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Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, December 27, 2020, Year B

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Fr. Charles Irvin Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for Sunday’s readings ) Today we continue our Christmas celebration with a consideration of the Holy Family. This feast has the same first two readings every year but one of three different Gospels. The first reading is always the reading from Sirach about the honor that children should extend to their parents. The second reading is always the reading from Colossians about respecting each other’s position within the family. It is not a divine decree that women should be subordinated to men any more than was St. Paul’s admonition to slaves to be faithful to their masters is a divine endorsement of slavery. In today’s Gospel Mary and Joseph present Jesus in Jerusalem’s Temple in fulfillment of their religious tradition. You parents can remember when your children were infants. You couldn’t wait to show them off to family and friends. You probably had a big celebration on that very special day when you went to your parish church a

TOB Tuesday: From the Beginning of Creation Marriage Was a Sacred Covenant Between Husband and Wife

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Editor's note: Occasionally on Tuesday we will feature posts relating to St. John Paul the Great's Theology of the Body; his reflection on our nature and life as persons made in the image and likeness of God, conjugal love, the meaning of celibacy, and the eternal beatitude to which every human being is called. ________________________________________ Saint John Paul II The link between secularization and the crisis of marriage and of the family is only too clear. The crisis concerning the meaning of God and that concerning moral good and evil has succeeded in diminishing an acquaintance with the fundamentals of marriage and of the family which is rooted in marriage. For an effective recovery of the truth in this field, it is necessary to rediscover the transcendent dimension that is intrinsic to the full truth of marriage and the family , overcoming every dichotomy that tends to separate the profane aspects from the religious as if there were two marriages: one

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Advice to Parents

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Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was the first person born in America to be named a saint. Her road to sainthood was paved with difficulties that sound quite modern in their familiarity. Before founding her Order and what would eventually become the parochial school system, she was a loving wife and mother to five children. If I had to advise parents, I should tell them to take great care about the people with whom their children associate… Much harm may result from bad company, and we are inclined by nature to follow what is worse than what is better. — St. Elizabeth Ann Seton ______________________________________ Prayer for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Intercession Almighty ever-living God, who crowned with the gift of true faith Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's burning zeal to find you, grant by her intercession and example that we may always seek you with diligent love and find you in our daily service with sincere faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your only Son, who live

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, December 31, 2017, Year B

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Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) Today we continue our Christmas celebration with a consideration of the Holy Family. This feast has the same first two readings every year but one of three different Gospels. The first reading is always the reading from Sirach about the honor that children should extend to their parents. The second reading is always the reading from Colossians about respecting each other’s position within the family. It is not a divine decree that women should be subordinated to men any more than was St. Paul’s admonition to slaves to be faithful to their masters is a divine endorsement of slavery. In today’s Gospel Mary and Joseph present Jesus in Jerusalem’s Temple in fulfillment of their religious tradition. You parents can remember when your children were infants. You couldn’t wait to show them off to family and friends. You probably had a big celebration on that very special day when you went to

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family, December 31, 2017, Year B

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Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) (Note: I have chosen the readings from Sirach and Colossians) It is my custom on the feast of the Holy Family to offer “words of wisdom” for family life. Underlying them is what I call the Snowflake Principle : People are like snowflakes, no two are alike. Clearly, God loves variety. We need to respect God’s variety, respecting one another, “bearing with one another,” as St. Paul writes. We need to minimize our faults and capitalize on our strengths. Other principles: 2. Elbows and Toes.  You can’t rub elbows with the same people day in and day out without sometimes stepping on each other’s toes. We need to be realistic about family life, learn to say “of course,” and “I’m sorry,” and “I forgive you.” Tensions inevitable. What happens after is what really matters. 3. I’m nobody, who are you? (from a poem by Emily Dic

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families 2017 | Day 9

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September 7, 2017 The Virgin Mary and Joseph were graced with the honor of raising Jesus. Having God Incarnate in their midst was an unrivaled joy. The happiness this brought was something we can only imagine. Jesus, Mary and Joseph are the model for Christian marriages and families. Today, we pray for all married couples that they emulate the Holy Family in how they relate to their spouses and in conducting their families to be holy and loving. Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, pray for us. Nativity of the Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families - Day 9 Say the following three times: Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family. Then say: Mother Mary, you pray for me as your child. Thank you for welcoming me into the Holy Family. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul that I may increase my devotion to the Holy Family. Dearest Mother, please pray for

