The Holy Family of Jesus of Nazareth: History

The life story of Jesus is impressive because of all the things he did. But many times he leaves his family in the background and how important they were for the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. His earthly parents carried a great honor on his shoulders, which of course implies a great responsibility. Stay to find out a little more about them, their history, their trade, their relationship with Jesus and much more.

The Holy Family of Jesus

Through the teachings of the Catholic Church we know that the Holy Family of Jesus is made up of Mary and Joseph . As a result of this, the celebration of the Holy Family was established, which is celebrated on the Sunday that falls between the eighth of Christmas. Namely; the Sunday that falls between December 25 and December 30 or January 1.

This celebration is held as a reminder that the Lord Jesus, despite all his power and glory, decides to come into the world and be part of a family. Thus he could count on someone to take care of him, protect him, accept him and support him on the hard road ahead of him. On the other hand, his birth into a family served for god to sanctify all human families. This is the reason why we praise the Holy Family as the family of saints.

Regarding what the Holy Family was like, Mary and Joseph were good parents who worked hard, so that Jesus grew up without lacking anything, as all parents usually do with their children. Joseph’s trade was a carpenter, and Jesus used to help him at all times to the point of earning him the nickname “The Son of the Carpenter.” On the other hand, Mary was a housewife and was in charge of household chores, taking care that everything was in order and that nothing was missing in the house of Nazareth.

It can be said that the family was quite normal for the time, since everyone plays the roles expected of them. Jesus in his childhood used to help his mother with the tasks of grinding wheat and looking for water in the well while his father was involved with the tasks of his work. As we can see, since childhood Jesus Christ was instilled with the responsibility of honest work, to be generous and although it is never explicitly said, to pay attention to his human parents.

His childhood was not full of luxuries or riches, on the contrary; he did many daily chores at home with his father, always with the greatest humility possible.

Analyzing how Jesus’ family was, we can learn many things to implement in our own families: humility, charity, simplicity, kindness, love towards the rest of the family members, etc. In addition to this, the holy family of Jesus is an example of how the family unit is the first school for children . Where the values ​​and foundations of faith are instilled, also to be careful of the paths deviated from the teachings of God. It is the basis of his physical and mental growth, which contributes in an important way to the development of his personality throughout his life and to being a good Christian.

For parents, this task is one of the most arduous and laborious, but at the same time; It is extremely rewarding and beautiful. Because you are teaching him the way of God and guide his soul so that he is able to reach the gates of heaven.

Pope John Paul II mentions in the Meeting with Families in Chihuahua in 1990, that the family is the first community of life and love where the child understands what love is, feels loved and loves others.

The family has to be a source of wisdom and a means that allows us to reach the grace of God. This is achieved by educating our children so that they learn to be kind and respectful to everyone, that they follow the laws that dictate the commandments and that they feel protected. Let them know that in the face of any difficulty they may have, they can count on the unconditional support of their family. For something “the salvation of the world came through the heart of the holy family.”

Prayer to the Holy Family

« Let us pray today for all the families of the world so that they may be able to respond to their vocation as the Holy Family of Nazareth responded.

Let us pray especially for the families that suffer, for those that go through many difficulties or are threatened in their indissolubility. So that they act at the service of love and life for which God chose them.

Oh Jesus! Kindly welcome our family that now gives itself and consecrates to you. Protect it, keep it and instill in it your peace so that everyone can enjoy eternal happiness.

O Maria! Loving mother of Jesus and our mother, we ask you to intercede for us; so that we never lack love, understanding and forgiveness. Also for us to obtain his grace and blessings.

O Saint Joseph! Help us with our prayers, in all our spiritual and temporal needs, so that we can eternally please Jesus. Amen « .

Some Fragments of the Holy Family in the Bible

In the holy scriptures we can find some fragments that allude to the Holy Family and the teachings that we can learn from it:

The Loss of Jesus in the Temple

Without a doubt, one of the best known episodes of the childhood of the Lord Jesus of his childhood, where from a very early age he already gives us a sample of his wisdom and knowledge about the father:

“ His parents went to Jerusalem every year for the Passover festival. When she was twelve years old, they went up to the party as was customary and when they returned, after a few days; The child Jesus stayed in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. Believing that he would be in the caravan, they went a day’s journey and looked for him with his relatives and acquaintances. Not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him and it turned out that after three days, they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Everyone present listening to him was dumbfounded by his intelligence and his responses. When they saw him, they were surprised and his mother said to him: ‘Son, why have you done this to us? Look how distressed your father and I are, we were looking for you.’

He said to them: ‘Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I was supposed to be in my father’s house?’

But they did not understand what he meant. He returned with them and came to Nazareth to live subject to them. His mother carefully kept all the things in his heart. Jesus progressed in wisdom, in stature and in grace before God and before men « .

The Flight into Egypt

As the name implies, this fragment mentions how Jesus’ family must flee to Egypt, avoiding being found by King Herod who wanted him dead.

The Message of the Angel Gabriel to Joseph

We can find this fragment in the Gospel written according to Saint Matthew, where it says the following:

« Behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying: ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to receive Mary your wife, because what was born in her comes from the Holy Spirit.’ «

Iconography of the Holy Family

Although it is true that there are many works where the family of the Lord Jesus Christ is portrayed, there are few that become as representative and well-known as the painting of the “Flight into Egypt”, painted by the Italian Giotto between the years of 1305 to 1306 Although the historical references vary a bit since other sources date the dates between 1303 to 1305. This work was done in fresco and is currently located in the Scrovegni chapel in Padua.

Other well-known works of the Holy Family is the “Rest on the Flight to Egypt”, which has multiple versions and different authors over the years. The first work of this style belongs to a stained glass window consisting of 24 panels and which is located in Grabow Cathedral. Although there is no 100% certainty as to its authorship, most sources suggest that the person responsible was the master Bertram, a painter who lived in Hamburg in 1379. From that moment until the year 1500, similar works will appear. all located north of the Alps, where it is presumed that they were commissioned for chapels of officials and wealthy merchants.

From an architectural point of view, the most important construction related to the theme of the Holy Family is the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, which is located in Barcelona and which was begun by Gaudí.

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