In the Angelus On the last Sunday of the year, the feast of the Holy Family, the Pontiff encouraged us to “in the light of the Lord's Christmas, continue to pray for peace. Today, in particular, let us pray for families suffering because of war,” and he encouraged us to entrust ourselves to “the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth.”.
A test for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
At the beginning, Pope Leo XIV referred to the Gospel episode of the “flight into Egypt” and the massacre of the Holy Innocents. “Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, and the liturgy offers us the story of the “flight into Egypt” (cf. Mt 2:13-15, 19-23),” he said.
“It is a moment of trial for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Over the resplendent picture of Christmas, the disturbing shadow of a mortal threat is cast, almost unexpectedly, originating in the tormented life of Herod, a cruel and bloodthirsty man, feared for his cruelty, but precisely because of this, deeply lonely and obsessed with the fear of being dethroned.”.
Death of children of Jesus' age
“When he learns from the magi that the ‘king of the Jews’ has been born (cf. Mt 2:2), feeling threatened in his power, decrees the death of all children of the age of Jesus.
In his kingdom, the Pope emphasized, “God is performing 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 his throne, his riches, his privileges.”.
This “hardness of heart further highlights the value of the presence and mission of the Holy Family, which, in the despotic and greedy world represented by the tyrant, is the nest and cradle of the only possible answer to salvation: that of God, who, with total generosity, gives himself to men without reserve and without pretension.”.
“The world always has its ‘Herods’”
Unfortunately, the Pope reflected, “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, divisions, and conflicts.”.
Let us not allow “these illusions“ to stifle the flame of love in Christian families,” he urged. “On the contrary, let us protect the values of the Gospel in them: prayer, frequent reception of the sacraments—especially confession and communion—healthy affections, sincere dialogue, fidelity, simple and beautiful realism in words and good deeds every day.”.
Praise of Saint Joseph, obedient to the voice of the Lord
The Pope has also praised Saint Joseph. “The gesture of Joseph, who, obedient to the voice of the Lord, brings his wife and child to safety, is revealed here in all its redemptive significance. In fact, in Egypt, the flame of domestic love grows, to which the Lord has entrusted his presence in the world, and gains strength to bring light to the whole world.”.
“A caress from the Pope”
Alms-giving Cardinal Konrad Krajewski has recently reported on a “little caress” from Leo XIV.
This has taken the form of financial aid to various parts of the world, to support families who, like Jesus's, “are traveling the painful road of exile in search of refuge.” Three trucks carrying humanitarian aid have arrived in the areas most affected by the bombings in Ukraine. Thus, Cardinal Krajewski concludes, Leo XIV “not only prays for peace, but also wishes to be present with families who are suffering,” according to the Vatican agency.
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