Homily – Holy Family – A – Fr Jeremiah Browne

Homily – Holy Family – A – Fr Jeremiah Browne (National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies #southafrica #Botswana #Swaziland #eswatini)

There are no perfect families, but all families can be Holy Families. Every family carries a story that is far richer and more complex than what is visible from the outside. Beneath familiar routines and shared names lie hopes, disappointments, misunderstandings, loyalties, wounds and moments of deep tenderness.

The Feast of the Holy Family invites us to look honestly at family life, not through a polished or sentimental lens, but from a realistic perspective.

The Gospel today (Matthew 2:13-13, 19-23) offers a striking place to begin. The Holy Family is on the move, not by choice but by necessity. Fear, danger and uncertainty shape their early years together. Joseph wakes from sleep and must act quickly to protect his family. Mary leaves behind what is familiar. Jesus begins life as a refugee, dependent on adults who are themselves anxious and vulnerable. This is not a picture of calm domestic stability. It is a reminder that even the Holy Family experienced disruption, stress and loss of control.

That matters, because many families know what it is to live with pressure. Some carry financial strain. Others live with illness, addiction or mental health challenges. Many struggle with poor communication, unresolved hurt or the quiet distance that grows over time.

Some families are marked by separation, infidelity, bereavement or estrangement. Others are anxious about safety, educational issues or have to live apart because of work opportunities, and the list goes on.

Faith doesn’t deny these realities, rather it invites us to recognise that we are not alone. Every family, without exception, carries some unfinished business. Some struggles are spoken about openly. Others sit quietly beneath the surface and simmer, shaping how people relate to one another.

In the second reading, Saint Paul, writing to the Colossians (Col 3:12-17), reminds us of some of the virtues that are necessary when it comes to dealing with life’s problems. Here we find the ingredients for holiness: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. These are not virtues reserved for special moments. They are meant for day to day life – in our kitchens, our sitting rooms, our schools, our hospital wards and in every difficult conversations that we need to have.

Paul assumes conflict will arise. His words only make sense because people will fail one another. Bearing with one another and forgiving grievances is not an optional extra. It is the daily work of family life.

This feast reassures us that holiness doesn’t mean perfection. No family is perfect. No parent gets everything right. No child grows up without carrying some scars.

Recognising this truth can be deeply freeing. When we accept our own limitations; when we take time to understand the struggles and hurts that others carry; when we are willing to see the pain of another, somehow we don’t seem to judge so harshly and we are more likely to show mercy.

Taking time to understand each other requires a decision to love. It means choosing to love again and again, especially when resentment feels justified and holding on to hurt seems easier than risking forgiveness.

Love, in this deeper sense, is not driven by feelings but by making a decision. It is expressed in staying present, in listening when it would be easier to withdraw, in choosing patience when sharp words seem like an easier option.

It is important to remember that forgiveness doesn’t deny what has been painful. It simply refuses to allow the past to have the final say. In choosing to forgive, space is created for healing, even when progress is slow and imperfect.

The Feast of the Holy Family invites every household to place its real story before God, not an idealised version, but the one marked by effort, strain and love that keeps trying.

God is not waiting for families to become flawless before drawing near. God is already present in the mess, the noise, the silence and the struggle. As we honour the Holy Family today, we ask for the grace to choose love again, to practise mercy at home, and to trust that God is quietly at work, shaping holiness in the ordinary, unfinished reality of our lives.

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Please consider praying a decade of the rosary on a daily basis for the evangelising Mission of the Church and the Pope’s intentions.

For Christians in areas of conflict

Let us pray that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation, and hope.

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Blessed Pauline Jaricot, Pray for us. 🙏🏼🙏🏼

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