On the Sunday of the Holy Family, the Jubilee of Hope 2025 was celebrated in a special way in the Diocese of Antananarivo. The Mass was held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Andohalo. The faithful gathered in large numbers, and even outside the cathedral grounds many remained standing until the end of the Mass. The celebration was presided over by Bishop Jean de Dieu Raoelison, Bishop of Antananarivo Central. In his homily, he recalled that the Holy Family of Nazareth, like all families, went through difficult trials. He mentioned the loss of Jesus in the Temple, which led Mary and Joseph to search anxiously for their son, and Jesus’ response: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” He also spoke of the anguish experienced by Joseph, from Egypt to Nazareth. We call this family holy because of the presence of Jesus in its midst; therefore, our own family is also holy if Jesus is at the centre of our personal lives, and each member becomes holy as well. This is why we say that the family is a domestic Church. The Holy Family was accustomed to living with Jesus; when he was no longer there, they noticed his absence and went in search of him. Does our family still have the habit of living with Jesus? Is he still with us, or has he gone away? If Jesus is not in our lives, do we feel it? Life without Jesus is destroyed.
The Holy Family is the supreme model for every family, because it loved prayer and sought to respect the laws of the government of its time. It never stopped making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, despite the long distance between Nazareth and Jerusalem. It did not make excuses to avoid going to church. In this way, the family of Nazareth teaches us to pray, because prayer increases love and helps the family not to be easily drawn toward evil. This fully corresponds to the theme of the Diocese of Antananarivo: “Prayer is a life that nourishes and strengthens the family’s relationship with God.” Yet the question remains: does our family love prayer?
Following the example of the Holy Family, we are all called to protect life and to be merciful toward our brothers and sisters, just as God has always been merciful to us. Respect must prevail in family life, especially respect for parents, which opens the path to forgiveness. Every family is invited to walk together, to engage in dialogue, to listen to one another, and to renounce misplaced pride. Our family is a path toward life in God if we remain always united with JESUS.