Pope calls on families worldwide to imitate the Holy Family of Nazareth

December 31, 2012 - Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday urged parents to seriously engage themselves in the growth and education of their children, so that they may mature as responsible and honest citizens, without ever forgetting that faith is a precious gift to be nourished in their children through personal example. The Pope’s exhortation came during his last weekly midday ‘Angelus’ prayer of 2012 with a large crowd in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Speaking from his studio window overlooking the square the Pope reflected on the Gospel of the feast of the Holy Family, inviting prayers "for all the families of the world" so they may imitate "the Holy Family of Nazareth”. He urged that every child is welcomed as a gift from God, is sustained by the love of the father and mother in order to advance as the Lord Jesus "in wisdom and age and favour before God and man ". “The love, loyalty and dedication of Mary and Joseph are an example for all Christian couples who are neither the friends nor masters of their children's lives, but the guardians of this incomparable gift from God," the Pope Benedict said. Reflecting on the Gospel episode of the 12-year old Jesus going missing following the Holy Family’s annual visit to Jerusalem, and later found discussing with the learned scholars in the Temple of Jerusalem, Pope Benedict said, “The silence of Joseph, the just man and the example of Mary who kept all things in her heart, causes us to enter into the mystery full of faith and humanity of the Holy family. "The concern of Mary and Joseph for Jesus - he added - is the same as any parent who educates a child, introducing them to life and understanding reality." The Holy Father wished that all Christian families live in the presence of God with the same love and the same joy as the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
In remarks in English, the Pope wished that Jesus, Mary and Joseph bring greater love, unity and harmony to all Christian families, that they in their turn may be a firm example to the communities in which they live. In French, the Pope said, “The Son of God wished to be born in a family, granting it a noble meaning and an irreplaceable role for the person and for society.” “The family is the natural cradle of the child. It is the first and indispensable ground where roots are struck and where the person and human bonds are built,” the Pope added. At the end of his last ‘Angelus’ of 2012, Pope Benedict wished all a yearend in the light of the peace of the Lord.