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families 2017 | Day 8

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September 6, 2017 Today, we again remember marriages and families who are struggling. Pope Francis once said, "Jesus' attitude is striking: we do not hear the words of scorn, we do not hear the words of condemnation, but only words of love, of mercy..." Let us pray for spouses to emulate this in their marriages and in their families. We pray also for the widowed, single parents, and all those hurt by divorce. Nativity of the Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families - Day 8 Say the following three times: Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family. Then say: Heavenly Mother, your birth gave great joy to all the world because it signaled the coming of Jesus Christ, who would save the whole world by His life, death and resurrection. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul that I may be exceedingly patient with my family and loved ones. Deare

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families 2017 | Day 7

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September 5, 2017 Today we pray for all single people discerning marriage, all engaged couples, all newlyweds, and those who have been married for many years. Each of them need God's guidance — that their love, relationships and marriages may glorify God and bring Christ to the people around them, their families, and the world. Nativity of the Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families - Day 7 Say the following three times: Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family. Then say: Holy Mother, your birth caused great joy to the angels, because they saw your holiness caused by your Son’s resurrection. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul that your graces may rain down on all married couples. Dearest Mother, please pray for me and for these my intentions… (State your intentions) Hail Mary… Impart to your servants, we pray, O Lord, the gift of he

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families 2017 | Day 6

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September 4, 2017 Saint John Paul II wrote at length about the family in 1994, when the Church celebrated the 'Year of the Family.' He said, "The civilization of love is possible; it is not a utopia. But it is only possible by a constant and ready reference to the "Father from whom all fatherhood on earth is named", from whom every human family comes." Today, we pray that all families may grow to be ever more Christ-centered, and recognize that all things good are truly gifts from God, our Father. Nativity of the Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families - Day 6 Say the following three times: Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family. Then say: O holy Mother, St. Joachim and St. Anne were delighted to love and care for so holy a child. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul that I may show greater charity to my parents and g

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families 2017 | Day 5

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September 3, 2017 Society is built and sustained by families. The sacred foundation of the family is marriage. Today, the family and marriage are under attack. However, this did not happen in a vacuum. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput observed, “No society can sustain itself for long if marriage and the family fall apart on a mass scale.” When marriages suffer, families suffer, and society breaks down. Faithfulness to Christ will increase faithfulness to our families, particularly one’s spouse. Let us pray for greater fidelity to our Lord Jesus so that we may be selfless as family members. Nativity of the Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families - Day 5 Say the following three times: Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family. Then say: Most holy Mary, the Holy Spirit preserved you from sin so that our Lord would have a fitting vessel to enter the world. Pray for me today that the feast of you

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families 2017 | Day 4

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September 2, 2017 Society is built and sustained by families. The sacred foundation of the family is marriage. Today, the family and marriage are under attack. But this did not happen in a vacuum. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput observed, “No society can sustain itself for long if marriage and the family fall apart on a mass scale.” When marriages suffer, families suffer, and society breaks down. Every marriage and family is called to be at the service of life. Today, we pray that families may discern how they can uphold the dignity of life, regardless of circumstances. Nativity of the Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families - Day 4 Say the following three times: Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family. Then say: Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages. Amen. O most holy daughter of the line of King David, the Redeemer of the world loves you

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families 2017 | Day 3

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September 1, 2017 Society is built and sustained by families. The sacred foundation of the family is marriage. Today, the family and marriage are under attack. But this did not happen in a vacuum. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput observed, “No society can sustain itself for long if marriage and the family fall apart on a mass scale.” When marriages suffer, families suffer, and society breaks down. Love is rooted in sacrifices, and each member of the family must make many sacrifices. Let us pray that the sacrifices we make are made joyfully. Blessed Virgin, pray for us. Nativity of the Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families - Day 3 Say the following three times: Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family. Then say: Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages. Amen. Immaculate daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne, you are the door to the Eternal Word w

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families 2017 | Day 2

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August 31, 2017 Society is built and sustained by families. The sacred foundation of the family is marriage. Today, the family and marriage are under attack. However, this did not happen in a vacuum. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has observed, “No society can sustain itself for long if marriage and the family fall apart on a mass scale.” When marriages suffer, families suffer, and society breaks down. Today, we pray for an increase in holiness, that we may grow to be better members of our families. We pray also for the strength and will to attain this grace. Blessed Virgin, pray for us. Nativity of the Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families - Day 2 Say the following three times: Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family. Then say: Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages. Amen. O most holy daughter of Adam, your precious Son chose you as the

