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Holy Family Feast Highlights God’s Plan for Marriage and Domestic Life

‘The family is the foundation of coexistence and a remedy against social fragmentation. Children have a right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother capable of creating a suitable environment for the child’s development and emotional maturity,’ Pope Francis said in 2014. Credit:: Unsplash
Msgr. Charles Pope

By Msgr. Charles Pope

Vatican, 30 December, 2024 / 12:43 pm (ACI Africa).

Sunday, Dec. 29, is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Mass readings: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 or 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 or Psalm 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10; Colossians 3:12-21 or 3:12-17 or 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; Luke 2:41-52.

The Church calls us to reflect on family life in the middle of the Christmas Octave.

The readings offer a biblical vision of the family:  

  • A father in honor over his children (Sirach 3:2);
  • A wife and mother who is supportive of her husband and his authority (Colossians 3:20-21);
  • A husband who supports, loves and encourages his wife (Colossians 3:20–21);
  • A mother in authority over her children (Sirach 3:2);
  • Children who honor and obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1ff); 
  • A family structure that helps children to advance in wisdom and age and in favor before God and man (Luke 2:45, 51); and
  • A father, a mother and children all reverential and supportive of one another in their various roles and duties (Ephesians 5:17ff).

The basic structure for the family according to God is a man who loves his wife and a woman who loves her husband. Within this stable, lasting and faithful union of mutual support and love, they are open to life and raise children in the holy fear of the Lord.

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Add to this the principal description of the Book of Genesis, which describes how God sets forth marriage: 

A man shall leave his father and mother, cling to his wife, and the two of them shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). 

To this first couple, God gave the mandate:

Be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:22). 

And yet, almost all of these provisions are under some form of attack today in our culture. 

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As a Church, and as Catholic families, we must strive to rebuild a culture where biblical marriage is taught, truly honored and kept. This is no personal condemnation for every divorced person. But we cannot hesitate to announce God’s plan for sexuality, marriage and family. Our strategic proclamation must include these key elements:

  • There must be no sex before marriage, ever, under any circumstances. Sexual intercourse is rooted in the procreation of children, and there is no legitimate engagement in it outside of the bonds of marriage. There are no exceptions to this.
  • Children deserve and have the right to expect two parents, a father and mother, committed to each other until death do them part. Anything short of this is an injustice to children.
  • Neither homosexual unions nor single-parent households are an acceptable alternative to biblical marriage. To allow children to be subjected to such environments does them a grave injustice.
  • Marriage is about what is best for children, not adults. The needs of children far outweigh the preferences, “rights” and needs of adults.
  • Married couples must learn to work out their differences and avoid divorce, which offends God (Malachi 2:16). (Learn more about Church teaching on divorce and annulments here.)

Whatever our personal shortcomings, our strategy must be to preach the undiluted plan of God for sexuality, marriage and family to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

We do well to declare confidently these truths, with charity to be sure (for many have struggled to meet all its goals). But along with charity, there must also be clarity, announcing the beautiful plan for family life that God has given humanity. 

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