February - Dedicated to The Holy Family
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The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family. The special devotion which proposes the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the model of virtue of all Christian households began in the 17th century. It started almost simultaneously in Canada and France: the Association of the Holy Family was founded in Montreal in 1663, and by the Daughters of the Holy Family in Paris in 1674.
This devotion soon spread and in 1893 Leo XIII expressed his approval of a feast under this title and himself composed part of the Office. On account of the flight into Egypt this feast has been observed by the Copts from early times. The feast was welcomed by succeeding Pontiffs as an efficacious means for bringing home to the Christian people the example of the Holy Family at Nazareth, and by the restoration of the true spirit of family life, stemming, in some measure, the evils of present-day society.In the words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII,
"Nothing truly can be more salutary or efficacious for Christian families to meditate upon than the example of this Holy Family, which embraces the perfection and completeness of all domestic virtues."
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The Hidden Life of The Holy Family
The home of Nazareth is the school where we begin to understand the life of Jesus—the school of the Gospel. First, then, a lesson of silence. May esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable condition of mind, revive in us...A lesson on family life. May Nazareth teach us what family life is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, and its sacred and inviolable character...A lesson of work. Nazareth, home of the Carpenter's Son, in you I would choose to understand and proclaim the severe and redeeming law of human work. — Paul VI at Nazareth, January 5, 1964
Since the Holy Family observed the Jewish law in its perfection, we can deduce quite accurately what prayers they recited. The Psalms, of course, were the favorites. Three times a day Jesus, Mary, and Joseph said the Tephillah, "The Prayer," consisting of eighteen long invocations and blessings. Joseph (and later Jesus when He attained to manhood) was obliged to say the Shema, a sort of profession of faith in the one true God, twice daily.
A very interesting Jewish custom of prayer that must have been observed in the house at Nazareth was that of the Mezuzah, "the doorpost," and the "phylacteries," small square calfskin boxes with Scripture texts written on parchment inside them.
On the doorpost of the house at Nazareth was fastened a wooden tube containing a rolled parchment inscribed with the passage quoted above from the Book of Deuteronomy and another passage (11:13-21) citing the blessings of serving God. On entering and leaving the house the members of the Holy Family would piously touch this Mezuzah, saying, "May God keep my going out and coming in from now on and forevermore." All this was intended to show reverence for the word of God.
Such was the vocal and the more or less formal prayer which Jesus, Mary, and Joseph offered in their home at Nazareth. In their hearts, however, they prayed always. Just as the Heart of Jesus was constantly united with His divinity, so were the hearts of Mary and Joseph so closely bound to God that their every action was a prayer. — Excerpted from Reflections on the Life of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Francis L. Filas, S.J.
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Imitation of the Holy Family
The Holy Family models for us what family life should exemplify. It is a school of virtue for both parents and children. There we find God, and learn how to connect with God and with oth
ers. The family is where love is freely given without self-interest. It is where we learn to love, to pray and to practice the gift of charity. Pope John Paul II has said, “The family, more than any other human reality, is the place in which the person is loved for himself and in which he learns to live the sincere gift of self” (Nov. 27, 2002).We should ask ourselves if our own families model that of the Holy Family. We need to be open to God’s grace to value the positive and to accept our mistakes — and to be willing to rectify them. Parenting is a very challenging responsibility and at times errors are made despite the best intentions. Recognizing this, children should trust their parents and never forget that parents want only what is best for them.
Which leads us to what may be the most important family virtue — forgiveness. Living so intimately within the family nucleus naturally gives rise to unpleasant situations where someone is apt to be offended. St. Paul knew this when he told us to “bear with and forgive one another.” The health of our family may depend on how quickly we learn to forgive without harboring feelings of resentment.
No family can thrive and grow without constant work. Even the material details that take time and effort are essential to keeping the family strong. Everyone has to pull together for the good of the family — even to the point of putting ahead of our own needs and ambitions the happiness of other family members, setting aside our own selfish desires.
