The Holy Family of Nazareth and the Christian Family Today

In a world where family values are increasingly challenged, this profound work bridges the sacred past and the modern present. The Holy Family of Nazareth and the Christian Family Today delves into the life of the Holy Family of Nazareth – Saint Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ – offering a richly detailed portrait of their simple life, profound humility, and unwavering faith. By placing the Holy Family within their familial, social, and religious context of their time, the book reveals the human, humble, and poor life they led – a life marked by deep attentiveness to God and steadfast obedience to His divine will.

Through biblical narratives, theological reflections, and historical context, the author demonstrates how the Holy Family’s experiences resonate deeply with our own. Jesus was a man among men, similar to us in everything except sin. His education was not abstract or theoretical but actual and real, shaped by real events like the flight into Egypt, the boy Jesus in the temple, and three decades of quiet family life characterized by His obedience to His parents. These moments provide living proof of a faith-filled upbringing, underscoring how humility and listening to God profoundly influenced His public ministry.

This work is divided into three parts: the daily life and divine calling of the Holy Family, the impact of Jesus’ upbringing on His mission, and the application of their timeless example to the modern challenges faced by Christian families. Whether addressing secularism, fractured faith, or the trials of contemporary life, this book invites families to seek patience, peace, and unity by turning to the Holy Family as a model and guide.

With wisdom and compassion, this timeless book reminds us that the lessons of Nazareth remain as relevant today as ever. Whether you seek to deepen your spiritual understanding or strengthen your family bonds, this work offers an inspiring and practical roadmap for navigating the complexities of life with love, faith, and grace while remaining anchored in divine truths.

By H. E. Bishop Sélim Sayegh, Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The author, His Excellency Bishop Sélim Sayegh, was born in 1935 in Jordan and ordained a priest in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in 1959. He achieved a Doctorate Degree in Canon Law from Rome in 1966, was appointed at the Ecclesiastical Tribunals of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem and Amman, Jordan, and, in 1976, he was appointed Rector of the Latin Patriarchal Seminary of Beit-Jala.

On January 6, 1982, he was ordained Bishop in Rome by Pope Saint John Paul II, and he served as Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in Jordan from 1982 to 2012. He retired at the mandatory age of 75.

He is the author of more than twenty books of spirituality in French and Arabic. Several of them have been translated and published in English and Italian. He is retired and lives at “Our Lady of Peace Center,” near Amman. His latest book, translated from French to English, is “The Vow of Victim to Jesus Eucharist, Messenger Sister Mary of the Holy Trinity Poor Clare of Jerusalem”.

He devotes much of his time to Jordan’s developmentally disabled at Our Lady of Peace Center in Amman, Jordan, a school and clinic for developmentally disabled children that he established.