The Church considers the Feast of the Holy Family to be a “movable feast,” which means that it can be celebrated whenever the Pope determines. The dates are announced from the ambo at Saint Peter’s Basilica on Epiphany for the next year (i.e., 2019 dates will be announced on Sunday, January 7, 2018). This year, the feast of the Holy Family will be celebrated on Sunday, December 31. There is not a lesson in the Gospel Weeklies for this date; however, it’s appropriate to include a mention of this special day during your Epiphany lesson (January 7).
We offer two free printables to help you explain the importance of the Holy Family. The first is the The Feast of the Holy Family resource page, which includes a brief prayer that families may say as part of their meal blessing. The Holy House of Loreto resource page explains the history of the small dwelling that is claimed to not only be the location where Mary learned she would be the mother of Jesus, but also the Nazareth home of the Holy Family.
Image credit: Nancy Bauer/Shutterstock.com
