The Holy Family lived a quiet life full of love of one another and of God; yet, their ordinary life became an extraordinary example for all who desire a lasting relationship with God. Catholics should look to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph daily. By inviting them into our homes and families, we can grow to be like them.
Here are five simple but meaningful ways Catholics can honor the Holy Family in their homes.
Consecrate your family to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Consecration means to “set apart” or “to make holy.” By consecrating yourself to the Holy Family, you commit yourself to the protection and prayers of Jesus and His parents. Through it, you can more effectively share God’s light and love with the world.
While there are many excellent options for consecrating yourself to each individual member of the Holy Family, like St. Louis de Monfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary or Fr. Donald Calloway’s Consecration to St. Joseph, you can also opt to consecrate yourself to all three at once using prayers like this one.
Invite the Holy Family into your day
Start your morning right by offering your daily work, joys, and sufferings to God through a morning offering. Invoke the Holy Family’s intercession as you begin your day, so that you might imitate them in virtue and holiness.
You can simply add “Holy Family, pray for us” to your morning prayers, or write your own Morning offering to the Holy Family, like this:
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Most Pure Heart of St. Joseph, I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, the reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.
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"O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day." Place this Morning Offering vinyl sticker on your bathroom mirror or prayer journal as a reminder to offer your day… Read MoreMorning Offering Vinyl Sticker
Meditate on their sorrows, joys, and daily life
Every family has their ups and downs, and Jesus’ family is no different. Encounter the Holy Family in prayer and look to them for courage and strength to approach challenges with grace and blessings with a thankful heart.
You can meditate on significant moments in Scripture using Lectio Divina and Imaginative Prayer. Or you can ponder their lives using more structured prayers like the Rosary or the Seven Sorrows Rosary. You can also pray through St. Joseph’s Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys–– an excellent devotion dedicated to this holy man.
Cultivate your own Nazareth
Jesus spent most of his life at his childhood home in Nazareth, which was no doubt a place full of God’s joy, peace, and love. It was there that Jesus learned to pray and work, and He grew into the man who was willing to lay down His life for the salvation of sinners.
Pope Saint Paul VI in a homily on the Feast of the Holy family said:
“Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand His Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder, the simple appeal of the way God’s Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning. And gradually, we may even learn to imitate Him.”
Whether you are single, engaged, or married, your home can reflect the life-giving nature of the home at Nazareth and offer you space to grow more like Christ.
You can cultivate your own Nazareth through silence and prayer, through diligence and joy in your work, and through unceasing contemplation of Christ in your daily life. Create a rhythm or rule of life that will help you intentionally order your days toward God and live your vocation fully as an act of love.
Put Holy Family Art in a place of honor
Beautiful art lifts our minds and hearts toward heaven. It invites the viewer to contemplation and stirs a desire for communion with God in the hearts of men.
Placing sacred images in your home’s prayer corner allows for deeper meditation on God’s goodness and on the heroic virtue of the saints.
Frame prints of the Holy Family and hang them in your domestic church. Look upon them as you spend time in prayer, and ask for their intercession in your quest for holiness.
The Holy Family Collection
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I absolutely love imagery of the Holy Family that is relatable and dare I say...adorable. Display these prints of the Holy Family in your family room, bedroom, living room, or office, and be reminded of the love of our Blessed Mother,… Read More
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph make our hearts and homes like unto thine.