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Send tax deductible checks to:

"First Impressions"

Make payable to: Dominican Friars

3150 Vince Hagan Dr.

Irving, Texas 75062-4736

Thank you.

In light of today’s Scriptures, I would not use this occasion to speak of the Holy Family as a model of perfection or suggest that we simply imitate them. We must avoid sentimentality. This "holy family" is on the run, its life threatened – particularly the life of the innocent child. While our sanctuary still holds tranquil Christmas mangers, the quiet, romantic image can mislead us. A week after Christmas, the child must be cared for in exile. In Egypt, the family becomes a refugee family. This passage invites reflection on the contemporary reality of family life in our own country: the vulnerable must be protected; many live in exile or under threat, facing powerful forces. In particular, many poor families are under siege. Let us first look at the reading itself and then consider a contemporary reflection.

Matthew’s Gospel presents a deliberate echo of the Exodus. The chosen people were once exiles in Egypt, led out by Moses. Matthew portrays Jesus as the New Moses, leading his people out of Egypt – or, metaphorically, out of whatever exile (sin, oppression, alienation) we find ourselves in. From the beginning, Matthew emphasizes that God is actively delivering the people. And it is a "people" whom God delivers – we are saved in community. God enters our human situation, even accompanying us into places where we feel "away from home."

This is a story of a poor, indistinguishable family facing the power of forces beyond their control. In taking this family into exile, God stands in solidarity with all the poor and displaced. As the year ends with a focus on the family, perhaps the new year will help us become more "family conscious" and "family friendly." Perhaps we will see ourselves as a community, connected to one another through our parent God. This awareness calls us to care especially for the most vulnerable members of the human family.

To mark the tenth anniversary of their pastoral letter, Economic Justice for All, the bishops issued a new message. They acknowledged that we have a remarkably strong and creative economy, yet too little of its growth reaches everyone. They described three "nations" or "families" living side by side:

The prospering, who drive the new information economy and are doing well economically.

The squeezed, whose real income is declining, leaving them uncertain about providing for their children.

The discouraged and despairing, an underclass whose children grow up in deep poverty.

The bishops remind us that we are called to be a people of faith, not competing classes; brothers and sisters, not economic statistics. Today’s feast brings this lesson home: the newborn Savior was born away from home and had to flee into exile. This feast sensitizes us to the families among us who live in exile today.

The bishops saw the parish as an ideal place to promote the common good and contribute to a more just and compassionate world. They encouraged participation in public life, fostering respect for the dignity of every person. Parishes educate the faithful about Church teaching, their responsibilities, and the need to measure public policy against Gospel values. They call for speaking out with courage, skill, and concern on public issues affecting human rights, social justice, and the life of the Church. One guiding principle underlies all this: the "call to family and community."

"The Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking. Where the world sees threats, she sees children; where walls are built, she builds bridges. She knows that her proclamation of the Gospel is credible only when it is translated into gestures of closeness and welcome. And she knows that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community."

Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

• In what ways can I show more compassion, kindness, or patience to those around me this week?

• Are there relationships in my life where forgiveness is needed? How can I take a step toward it?

• How does remembering that I am "holy and beloved" change the way I treat others?

POSTCARDS TO DEATH-ROW INMATES

If you would like to support this ministry, please send tax deductible contributions to:

Fr. Jude Siciliano, OP

Make checks payable to: St. Albert Priory

3150 Vince Hagan Drive

Irving, Texas 75062-4736

Make checks payable to: Dominican Friars.

RESOURCES

We have compiled a new CD for sale:

    a.     A preacher's early reflections on the upcoming Sunday's readings and liturgy, always at least one week ahead of the Liturgical Calendar.  "A tool to help Preachers prepare for their next trip to the Ambo." Available in Spanish & English and authored by Fr. Jude Siciliano, OP.

        These reflections follow the Liturgical Calendar and appear here about mid-week each week. They are written by various guest authors.