Pope Francis at Angelus likens Holy Family to families in exile around the world
At the Angelus on the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Pope Francis reminded Christians of their own ability to adhere to God’s will by following the example of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, who “prayed, worked and communicated” with each other.
POPE FRANCIS
“The term ‘holy’ places this family in the realm of sanctity, which is a gift from God. At the same time however, it is also their free and responsible adherence to His plan. That was the case for the Holy Family of Nazareth. It was totally open to God’s will.”
He then called attention to each member of the Holy Family, to Jesus and Mary for their complete openness to God’s plan, and to Joseph for his silent obedience in caring for his family.
POPE FRANCIS
“Under God’s guidance, represented by an Angel, Joseph leads his family away from the threats of Herod, and he saves it. Thus, the Holy Family sympathizes with all families around the world who are forced into exile. It sympathizes with all those forced to abandon their homeland because of repression, violence and war.”
Then he turned to Christians today, asking them to emulate the Holy Family by sustaining each other through reciprocal communication.
POPE FRANCIS
“Do you, in your family, know how to communicate? Or are you like those kids who, at the dinner table, are on their phones, texting? FLASH We have to bring back dialogue in the family.”
After the Angelus, the pope asked those present to pray with him for the victims of the explosion in Somalia, which left more than 70 dead.
To conclude, he gave a special blessing to all families, saying they are a precious treasure to be nurtured.
Claudia Torres
© Vatican Media
Look at Each Other, Not Your Smartphones, Pope Reminds Families at Angelus
Prays the Holy Family Be the Model for All Families
Look at each other, not just your phones, when sitting together at home…
Communicate well with one another…
Pope Francis gave this suggestion Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, on the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. His words came in the midst of the Christmas Octave following his midday Angelus address with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
Wishing everyone a good and peaceful New Year, Francis pleaded that everyone end the year in peace, and with peace in one’s heart.
“And in the family,” he said on their feast day, “communicating with one another.”
This call for modern-day families to communicate better, was at the forefront of the Pope’s remarks as he spoke about the Holy Family and their openness to follow God’s will, trusting Him always.
When Mary, Francis said, “realized that God was calling her to a particular mission, she didn’t hesitate to proclaim herself His “handmaid” (Cf. Luke 1:38). Jesus would exalt her grandeur not so much for her role as mother, but for her obedience to God.”
“Mary, Joseph and Jesus: the Holy Family of Nazareth,” Francis said, “represents a unanimous response to the Father’s will,” noting “the three components of this singular family help one another mutually to discover and realize God’s plan.”
He said they prayed, worked and communicated.
“And I wonder,” Francis pondered: “in your family, are you able to communicate or are you like those kids at table, each one with his mobile phone while they are chatting?”
Francis lamented that often at the table, there seems to be a silence “as if they were at Mass.” He noted there is no communication with one another.
“We must,” Francis challenged, “take up again conversation in the family: fathers, parents, children, grandparents and brothers must communicate with one another . . .”
“This is a task to do today, precisely on the day of the Holy Family,” he said, praying: “May the Holy Family be the model of our families, so that parents and children support one another in adherence to the Gospel, foundation of the family’s holiness.”
“We entrust to Mary, ‘Queen of the Family,’” Pope Francis said, “all the world’s families, especially those tried by suffering and hardship, and we invoke upon them Her maternal protection.”
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Full Text: https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-feast-of-the-holy-family-of-nazareth-full-text/