Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Liturgical Color: White
Rosary Mysteries: Glorious Mysteries
Daily Readings
First Reading: Sirach 3: 2-6, 12-14
2 Children, hear the judgment of your father, and so do that you may be saved.
3 For God hath made the father honourable to the children: and seeking the judgment of the mothers, hath confirmed it upon the children.
4 He that loveth God, shall obtain pardon for his sins by prayer, and shall refrain himself from them, and shall be heard in the prayer of days.
5 And he that honoureth his mother is as one that layeth up a treasure.
6 He that honoureth his father shall have joy in his own children, and in the day of his prayer he shall be heard.
12 Glory not in the dishonour of thy father: for his shame is no glory to thee.
13 For the glory of a man is from the honour of his father, and a father without honour is the disgrace of the son.
14 Son, support the old age of thy father, and grieve him not in his life;
2 Judicium patris audite, filii,
et sic facite, ut salvi sitis.
3 Deus enim honoravit patrem in filiis:
et judicium matris exquirens, firmavit in filios.
4 Qui diligit Deum exorabit pro peccatis,
et continebit se ab illis,
et in oratione dierum exaudietur.
5 Et sicut qui thesaurizat,
ita et qui honorificat matrem suam.
6 Qui honorat patrem suum jucundabitur in filiis,
et in die orationis suæ exaudietur.
12 Ne glorieris in contumelia patris tui:
non enim est tibi gloria ejus confusio.
13 Gloria enim hominis ex honore patris sui,
et dedecus filii pater sine honore.
14 Fili, suscipe senectam patris tui,
et non contristes eum in vita illius:
Second Reading: Colossians 3: 12-21
12 Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience:
13 Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also.
14 But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection:
15 And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God.
17 All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as it behoveth in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter towards them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
21 Fathers, provoke not your children to indignation, lest they be discouraged.
12 Induite vos ergo, sicut electi Dei, sancti, et dilecti, viscera misericordiæ, benignitatem, humilitatem, modestiam, patientiam:
13 supportantes invicem, et donantes vobismetipsis si quis adversus aliquem habet querelam: sicut et Dominus donavit vobis, ita et vos.
14 Super omnia autem hæc, caritatem habete, quod est vinculum perfectionis:
15 et pax Christi exsultet in cordibus vestris, in qua et vocati estis in uno corpore: et grati estote.
16 Verbum Christi habitet in vobis abundanter, in omni sapientia, docentes, et commonentes vosmetipsos, psalmis, hymnis, et canticis spiritualibus, in gratia cantantes in cordibus vestris Deo.
17 Omne, quodcumque facitis in verbo aut in opere, omnia in nomine Domini Jesu Christi, gratias agentes Deo et Patri per ipsum.
18 Mulieres, subditæ estote viris, sicut oportet, in Domino.
19 Viri, diligite uxores vestras, et nolite amari esse ad illas.
20 Filii, obedite parentibus per omnia: hoc enim placitum est in Domino.
21 Patres, nolite ad indignationem provocare filios vestros, ut non pusillo animo fiant.
Gospel: Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23
13 And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him.
14 Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod:
15 That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead that sought the life of the child.
21 Who arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither: and being warned in sleep retired into the quarters of Galilee.
23 And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was said by prophets: That he shall be called a Nazarene.
13 Qui cum recessissent, ecce angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph, dicens: Surge, et accipe puerum, et matrem ejus, et fuge in Ægyptum, et esto ibi usque dum dicam tibi. Futurum est enim ut Herodes quærat puerum ad perdendum eum.
14 Qui consurgens accepit puerum et matrem ejus nocte, et secessit in Ægyptum:
15 et erat ibi usque ad obitum Herodis: ut adimpleretur quod dictum est a Domino per prophetam dicentem: Ex Ægypto vocavi filium meum.
19 Defuncto autem Herode, ecce angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph in Ægypto,
20 dicens: Surge, et accipe puerum, et matrem ejus, et vade in terram Israël: defuncti sunt enim qui quærebant animam pueri.
21 Qui consurgens, accepit puerum, et matrem ejus, et venit in terram Israël.
22 Audiens autem quod Archelaus regnaret in Judæa pro Herode patre suo, timuit illo ire: et admonitus in somnis, secessit in partes Galilææ.
23 Et veniens habitavit in civitate quæ vocatur Nazareth: ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per prophetas: Quoniam Nazaræus vocabitur.
A Daily Question from the Summa Theologica
Whether Christ’s birth should have been made known to all? (Article 1 of 8 of Question 36. Of the Manifestation of the Newly Born Christ from the Treatise on the Incarnation)
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ’s birth should have been made known to all. Because fulfilment should correspond to promise. Now, the promise of Christ’s coming is thus expressed (Ps. 49:3): “God shall come manifestly. But He came by His birth in the flesh.” Therefore it seems that His birth should have been made known to the whole world.
Objection 2: Further, it is written (1 Tim. 1:15): “Christ came into this world to save sinners.” But this is not effected save in as far as the grace of Christ is made known to them; according toTitus 2:11, 12: “The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men, instructing us, that denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world.” Therefore it seems that Christ’s birth should have been made known to all.
Objection 3: Further, God is most especially inclined to mercy; according to Ps. 144:9: “His tender mercies are over all His works.” But in His second coming, when He will “judge justices” (Ps. 70:3), He will come before the eyes of all; according to Mat. 24:27: “As lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.” Much more, therefore, should His first coming, when He was born into the world according to the flesh, have been made known to all.
On the contrary, It is written (Is. 45:15): “Thou art a hidden God, the Holy [Vulg.: ‘the God] of Israel, the Saviour.” And, again (Is. 43:3): “His look was, as it were, hidden and despised.”
I answer that, It was unfitting that Christ’s birth should be made known to all men without distinction. First, because this would have been a hindrance to the redemption of man, which was accomplished by means of the Cross; for, as it is written (1 Cor. 2:8): “If they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.”
Secondly, because this would have lessened the merit of faith, which He came to offer men as the way to righteousness. according to Rom. 3:22: “The justice of God by faith of Jesus Christ.” For if, when Christ was born, His birth had been made known to all by evident signs, the very nature of faith would have been destroyed, since it is “the evidence of things that appear not,” as stated, Heb. 11:1.
Thirdly, because thus the reality of His human nature would have come into doubt. Whence Augustine says (Ep. ad Volusianum cxxxvii): “If He had not passed through the different stages of age from babyhood to youth, had neither eaten nor slept, would He not have strengthened an erroneous opinion, and made it impossible for us to believe that He had become true man? And while He is doing all things wondrously, would He have taken away that which He accomplished in mercy?”
Reply to Objection 1: According to the gloss, the words quoted must be understood of Christ’s coming as judge.
Reply to Objection 2: All men were to be instructed unto salvation, concerning the grace of God our Saviour, not at the very time of His birth, but afterwards, in due time, after He had “wrought salvation in the midst of the earth” (Ps. 73:12). Wherefore after His Passion and Resurrection, He said to His disciples (Mat. 28:19): “Going . . . teach ye all nations.”
Reply to Objection 3: For judgment to be passed, the authority of the judge needs to be known: and for this reason it behooves that the coming of Christ unto judgment should be manifest. But His first coming was unto the salvation of all, which is by faith that is of things not seen. And therefore it was fitting that His first coming should be hidden.
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