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families 2017 | Day 1

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August 30, 2017 Society is built and sustained by families. The sacred foundation of the family is marriage. Today, the family and marriage are under attack. However, this did not happen in a vacuum. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput observed, “No society can sustain itself for long if marriage and the family fall apart on a mass scale.” When marriages suffer, families suffer. And when families suffer, society breaks down. We say this novena for marriage and family, for all marriages and families that are suffering in any way. Let us pray for peace in our homes, hearts and families. Nativity of the Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families - Day 1 Say the following three times: Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family. Then say: Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages. Amen. Most lovable Mother Mary, our Father in Heaven created you with delight.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena for Marriage and Families 2017 Begins August 30th

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"We live in a world where the family is under attack. It is safe to say that the institution of both marriage and family has never been as threatened as it is today. In fact, its very survival as an institution is questionable. There is hardly a person reading this who is not touched by the disintegration of family life. It can take many forms; divorce, co-habitation, the acceptance of a contraceptive mentality, abortion, fatherless homes, the rejection of the faith and numerous other dysfunctions which plague and threaten to destroy family life all together. Beyond these problems, as Saint John Paul II himself warned in Familiars consortio , there are strong forces in our society, which are actively seeking to change the very nature, structure, and meaning of both marriage and family: and even in some cases to eradicate them all together. This disintegration of marriage and family has not happened by accident. At one time, they were considered to be sacred institutions havin

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput: "No Society Can Long Sustain Itself If Marriage and the Family Fall Apart."

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The Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. the Archbishop of Philadelphia presented this Brigham Young University forum address on March 22, 2016. He discusses the difficulties faced by believers in America today and the assaults on religious freedom perpetrated by the government and secular forces. Below is a partial transcript of Archbishop Chaput's remarks. They are well worth your time. Starting at 4:32: I want to begin by giving you some background on the Catholic experience in this country. I’ll do that through the lens of a particular Catholic bishop – me. I don’t claim to speak for all or even most Americans who describe themselves as Catholic. But my comments do reflect the views of many Catholics who rank their Catholic faith as the most precious thing in their lives — and actually live that way. So let’s start with a simple fact: Catholics have never entirely “fit” in America. We’ve tried, but the results are mixed. In fact some years ago Stanley Hauerwas

By What Vision? The Attack on Marriage and Family

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Contemporary times have witnessed a continued and sustained attack against the traditional family. On the excellent EWTN DVD series, The Domestic Church , Dr. Joseph Atkinson of the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family presents a lucid, God-centered vision of the family as a Domestic Church. The following is a partial excerpt of Dr. Atkinson's presentation from the first episode. By What Vision? We live in a world where the family is under attack. It is safe to say that the institution of both marriage and family has never been as threatened as it is today. In fact, its very survival as an institution is questionable. There is hardly a person reading this who is not touched by the disintegration of family life. It can take many forms; divorce, co-habitation, the acceptance of a contraceptive mentality, abortion, fatherless homes, the rejection of the faith and numerous other dysfunctions which plague and threaten to destroy family life all together. Be

Prayer to Saint Joseph for the Family

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Great Saint Joseph, you were chosen by God to be the head of the Holy Family. Kindly look down upon us and bestow your fatherly protection upon our home. Model of the most lively faith, obtain for all the members of our family the grace to believe firmly what God has revealed and bear witness to our faith in all that we do. May we ever remain bound together for the salvation of souls, in order to fulfill our role in the great family of the Church and be reunited after this life in the happiness of heaven. Amen.  ____________________________________________________ Grant, we pray, almighty God, that by Saint Joseph's intercession your Church may constantly watch over the unfolding of the mysteries of human salvation, whose beginnings you entrusted to his faithful care. Saint Joseph, pray for us!

TOB Tuesday: Original Unity

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Editor's note: Each Tuesday we will feature posts discussing Saint John Paul the Great's Theology of the Body; his reflection on our nature and life as persons made in the image and likeness of God, conjugal love, the meaning of celibacy, and the eternal beatitude to which every human being is called.  ____________________________ In Genesis, when Adam awakes from the divine sleep, God presents him with Eve. Immediately, Adam exclaims, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." Adam's response is an expression of love. Adam recognizes in Eve a person, equal in dignity to himself. Eve beholds in Adam a person like her. This was the moment that original solitude was overcome. The loneliness and longing that each felt for the other was wondrously fulfilled in their covenantal union. With original unity, Adam was a gift to Eve, and Eve a gift to Adam. Their very bodies spoke a language of intimacy and trust — enabling them to view each other

Saint Monica Novena 2016 | Day 2

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Saint Monica is the patron saint of mothers & wives. The vocation of motherhood (and fatherhood) is extremely important for our society and in the eyes of God. St. Monica prayed diligently for her children for years on end. May she intercede especially for the children and grandchildren in our lives. Today, let us pray for all mothers and fathers to be good and holy examples for their children. Day 2 - The St. Monica Novena Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, you constant