A Scriptural Reflection by Fr. Jim Sullivan on the Mass Readings for Sunday, December 28, 2025, the Feast of the Holy Family
Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Psalm 128:1-5
Colossians 3:12-21
Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
The readings focus, not surprisingly, on the family, this Feast of the Holy Family. I want to take a quick look at the first and second reading and the psalm and then take a little time with the Gospel passage, as it infers a lot more than it quite precisely says.
The first reading speaks of the proper authority of parents, of the honor due them from their children and of the rewards which flow from obedience to and respect for parental authority. The passage says that respect and goodness toward parents will serve as a “sin offering” (vs. 14); that is, we win forgiveness of our own sins when we are considerate and kind toward our parents, even if (perhaps especially if) their “mind is failing” (vs. 13).
The psalm uses a garden metaphor to describe the joys of marriage and family life, and from the husband’s perspective. A good and faithful husband and father will find that his wife is like “a fruitful vine in the recesses” of the home and his children like olive plants about the table (vs. 3).
The reference to the wife’s fruitfulness in the recesses of the home suggest a fullness of wifely and motherly responsibilities that may not be so immediately apparent today, when most women work outside the home. In fact, if we may take Proverbs 31 as an example, women in Old Testament times could also take on responsibilities outside the home, and within its “recesses” they could indeed be very “fruitful.” The good wife of Proverbs 31 not only maintains a well-ordered household, sees to the needs of her husband and children and manages the money well; she is busy in her own right with the development of money-making projects and responsibilities (see Proverbs 31:10-31).
The reading from Colossians has an option, shorter or longer version. If in your parish only the shorter version is read, you will hear about the life of the Christian community — an extended family of sorts. The instructions for proper comportment within this extended family are direct, clear and loving. If the longer version is read, you will hear the often contested (in our time) instruction to wives to be “subordinate” to their husbands (vs. 18). I wrote on this verse at some length several years ago in one of these homilies. It does seem to me that in our day, most decision-making within the family is jointly arrived at.
The Gospel passage tells of Joseph being warned by an angel in a dream to take Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt, because Herod is looking for the child. The Jewish king is determined to kill the newborn Messiah, seeing him as a threat to his dynastic plans. This is where I want to start unpacking some of what is inferred in today’s passage.
One, can you believe Herod? At the visit of the magi, he had his scholars look up where the Messiah was to be born, specifically so that he could know where this child-threat was located (Matthew 2:3-8). Then he carried out a massacre of all the little boys under two years of age in Bethlehem (vss. 16-18; not included in today’s reading).
I mean, clearly, Herod was a believer. He kills the little boys in Bethlehem because he believes the Messiah is among them. But if Herod is a believer how can he possibly justify murdering the Messiah? Does he think God is going to look the other way? Can you spell C-R-A-Z-E-D? Evidently, Herod was crazed by thoughts of dynastic wealth, privilege and power. An infant Messiah was clearly no threat to Herod himself, but to his sons, to his successors — or so Herod saw it. This is one of the most naked examples of human willfulness to be found anywhere in Scripture. Herod deliberately sets out to thwart the will of God, a God whose word he clearly believes in.
Okay. Whatever. Crazy.
Second, Jesus starts life out as a refugee. Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt where, in the city of Alexandria, there was a large and vibrant Jewish exile community. It is likely that they settled in Alexandria, where Joseph could easily have found work.
But, and this is my third point, while it is likely that Joseph worked his trade in Alexandria, he and Mary were at this point not poor. Not after the visit of the magi. Gold, frankincense and myrrh were not cheap gifts. Joseph and Mary might have sold the frankincense and myrrh for a substantial amount and gold is gold. The visit of the magi empowered the flight to Egypt, made it possible for Joseph and Mary to establish themselves quickly and comfortably in their new city and their new land.
A fourth point, and one that greatly interests me: Jesus’ earliest memories would have been of Alexandria, of Egypt. Herod is believed to have died about six, maybe seven years after these events. Assuming his parents settled there, Jesus’ first boyhood memories would have been of the great Egyptian port city, with its palaces and pagan temples, its many cultural monuments — including what was one of the ancient world’s greatest libraries — its famous lighthouse above the harbor. Founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great, Alexandria was not really so much Egyptian as it was Greek and Roman. It is likely, of course, that the large Jewish ex-pat community in Alexandria had impressive synagogues and schools; had a thriving business district. The small boy Jesus would have been immersed in Jewish culture during his time in Egypt.
A fifth point, and maybe one that is more immediate and relevant to the central theme of today’s readings: family life can be an adventure. Neither Mary nor Joseph could have foreseen the visit of the magi and the great blessings it afforded them. Neither could have foreseen Herod’s insane and murderous rage at the thought of the Messiah being born during his reign. Neither could have guessed they would find themselves making a hasty departure for Egypt, there to spend their first several years of married life and parenthood, with their little boy.
