Your Holy Family | The Mission of the Family – To Educate, Empower, and Evangelize | Feast of the Epiphany

This homily is the final reflection in a three-part Christmas–Epiphany series on the family. Celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany and preached by Fr. Will Rooney, it focuses on the mission of the family as God’s chosen instrument for making Christ known to the world.

Reflecting on the visit of the Magi, this homily highlights how Jesus chose to manifest Himself not in power or prestige, but within the simplicity of the Holy Family. Their encounter with Christ changes them—and reveals a lasting truth: God continues to evangelize the world through families who welcome Him into their homes. Every family, despite its imperfections, is called to become an epiphany—a visible manifestation of Christ’s light that draws others to Him.

Fr. Will explores how families live this mission concretely by first being evangelized themselves, by forming communities of prayer and sacrificial love, and by allowing the grace of Christ to shape daily life. Through small, faithful practices—praying together, blessing the home, building relationships with neighbors—families become domestic churches where Christ’s light shines outward to the world.

This final homily completes the series by uniting the roles of fatherhood and motherhood with their shared purpose: to educate, empower, and evangelize, so that every nation may come to adore the Lord.