In today’s Mass, we read that following the Finding in the Temple, “[Jesus] went down with [Mary and Joseph] and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.” In 1964, Pope Paul VI became the first pope since St. Peter to visit the Holy Land. Standing there in Nazareth, he described it as “a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel.” He called on us to observe the life of the Holy Family in Nazareth, where “everything speaks to us, everything has meaning.”
Why is the school of Nazareth so powerful? Jesus could have come to redeem us any way he wanted. He could have descended from heaven and taken unto Himself our humanity by some other means. But He did not. He came into this world in a family, like us in all things but sin (Hb 4:15). Because He came into this world in a family, His family,–the Holy Family–has lessons to teach us all in family life.
Pope St. Paul VI names the lesson of silence as the first lesson we can learn from the Holy Family. “If only we could once again appreciate its great value,” he urged. In Nazareth’s quiet simplicity, the Holy Family listened to God, reflecting deeply on His will. How often do we allow silence to shape our own lives? In a world filled with noise and distraction, silence opens space for prayer and meditation. This Christmas, let us create moments of quiet to ponder the mystery of the Incarnation and hear God’s voice in our hearts.
Nazareth teaches us ‘the sacredness of family’
Nazareth also teaches us about the sacredness of family. “May it show us the family’s holy and enduring character,” Pope Paul VI said. The Holy Family exemplifies a community of love and sharing, enduring life’s challenges together in faith. For those of us who are parents, children, siblings, or friends, the Holy Family reminds us of the importance of creating a home rooted in love and mutual care. This Christmas, let us renew our commitment to cherish and nurture our families, knowing that the home is where holiness can take root.
Finally, in the house of the carpenter, Christ dignified labor through His example. As Pope Paul VI noted, “Work has its own dignity… its value and free character derive not only from its place in the economic system but rather from the purpose it serves.” The Holy Family’s daily labor was not an end in itself but an offering to God, transforming ordinary tasks into acts of worship. This Christmas, as we reflect on our work — whether it is professional, domestic or spiritual — let us see it as an invitation to conform ourselves to Christ and pursue holiness in our daily lives.
The quiet years of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Nazareth are not merely a forgotten chapter in salvation history. They are a testimony to how holiness grows in the ordinary. “Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and live by the teachings of his Gospel,” Pope Paul VI said. This Christmas, as we stand before the manger and gaze upon the figures of the Holy Family, let us carry these lessons with us: Silence that makes room for God, family life that nurtures love, and work that becomes prayer. May we, like Pope St. Paul VI, long to remain in the “school of Nazareth,” even as we return to the demands of daily life.
Let us pray,
O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity, and so, in the joy of your house, delight one day in eternal rewards. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