What was the situation with the extended family — Mary’s parents in Nazareth, Joseph’s siblings (including Mary the wife of Clopas, Jesus’ aunt who figures prominently in the Passion and Resurrection narratives). It’s not as though Mary were texting her parents, “All good here in palm-lined Alexandria. Catch the bullet train from Jerusalem and plan to spend a few weeks with us. Thanks to the magi we have several spare bedrooms.”
It is hard to know just what the family life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was like, during the years in Egypt. At a time when extended family was a person’s principal means of support and security, it seems likely that Jesus, Mary and Joseph were a solitary unit in Alexandria. No doubt they made friends and Joseph developed professional relationships. Even so, it seems likely that the years in Egypt were directly and uniquely formative for this most unique of families; the Holy Family.
This one is long, so I will keep the personal reflections brief. One, thank the Lord for our wonderfully wet Christmas week! Week before Christmas, I guess I should say. The season’s early and strong start in October and November was derailed by those three dry weeks starting just before Thanksgiving. Christmas Eve night, sitting here in the rectory above the schoolyard after the ten PM Mass, and seeing the sheeting rain gusting and slanting with the wind, I smiled. And gave thanks and praise to the Lord for our parishioners here at St. Clement because around three hundred of them made it out in the storm for the late evening Mass.
Two, thank the Lord for the sabbatical, which wraps in another week. Strictly speaking, it came to an end last week — I am simply on Christmas vacation, at this point. I am taking advantage of the remaining time off to finally travel — London and Paris this coming week; reprising a habit I was getting into, pre-pandemic. I was in both cities three Decembers in a row, 2017-2019. Then COVID hit. It is a nice way to wrap the year, and I am grateful to be able to resume the tradition this winter. I am back next Sunday; it is just an eight-day trip. I have been to London several times since 2020, but this will be my first time in Paris in six years.
Will close here. Hope your Christmas season is merry and bright. Take good care and God bless.
The following is adapted from the best-selling book, 
Visionaries of Our Lady of Zaro
On June 24, 1981, the eve of the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, two young girls were walking a small hamlet in Bosnia-Herzegovina, when a woman holding an infant appeared high on a hill among the boulders and brambles of Mount Podbrdo. Instinctively, they knew it was the Virgin Mary, but they did not approach her. They and four other children felt called to return the next day, and Our Blessed Mother drew them to her, effortlessly transporting them up the mountain, over boulders and thorny bushes. The Blessed Mother introduced herself as the Queen of Peace. They fell to their knees and began to pray. She prayed with them and promised to return the next day. Our Lady has regularly appeared in Medjugorje ever since, as have countless stories of conversion and miracles, making the apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugorje one of the longest and most fascinating in modern church history.
Those who have not yet heard a proper introduction to the revelations on the “Gift of Living in the Divine Will,” which Jesus entrusted to Luisa are sometimes perplexed by the zeal harbored by those who have had this introduction: “Why so much emphasis on the message of this lowly lay woman from Italy who died over 70 years ago?”
(1913-1985) Wife, Mother, Mystic, and Founder of The Flame of Love Movement
For many years to follow, Elizabeth struggled to care for herself and her family. In 1948, the Communist Nationalization of Hungary was a harsh master, and she was fired from her first job for having a statue of the Blessed Mother in her home. Always a diligent worker, Elizabeth never had good fortune in her long string of short-lived jobs, as she struggled to feed her family. Eventually, all of her children married, and in time, moved back in with her, bringing their children with them.
Italy (1930-2011) Priest, Mystic, and Founder of The Marian Movement of Priests
A North-American man, who wishes to remain anonymous, and whom we will call Walter, was obnoxiously loud, braggadocious, and who mocked the Catholic faith, even to the point of ripping his mother’s rosary beads out of her praying hands and scattering them across the floor, went through a profound conversion.
Born in 1972 in Itajai in the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil, Eduardo Ferreira found an image of Our Lady of Aparecida in the courtyard of the family house on January 6, 1983. On October 12, 1987, four days after his First Communion, Eduardo and his sister Eliete were praying in front of this image when Eduardo saw a blue light emerging from it and illuminating the room. On February 12, 1988, he had his first vision of the Virgin Mary in grotto alongside 54 roses. Before the Virgin’s feet, there was a small stream where a snake appeared and wanted to jump in the water, so Our Lady trampled it with her foot. The snake writhed all over, trying to escape. In this vision that lasted about five minutes, the Virgin Mary introduced herself as the Lady of the Rosary.
