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27 DENVER CATHOLIC | DECEMBER 2022 unbounded charity, which enabled them to live for God above all else. The ritual also marked Mary's purification after birth. We see in this time in Jerusalem the Holy Family's faithful- ness in observing the Mosaic Law. They model the centrality of prayer and worship we need to order our lives to God, expressed by the virtue of religion, which makes our entire lives into an offering for God's glory. Returning to Bethlehem, the Holy Family received the homage of wisemen from the East, who with great diligence sought the baby Jesus, only to flee to Egypt under threat of Herod, who refused the true kingship of the young Messiah. Joseph demonstrates great patience as guard- ian of his family, embracing exile in a foreign land. Like the Joseph of old, he provides for his family in time of trial. He embodies courage in facing these threats and leaves everything suddenly to flee to an unknown place to subsist there indefinitely. We see Joseph living out what Mary would later say at Cana, "Do whatever he tells you" (Jn 2:5), the most fundamental disposi- tion for the virtuous life. Joseph awakes in the night one final time at the command of an angel. Finally, he can return home to Nazareth, where Jesus will grow in wisdom and strength (Lk 2:40), praying and working with his parents. Here the "school of Nazareth" unfolds, showing the home to be the culmination of the family's journey, the place where human virtues blossom in the deepest love and devotion. Their home became a place of daily faithfulness and kindness, with pru- dence shaping all the decisions of the day, great and small, and justice guiding interactions with others. By continuing to live in poverty, the Holy Family points to the purpose of work and family life: to care for others and to honor God. The Holy Family continued to journey, making three annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the great feasts. One last time, Jesus traveled to the holy city for the great Passover that we continue to celebrate at every Mass. His mother travels with him faithfully, experiencing her true labor pains at the foot of the Cross, as a sword of sorrow pierces her heart, fulfilling Simeon's prophecy at the Presentation (Lk 2:35). The Holy Family's great pilgrimage has now reached its fulfillment: the crib to the Cross. As Christ is born anew in our hearts this Christmas, he opens our own path from the school of the virtues in Nazareth on toward Jerusalem: to give our lives completely to God with, in and through him. • FENCES • DECKS/COVERS • GARAGES • COMMERCIAL • CONCRETE • DESIGN/BUILD • BASEMENTS • BATHROOMS • KITCHENS 720.217.1263 aldermanbuilders.com parishioner Matthew Alderman Additions · Remodels · Main Floor Masters Donate today to provide meals and shelter to our brothers and sisters in need this Christmas. Give now at ccdenver.org/advent Call 720-799-9311 MAKE A MIRACLE HAPPEN FOR A FAMILY IN NEED! Please dont