Vatican City – On the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, when the liturgy celebrates the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Leo XIV appeared at noon from the window of the Apostolic Palace to lead the recitation of the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square. The Pope reflected on the day’s Gospel as a lens through which to read both the mystery of Christmas and the very real trials faced by families today: the light of Bethlehem, he said, does not erase the shadow of violence, but passes through it without being overcome.
The flight into Egypt: a trial at the heart of Christmas
Leo XIV placed at the centre of his meditation a detail often set aside in the “idyllic” portrayal of the festivities: within the radiant scene of Christmas, the deadly threat posed by Herod suddenly emerges. The Pope described this king as a man marked by cruelty and fear, obsessed with the prospect of being overthrown. When he hears from the Magi of the birth of the “King of the Jews”, he reacts according to the logic of power that seeks to preserve itself by eliminating what it cannot control, ordering the killing of children of Jesus’ age. The Holy Father stressed the contrast at work here: in Herod’s kingdom, “the greatest miracle in history” is taking place—the fulfilment of the promises of salvation—yet he cannot see it, blinded by the fear of losing “throne, wealth and privilege”. In Bethlehem, the Pope recalled, there is the joy of the shepherds, who glorify God before the Crib; and yet that light fails to penetrate the “armoured defences of the royal palace”, where everything is perceived only as a “distorted echo of a threat”.
The Holy Family as the answer: gratuitous love versus domination
It is precisely this hardness of heart, the Pope continued, that brings the mission of the Holy Family into sharper focus. In the “despotic and greedy” world embodied by the tyrant, Nazareth becomes the “nest and cradle” of the only response that truly saves. Not a strategy, nor a counter-attack, but the gratuitous love of God, who gives himself “without reserve and without demands”. From this perspective, the role of Joseph takes on decisive importance. Leo XIV presented him as a man of concrete obedience: he listens to the voice of the Lord and brings “the Bride and the Child” to safety. This is no marginal episode, but a redemptive act. In Egypt, the Pope explained, the “flame of domestic love” entrusted by God to the house of Nazareth grows stronger, destined to become a light for the whole world.
An appeal to families: do not let yourselves be suffocated by ‘mirages’
From the Gospel account, Leo XIV turned to the families of today. With “wonder and gratitude” for the mystery of the Holy Family, he invited people to consider the light that can also shine forth from our own homes and illuminate the societies in which we live. The Pope acknowledged that the world continues to have its own “Herods”: not only individuals, but also cultural myths that seek to occupy the space of human relationships. He named them clearly: success at any cost, power without scruples, empty and superficial well-being. He also pointed to the consequences that so often follow: loneliness, despair, division and conflict. Hence the exhortation: do not allow these mirages to suffocate the flame of love within Christian families. For Leo XIV, safeguarding family life involves recognisable choices and practices: prayer, regular participation in the sacraments—with a particular emphasis on Confession and Holy Communion—healthy affections, sincere dialogue, faithfulness, and that “simple and beautiful concreteness” expressed in the good words and gestures of everyday life. It is this, he underlined, that makes the family a “light of hope” in daily settings, a “school of love” and an “instrument of salvation”.
Families as a sign of God’s charity
In introducing the Marian prayer, Leo XIV entrusted to the Father, through the intercession of Mary and Saint Joseph, a clear petition: that families throughout the world may be blessed, so that, by growing according to the model of the family of Jesus, they may become an “effective sign” of God’s presence and of his “endless charity”. The Pope thus linked the feast of the Holy Family not to an abstract ideal, but to a visible mission: a home that guards the Gospel can speak to the world through the quiet strength of perseverance.
An invitation to peace
After the Angelus, Leo XIV offered his greetings to Romans and pilgrims, mentioning numerous groups—children, confirmation candidates, young people, altar servers, scouts, educators and volunteers—who had come from various parts of Italy. Finally, in the “light of the Lord’s Christmas”, he renewed his appeal to pray for peace, highlighting a particular intention: families suffering because of war, especially children, the elderly and the most vulnerable. His concluding entrustment was to the Holy Family of Nazareth, as both intercessor and model of a hope that does not ignore trials, but passes through them while safeguarding life.
s.G.B.
Silere non possum