practice what Colossians commands: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience.
Concrete examples:
- When they interrupt you, pause for three seconds before responding
- When they leave a mess, clean it without the commentary (internal or external)
- When they’re grumpy, don’t match their energy—stay steady
- When they forget something you asked for, remind them once without the edge in your voice
This isn’t about them changing. This is about you putting on the character of Christ in a relationship that costs you something.
If it feels hard, good. That’s the point. The Holy Family didn’t become holy by avoiding the hard parts. Neither will you.
If you’ve been walking with Tria Via for 8 weeks, consider pausing for this reflection.
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