They Follow God’s Lead
The Scriptures show us how God calls Mary & Joseph to a special mission.

Mary heard God’s invitation, and knew that His plans were better for her life; therefore, she gives her fiat — that is, her “yes” to God.

St. Joseph opens his heart to the messenger sent by God and takes Mary into his home. After Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, they follow the prompting of an angel to flee into Egypt for safety and wait there until another angelic message leads them back home.
The Holy Family is a great example for families everywhere to always be open to whatever God’s will might be and to always be listening for God to speak. He might speak his will in prayer or through another person. By our own prayer and discernment, we too can follow God’s lead for our life.

A Teacher of Virtue
The home should be the principal place of catechesis. Unfortunately, many families today allow the Church to fill that role alone. The home of Nazareth, in addition to the local synagogue, would have been the place of instruction for the Christ Child.
The Holy Family taught Jesus how to read, and at the start of his public ministry Jesus would read from the scroll and declare the passage to be fulfilled in their hearing (see Lk 4:21). Mary and Joseph would have taught the Christ Child how to pray, and years later Jesus would teach his disciples how to pray with the Our Father.
Joseph would have handed on his trade to his son, who later would die on the wood of a cross. Jesus had a great concern for the poor and the marginalized. In the home of Nazareth he learned generosity and kindness. The home of Nazareth reminds us that families have the responsibility of teaching their children the Faith and to model the virtues. Jesus had most excellent parents; Mary was without sin and Joseph is described as a just and prudent man. Parents today can learn from Joseph and Mary on how to teach their children.

A Call to Chastity
The Catholic tradition upholds the belief that Mary remained ever-virgin. St. Joseph often is referred to as Mary’s most chaste spouse, and in the Litany of St. Joseph is recognized as the chaste guardian of the Virgin. Perhaps this is yet another way the Holy Family provides an example to our modern world, often assaulted by sexual promiscuity and fleeting lustful thoughts.
The chaste relationship of Joseph and Mary reminds all Christian faithful that, even in marriage, chastity is to be observed. The practice of natural family planning (NFP) is one way a couple observes chastity in their marriage. The fidelity of Joseph and Mary to each other also gives great example and encourages couples in their fidelity to one another, even in difficult circumstances.
The chaste relationship between Joseph and Mary means they experienced intimacy in different ways through their common life together. Their purity of mind and heart of mutual love for each other and the Son of God is indeed worthy of imitation by all families.

Devotion to the Holy Family
Devotion to the Holy Family of Nazareth emerges in times when the family becomes weakened because of political and societal pressures. In the medieval period, Jean Gerson, theologian at the Council of Constance (1414-18), encouraged devotion to the Holy Family, and Pope Leo XIII said that imitation of the Holy Family would be a means to revitalize and strengthen family life. In the third millennium the institution of the family once again suffers attacks politically and socially. Perhaps now is the time for us to knock on the door of the Holy Family’s home in Nazareth and move from being an onlooker peering in to a guest in their home. From them we will learn many virtues for Christian family life and, through their inspiration, to practice them in our homes and among our own families.

Holy Family, pray for us!

Written by Fr. Looney is a priest of the diocese of Green Bay, WI. 

What is the Domestic Church?
The term “Domestic Church” refers to the family, the smallest body of gathered believers in Christ.

The Four Levels of Church 
In reality, we can speak of four distinct levels of Church. There is the Universal Church led by the bishop of Rome and all bishops in union with him. There is the local diocesan church. Led by its local bishop, it is uniquely positioned to guide us on how best to implement our faith in our own time and culture. There is the local parish church, from which we receive most of our religious instruction and the sacraments. Finally, there is this fourth layer of Church. The Domestic Church plays a key role in our sanctification because it is the primary place where we practice coming to intimately love other persons.

Living Your Faith At Home
It is in the context of the family that we first learn who God is and to prayerfully seek His will for us. In the following bullet points you will find some suggestions on how to build your “domestic church” through a life of prayer that can help all the members of your family-and the world. 

• Have a crucifix in a prominent place in the home, and in every bedroom.
• Begin praying as a family and reading from Scripture daily, certainly before meals, but also first thing in the morning or before bed. Find a time that works for your family. Use the liturgy of the Church as a model for prayer, and try to include heartfelt unstructured prayer as well.
• Pray a Rosary by yourself, or in a larger household, a Family Rosary (each member leads a decade, and everyone shares intentions).
• Begin family traditions based on the seasons celebrated in the liturgical calendar.
• Make worshiping God a priority. 
• Teach stewardship and charity to your children, through word and example.
• Demonstrate love for your spouse, your children, your neighbors, and the world. Remind their children that they are loved by God and have been given gifts to serve others.
• Talk freely about the presence of God in the joys and sorrows of your life.
• Welcome into your home and support priests, brothers, sisters, deacons, and lay ministers in the Church.
• Allow your children to witness you in private prayer. Encourage your children to pray daily on their own, to listen for God’s call, and if heard, to respond.

(USCCB, edited for current circumstances)