The experiences of Manuela Strack (born in 1967) in Sievernich, Germany (25 km from Cologne in the diocese of Aachen) can be divided into two phases. Manuela, whose alleged mystical experiences began in childhood and intensified from 1996 onwards, first claimed to have received a large number of messages from Our Lady, Jesus, and the saints between 2000 and 2005, including locutions of a surprising theological and poetic density which she attributed to St. Teresa of Avila. Twenty-five “public” Marian apparitions took place between 2000 and 2002: in the first of these, the Mother of God asked Manuela, “Will you become a living Rosary for me? I am Mary, the Immaculate.” She also revealed to her that apparitions had already occurred in Sievernich during the Second World War but were hidden by the Nazis (the parish priest, Fr. Alexander Heinrich Alef, was an opponent of Hitler and died in a concentration camp).
In 1996, an anonymous woman in Rome, referred to as “Little Mary” (Piccola Maria) began receiving the locutions known as “Drops of Light” (Gocce di Luce), of which the well-known Italian publishers Edizioni Segno issued 10 volumes in book form, the latest dating from 2017, although the messages are ongoing. The only information given about the recipient is that she is a simple housewife and mother who lives in poverty and hiddenness. The locutions, attributed to Jesus, are predominantly catecheses on the Mass readings for the day, but sometimes touch on external events. For those familiar with Catholic mystical literature of the modern era, the tone and highly-structural, Scripturally dense content resemble the lengthy pedagogical discourses of the Lord found in the writings of Luisa Piccarreta or Don Ottavio Michelini.
Born in El Salvador in 1954 but living in Quebec, Canada, Sulema Gomez has been receiving messages for many years, which she attributes to Jesus and the Virgin Mary. These came to wider attention with the publication of three volumes of locutions received between 2010 and 2013, entitled I Have Come to Prepare You for This Event: the Illumination of Conscience. The title is a reference to the coming “mini-judgment,” also known as The Warning, prophesied by a considerable number of mystics over several decades, foretelling a unique occurrence in the history of humanity when all people on earth (with the exception of small children) will see their spiritual state as God sees it.
Fr. Dolindo Ruotolo (“Don” Dolindo in Italian) lived from 1882 to 1970. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1905 at the young age of 23 and dedicated his long life to prayer, penance, and the service of thousands of faithful who turned to him for guidance. Fr. Dolindo authored a monumental 33-volume commentary on every book of the Bible, called Sacred Scripture: Psychology, Commentary, Meditation, an unabridged autobiography, and left behind an extraordinary number of theological, ascetical and mystical writings, including penned answers to thousands of letters. Most of Fr. Dolindo’s writings have not yet been translated into English, but the work is underway. St. Padre Pio, a contemporary and friend, once said of his inspired writings, “Not a word that came from the pen of Don Dolindo should ever be lost.”
Content: The following is taken from the book, 
My name is Vickie Leigh S. Smith, M.Ed. I am a wife and mother of four, serving as an inspirational Catholic speaker and teacher in the ministry of healing and deliverance. My life is anchored in God’s Providence, which led me onto a path of profound transformation. Initially, I was trained and employed as a behaviorist, but before I could help others move from fear-based living to freedom, I discovered that I first needed healing myself—healing from past traumas, spiritual bondage, and a broken language of living as a victim. Through the sovereign power of Jesus, I experienced firsthand what it means to contend for healing, conversion, and deliverance. The Holy Spirit became my guide, the Blessed Virgin my intercessor, and the Holy Name of Jesus my stronghold. It was through this divine choreography that the Lord positioned me to integrate my education as a behaviorist with my life experience. My journey of transformation would impact the mission to which He was calling me. Little did I know, I would one day be helping others heal, as well.
Born in 1961, I grew up in a devout Catholic family where love for the Blessed Virgin Mary was at the heart of daily life. My relationship with Our Lady began early—deepening, especially after my First Holy Communion, when I felt her maternal battles with anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. From my youth, and through the love and peace the Blessed Mother imparted to me, I sensed a call to the priesthood.
I was born in 1963 and raised in a Catholic family that attended Church every Sunday and every Holy day of obligation.
I was raised in a family that decided God did not exist, or if He did, one could not prove it, so why waste one’s time wondering about such an esoteric and irrelevant concept? As I child, I often pondered what life meant and was overcome with a sick, foreboding when thoughts of death entered my mind.
My name is Amanda Dcosta, but most people around me call me Mandy. Hearing “AMANDA!” used to give me the fleeting impression I was in trouble—reminiscent of childhood mischief or grades being handed out in school—a feeling that amusingly lingered even into young adulthood. Don’t get me wrong, I embrace both names. Amanda means “beloved,” and I’ve always felt deeply loved by my family, by friends, and most of all, by God. Even during moments of doubt, I hold fast to the truth that I am loved. Knowing that God loves me gives me joy, the kind of joy that is my strength, the kind that is a gift and a choice, even in the absence of happiness.
I was born in Marysville, in the Sacramento Valley, to a large and faith-filled Catholic family. I was named for my priest uncle, and as a little boy wanted to be a priest. I outgrew that ambition and by the time I was headed for my freshman year at the University of California at Berkeley was planning on a career in law.