20251228 DREAM WITH HOPE FOR A STRONG AND UNITED FAMILY
28 December 2025, Sunday, The Holy Family
First reading |
Ecclesiasticus 3:2-6,12-14 |
He who fears the Lord respects his parents
The Lord honours the father in his children,
and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons.
Whoever respects his father is atoning for his sins,
he who honours his mother is like someone amassing a fortune.
Whoever respects his father will be happy with children of his own,
he shall be heard on the day when he prays.
Long life comes to him who honours his father,
he who sets his mother at ease is showing obedience to the Lord.
My son, support your father in his old age,
do not grieve him during his life.
Even if his mind should fail, show him sympathy,
do not despise him in your health and strength;
for kindness to a father shall not be forgotten
but will serve as reparation for your sins.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 127(128):1-5 |
O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways!
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways!
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive,
around your table.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways!
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life!
O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways!
Second reading |
Colossians 3:12-21 |
Family life in the Lord
You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God; and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Wives, give way to your husbands, as you should in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and treat them with gentleness. Children, be obedient to your parents always, because that is what will please the Lord. Parents, never drive your children to resentment or you will make them feel frustrated.
Gospel Acclamation | Col3:15,16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts;
let the message of Christ find a home with you.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 2:13-15,19-23 |
The flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth
After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
I called my son out of Egypt.
After Herod’s death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he left for the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled:
‘He will be called a Nazarene.’
DREAM WITH HOPE FOR A STRONG AND UNITED FAMILY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Sir 3:2-6,12-14; Col 3:12-21; Mt 2:13-15,19-23]
As we conclude the Jubilee Year of Hope, among all the hopes we hold for humanity, one of the greatest is for strong, loving, and united families. The greatest threat to the world today is the weakening of family bonds, caused by many factors rather than a single one. With globalisation, higher levels of education, increased use of technology, and affluence, communication and bonding among family members have been diluted. Families no longer spend long periods together; parents have little time for their children due to work and social commitments; and husbands and wives increasingly live separate lives, with different friends and social activities. With demanding work schedules, busy social lives, and a strong desire for pleasure, holidays, and personal freedom, there is little incentive to have children, as raising a family is seen as costly–both financially and in terms of time and commitment.
As a consequence, many families have become dysfunctional. Divorce rates are rising, and children, too, suffer from instability.Such fragile family environments become breeding grounds for confusion about identity and relationships. When families fall apart, the bedrock of society collapses. The next generation then lacks the spiritual and ethical values needed to build a society united by a common purpose and universal values such as justice, mercy, compassion, honesty, integrity, and love. Without good human, social, personal, spiritual, and moral foundations, future leaders will continue to fall short. We already witness disappointing leadership in many parts of the world today, where integrity, honesty, and right values are sorely lacking.
This is why we must begin with the family by building right relationships. The strength of any family lies in healthy relationships and effective communication. This is especially true in marriage. The Marriage Encounter Movement, for example, consistently emphasises the importance of heartfelt communication between husband and wife. Right relationships require respect and sensitivity–to the needs of our elders, between spouses, and toward our children. In his Letter to the Colossians, St Paul gives us general guidelines on how we should relate to one another. He reminds us that our relationships must be grounded in the truth that we are “God’s chosen race, his saints.” While it is often said that blood is thicker than water, Christian truth teaches us that our spiritual relationship with God is even deeper than blood ties. We are not merely brothers and sisters; we are God’s saints. As Jesus said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Lk 8:21).
Among these relationships, Scripture gives special attention to the relationship between elders/parents and their children, and between husbands and wives. Today, many people take their parents–especially aging parents and the elderly–for granted. Some young people show little respect or gratitude to their parents, forgetting the sacrifices made for their upbringing, education, and careers. They often view these sacrifices as entitlements rather than gifts, leading to a lack of gratitude. When they become successful, some neglect their responsibility to care for their parents, even when their parents have exhausted their savings on education and housing for them. Many are concerned only with their own comfort, without consideration for their aging parents who gave their time, energy, and resources to provide the best possible life for them. Worse still, when parents become old, immobile, hard of hearing, or suffer from dementia, they are sometimes seen as a nuisance or a burden, and patience wears thin. We forget that when we were young, we required the same care, and that one day, we too will be in their place.
This kind of attitude is dangerous not only for the present but also for the future, because the way we care for our parents and the elderly will shape how the younger generation treats us when we ourselves grow old. For this reason, the Book of Sirach teaches us: “Whoever respects his father is atoning for his sins; he who honours his mother is like someone amassing a fortune. Whoever respects his father will be happy with children of his own; he shall be heard on the day when he prays. Long life comes to him who honours his father; he who sets his mother at ease is showing obedience to the Lord.” We are setting an example for future generations. Indeed, the way we treat our parents and the elderly indicates what our own future may look like. If we set a bad example, we may one day suffer the consequences. This is why we must show respect, obedience, and patience toward the elderly, for this reflects the kind of people we are today. As the author of Sirach says: “My son, support your father in his old age; do not grieve him during his life. Even if his mind should fail, show him sympathy; do not despise him in your health and strength; for kindness to a father shall not be forgotten but will serve as reparation for your sins.”
However, the call to love one another is rooted in God’s prior love, compassion, and mercy for us. St Paul reminds us: “He loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.” Because we have first received God’s love and mercy, we are called to extend the same to others. Therefore, our capacity to love and respect our elders, our spouses, and our children is not merely a human effort but a divine calling and inspiration. When we are conscious of God’s grace, we will also be gracious toward others. Those who are grateful are also generous, patient, and forgiving.
This is why it is often said that the family that prays together stays together. St Paul exhorts us to centre family life on Christ, the Word of God, prayer, and worship: “Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other and advise each other in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts, sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God.” When Christ is at the centre of our lives, we find inspiration, encouragement, guidance, and direction in how we relate to others. When His Word dwells in our hearts, we act not merely from the mind but from the heart. In this way, we “never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Truly, “Blessed are those who fear the Lord.”
Today, we are called to follow the example of St Joseph, who was faithful to his dream of building the family of God and caring for Mary and Jesus. When he was warned in a dream of Herod’s plan to kill the children of Bethlehem, he fled with his family into Egypt. Herod can be seen as a symbol of the forces in the world today that threaten the unity of families and marriages–our external enemies. We must take refuge in the Lord and protect our families from these threats. Yet there is another enemy that Joseph feared–one that existed in his mind–for when he returned to Israel, he learned that Archelaus had succeeded Herod as king of Judaea. “Being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.” This dream is one of fear. We must be discerning when seeking to protect our families and marriages. While many challenges confront family life today, we must not allow fear to prevent us from committing to marriage or welcoming children. We must not allow darkness to triumph. Instead, let us light the candle of love. By witnessing to the joy of authentic, loving marriages and families, we can promote and strengthen family life. In the final analysis, it is meaningful relationships–with our loved ones, our friends, and with God–that truly make life beautiful.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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