Pope Leo XIV Angelus address on the feast of the Holy Family

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, and the Liturgy offers us the story of their flight into Egypt (cf. Mt 2:13-15, 19-23).

It is a moment of trial for Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Indeed, the bright image of Christmas is suddenly almost eclipsed by the disturbing shadow of a deadly threat, which has its origin in the troubled life of Herod. A cruel and bloodthirsty man, who is feared for his brutality, but precisely for this reason he is deeply lonely and gripped with the fear of being deposed. When he learns from the Magi that the “king of the Jews” has been born (Mt 2:2), feeling this to be a threat to his power, he decrees that all children of the same age as Jesus should be killed. In his kingdom, God is performing the greatest miracle in history, in which all the ancient promises of salvation are fulfilled, but he cannot see this because he is blinded by the fear of losing his throne, riches and privileges. In Bethlehem there is light and joy as some shepherds have received the heavenly announcement and have glorified God before the manger (cf. Lk 2:8-20). But none of this can penetrate the armored defenses of the royal palace, except as a distorted echo of a threat to be stifled with blind violence.

It is precisely this hardness of heart, however, that further highlights the value of the presence and mission of the Holy Family. In the despotic and greedy world represented by the tyrant, it is the birthplace and cradle of the only possible answer of salvation, that of God who, in total gratuitousness, gives himself to men without reserve and without pretension. Being obedient to the voice of the Lord by taking his Bride and child to safety, the gesture of Joseph is revealed in all its redemptive significance. In Egypt, the flame of domestic love, to which the Lord has entrusted his presence in the world, grows and gains strength in order to bring light to the whole world.

As we contemplate this mystery with wonder and gratitude, we think of our families and the light they can bring to the society in which we live. Unfortunately, the world always has its “Herods,” its myths of success at any cost, of unscrupulous power, of empty and superficial well-being, and it often pays the price in the form of loneliness, despair, divisions and conflicts. Let us not allow these mirages to suffocate the flame of love in Christian families. On the contrary, in our families, we should cherish the values of the Gospel: prayer, frequent reception of the sacraments – especially Confession and Communion – healthy affections, sincere dialogue, fidelity, and the simple and beautiful concreteness of everyday words and gestures. This will make them a light of hope for the places in which we live; a school of love and an instrument of salvation in God’s hands (cf. Francis, Homily at Mass for the 10th World Meeting of Families, 25 June 2022).

Let us therefore ask our Father in Heaven, through the intercession of Mary and Saint Joseph, to bless our families and all families throughout the world, so that by following the model of his Son made man, they may be for all an efficacious sign of his presence and his endless charity.