The family is a pretty big deal to God, so much so that when God came to earth, he did so in and through a family

Even before that, we read in Genesis 1 how God is a family …. God makes man in “OUR OWN IMAGE”….pointing to the trinity. God IS a family

The catechesim notes that the health of the world and the church depends upon the health of our families

That all said, famliy is a big deal. Today we think about the Holy Family. We all have a place in the Holy Family, around the crib. Praise God!  And we think about our own families.

I’ve pulled together some hints from Pope Francis that he has shared over the past several years at different times about how to have healthy, happy, holy families….

So here’s some homework for everyone:

1. For Everyone:  Look at the Nativity Set with the Holy Family, says Pope Francis, and think and pray about your family. Remember two important things:
   1) JESUS is the center of the Holy Family in the stable and must be the center of our families too. There better be crosses, statues, bibles, pictures, etc of Jesus and Mary in our houses! Altars are really nice to have in one’s house — a consecrated place for prayer.
   2) Everyone in the Holy Family forgets about themselves and is focused on God and others.  FAMILY … F-A-M-I-L-Y:  Forget About Me, I Love You.  That is the mindset and heartset of everyone in the manger scene.  Joseph, Mary, the angels, the animals, the shepherds, kings — everyone has forgotten about himself and is focused on Jesus.  And even Jesus isn’t focused on himself, but rather on those he came to save.  Our families are healthy, happy, and holy when we have this mindset: F-A-M-I-L-Y:  Forget About Me, I Love You.  We go down a BAD BAD road when we put ourselves first….like when someone cheats on a spouse, or when a kid disobeys his father, etc…..
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2. For Everyone:  Consecrate your family to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph every day. Use the prayer in the bulletin or your own prayer. Pray this prayer together whenever possible, but if it is not possible to pray together, you can pray it by yourself for your family. Do it every day!
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3. For Parents: Make the sign of the cross on your child every morning and every night, as you did on the day of his/her baptism. Make the Sign of the Cross on your child’s forehead while saying: “May God bless you and keep you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Seal the blessing with a kiss on the forehead. Use holy water if you have it available.  Have the kids do it back to you, too!  You never know when might be the last time you see them.
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4. For Parents: Do not give your children everything they want. You are not their friend. Your job is to teach them responsibility, sacrifice, virtue, and how to get to heaven.  You may need to set boundaries they don’t like; set them anyway. You know what is best for them, what will keep them from danger.
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5. For Married Couples: Prayer your wedding vows every day. Put them on your mirror in your house. If you are not married by the Church, it is time to do that. Ask every day: how can I love my spouse more today than yesterday?
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6. For Married Couples: Remember: a child is ALWAYS a blessing! Contraception is a fairly new phenomenon and it is a mortal sin (unless for grave reasons of health) because it blocks the greatest gift God could give: a child. It is an evil.
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7. Children and Youth: Obey your parents. They have given you everything you have — your food, your clothes, your shoes, your house, your life. When they ask you to do something, do it with cheer. To disobey a parents is a mortal sin.
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8. Children and Youth: talk a lot with your grandmothers. Grandparents help children and young people take root in their family, take root in their traditions, take root in their values, take root in faith, take root in Jesus

A Prayer to Consecrate Your Family to Jesus, Mary and Joseph (pray daily)

O Jesus, our most loving Savior, who deigned to come into the world from heaven, not only to enlighten it by teaching and by your example and to save it by death, but also to spend the greater part of life in humble obedience to Mary and Joseph in the obscurity of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the home which is the model of all Christian homes: graciously receive my family which I consecrate to you this day. Protect us and maintain in us, all through life, your holy fear and love and true harmony and charity among ourselves, so that we may imitate your Holy Family, be one in heart and soul on earth, and obtain eternal happiness and glory with you in heaven.

O Mary, loving Mother of Jesus and Our Mother, by your merciful intercession deign to make this humble dedication acceptable to Jesus Christ so that we may obtain His grace to be a truly Christian family.

St. Joseph, guardian and supporter of Jesus and Mary, help us with your powerful prayers in all our corporal and spiritual needs, and especially at the hour of our death, so that we may one day be united in heaven with you to praise and love Jesus and Mary forever and ever. Amen.

Wedding vows

Groom:
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my wife.
I promise to be faithful to you
in good times and in bad,
in sickness and in health,
to love you and to honor you
all the days of my life.

Bride:
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my husband.
I promise to be faithful to you
in good times and in bad,
in sickness and in health,
to love you and to honor you
all the days of my life.