The Family That Prays Together

by Fr. Long Phi Nguyen, SVD  |  12/28/2025  |  Gospel Reflections

Merry Christmas! As the joyful echoes of Christmas continue to fill our hearts, the Church brings us today to the Feast of the Holy Family—inviting us to reflect on the gift of family through the light of the newborn Christ. The Word made flesh chose not to come into the world in isolation, but within the warmth, struggle, and love of a human family. This truth gives sacred meaning to every family among us.

There is a familiar saying many of us know well: “The family that prays together stays together.” In my sister’s house, this quote hangs on a simple plaque in the living room, quietly witnessing to what she values most. Every time I see it, I am reminded that prayer is not just something we do alone, but something that draws a family together day by day. In that home, prayer is not occasional—it is a rhythm of life. And in many ways, it has bonded our family through both joyful moments and difficult seasons.

Yet the Gospel today reminds us that family life is not always peaceful or easy. Matthew tells us that the Holy Family was forced to flee into Egypt to protect the Child Jesus from danger. Fear, displacement, and uncertainty surrounded them, yet Mary, Joseph, and Jesus remained united in faith, trust, and obedience to God. Their journey teaches us that holiness is not found in a perfect or trouble-free family, but in faithful dependence on God in the midst of life’s struggles.

Family is where we first learn love, sacrifice, forgiveness, and responsibility. Yet today many families carry heavy burdens—anxieties about the future, generational misunderstandings, conflict, and even wounds caused by neglect or violence. Technology may connect us instantly, yet it can also distance us emotionally and spiritually. In this fragile landscape, the Holy Family is not presented to us as an unreachable ideal, but as a living model of perseverance, courage, and prayerful trust.

St. Paul reminds us that we are “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,” and calls us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, patience, and forgiveness (Col 3:12–14). These virtues are learned and tested most deeply within family life. Jesus Himself grew in wisdom within a home that worked, prayed, struggled, and trusted in God’s plan. As Mary and Joseph formed Him in love and faith, so we too are called to build our homes on prayer, mercy, and unity.

On this Feast of the Holy Family, may we entrust our families—imperfect yet deeply loved—to the care of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. And as one parish family here at Holy Spirit, may we be renewed in our commitment to pray together, love patiently, forgive generously, and walk together in hope. As we continue to celebrate Christmas, may Christ remain at the center of our homes, and may God richly bless every family in our parish with peace, faith, and enduring love.

Fr. Long Phi Nguyen, SVD---Pastor