The Feast of the Holy Family is a liturgical celebration in the Catholic Church in honor of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his foster father, St. Joseph, as a family. The primary purpose of this feast is to present the Holy Family as a model for Christian Families.
I mentioned to my Spiritual Director I was assigned the task to write this article for the bulletin. We spoke on the Holy Family, evangelization, and an article written by Adele Paz Collins. It dawned on me, God is calling us to become joyful missionary disciples and witness to the power of the Gospel. I felt compelled to share this article with all of you, from the magazine Unleash the Gospel, June 2019.
Wednesday: Pope St. John Paul II
John Paul II loved the family and taught us that the family is the building block of society. He encouraged us to make each of our families a “shrine of life and love” and to protect the human families, God multiplies our love and transforms the society in which we live.
Activity: Assemble several building blocks or construction toys, such as wooden blocks, Legos or Duplos. Work together as a family to construct the tallest tower you can build. Is it easier to build a tall tower with a narrow or wide base? Explain that each of our families is like a support at the base of the tower and that together with all of the other Catholic families of the world, we make a firm foundation for our society.
Prayer: Lord God, from you every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. Father, you are love and life. Through your son, Jesus Christ, born of woman, and through the Holy Spirit, the fountain of divine charity, grant that every family on earth may become for each successive generation a true shrine of life and love. Grant that your grace may guide the thoughts and actions of husbands and wives for the good of their families and of all the families in the world. Grant that the young may find in the family solid support for their human dignity and for their growth in truth and love. Grant that love, strengthened by the grace of the sacrament of marriage, may prove mightier than all the weaknesses and trials through which our families sometimes pass. Through the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that the Church may fruitfully carry out her worldwide mission in the family and through the family.We ask this of you, who is life, truth and love with the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
– Prayer for All Families, Pope John Paul II
From my family to yours, a very happy & safe new year!
Anna Romano
Liturgy Coordinator