The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph

Ps 127:1-5 (JB)

R. Happy are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord

and walk in his ways!

By the labour of your hands you shall eat.

You will be happy and prosper. R.

Your wife like a fruitful vine

in the heart of your house;

your children like shoots of the olive,

around your table. R.

Indeed thus shall be blessed

the man who fears the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion

all the days of your life! R.

Colossians 3:12-21 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Colossians

Concerning the Christian life in the world.

You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.

Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God; and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, give way to your husbands, as you should in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and treat them with gentleness. Children, be obedient to your parents always, because that is what will please the Lord. Parents, never drive your children to resentment or you will make them feel frustrated.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Colossians 3:12-21 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Colossians

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

clothe yourselves with compassion,

kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Bear with one another and,

if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other;

just as the Lord has forgiven you,

so you also must forgive.

Above all, clothe yourselves with love,

which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

to which indeed you were called in the one body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;

teach and admonish one another in all wisdom;

and with gratitude in your hearts

sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.

And whatever you do, in word or deed,

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

Children, obey your parents in everything,

for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your children,

or they may lose heart.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Colossians 3:15, 16 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts,

and the fullness of his message live within you.

Alleluia!

Colossians 3:15, 16 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

and the fullness of his message live within you.

Alleluia!

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt.

After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:

I called my son out of Egypt.

After Herod’s death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead’. So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he left for the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled:

He will be called a Nazarene.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew

After the wise men had left,

an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,

“Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt,

and remain there until I tell you;

for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night,

and went to Egypt,

and remained there until the death of Herod.

This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord

through the prophet,

“Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared

in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,

“Get up, take the child and his mother;

and go to the land of Israel,

for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”

Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother,

and went to the land of Israel.

But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea

in place of his father Herod,

he was afraid to go there.

And after being warned in a dream,

he went away to the district of Galilee.

There he made his home in a town called Nazareth,

so that what had been spoken through the prophets

might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.