It is also important to pray as a family, especially the holy rosary. Prayer will help us to intensify our closeness with each other and to learn to forgive.
During this Year of the Eucharist, it is essential to discover the relationship between the Eucharist and family life. Pope John Paul II wrote, “In the eucharistic gift of charity the Christian family finds the foundation and soul of its communion and its mission” (Letter on the Family, No. 57). — Excerpted from The Holy Family models what family life should be, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
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Additional Resources to Learn More
The Catholic Family Handbook, by Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik
FORMED resources on The
Holy Family
The Holy Family's
Marriage Advice
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12 Ways to Honor the Holy Family This February1. CONSECRATE YOUR FAMILY TO THE HOLY FAMILY.
- Click here for prayers to use.
2. PRAY THE FAMILY ROSARY TOGETHER.
- add a special prayer to the Holy Family - click here for one.3. STRENGTHEN AND/OR AFFIRM YOUR FAMILY'S DEVOTION TO THE EUCHARIST AS THE NOURISHMENT OF FAMILY LIFE.
- Purpose to keep the Sabbath holy together, and not let worldly distractions or secular obligations get in the way. Remind everyone of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as you drive to church together. Pope John Paul II wrote, “In the eucharistic gift of charity the Christian family finds the foundation and soul of its communion and its mission” (Letter on the Family, No. 57).
4. PLACE AN ICON OR IMAGE OF THE HOLY FAMILY ON YOUR TABLE.
- One recommendation is the statue “A Quiet Moment” by Timothy P. Schmalz. Put a treasured picture of your own family beside it, as a way of seeking blessing and intercession for your family from the Holy Family.
5. STRENGTHEN YOUR FAMILY BONDS THROUGH SHARED JOY.
- During the month of February, plan something fun you can all do together! Maybe it’s a family outing to the aquarium, a sporting event, or a movie. Perhaps it’s baking a special dessert together and sharing the sweetness.
6. CREATE A “FAMILY FEAST DAY.”
- You can base it on a devotion to a saint, or the patron saint of your wedding day and/or the day you moved into or blessed your new home. If you haven’t yet had your house blessed or consecrated, make plans to do so! After all, your home is the domestic church for your family, and a beating heart of sorrows and joys where you all dwell and grow. What better month could there be to bless it?
7. SHARE STORIES OF BELOVED FAMILY MEMBERS.
- Pay special attention to those who have passed. Tell family anecdotes and pass down the oral tradition. Make sure to talk about those who have lived their faith through difficulties in an exemplary manner! This gives such roots and foundational meaning to our lives and identities as children of God.
8. TOGETHER, WITH YOUR FAMILY, WRITE A SHORT PRAYER YOU CAN SAY FOLLOWING GRACE BEFORE MEALS.
- For example: “God bless the (Last name here) family!” while holding hands and raising them up together.
9. DESIGN A RITUAL OF FORGIVENESS.
- You may have one already and don’t realize that’s what it is! Perhaps to make peace with another member of the family you make a pot of tea to share as a gesture of forgiveness or play a special song that signifies to other family members: “I love you and I want to start new.” One nice idea: put a special cookie, or crackers and cheese or fruit on a plate, with an icon of the Holy Family as a centerpiece. Call the hurt or angry person(s) over for a chat, a hug, a shared apology, and a snack together from the “Holy Family plate.”
10. TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY, NAME YOUR HOME.
- It can be named after a saint, or take its inspiration from a place in the Bible; it can have something to do with the name of the street you live on, an attribute you strive for, or your last name. But naming your home something gives an epic quality to your life that creates a sense of bonding among family members that cannot be taken for granted.
11. HAVE A HOLY WATER FONT AT THE DOOR.
- Bless yourselves and each other as you leave and return.
12. BLESS EACH OTHER AT BEDTIME AND MENTION EACH FAMILY MEMBER'S NAME IN PRAYER BEFORE FALLING ASLEEP.
- Think of that classic television series, The Waltons, which closed each episode with that beautiful ritual!As we end each day, let us recall these words of Pope St. John Paul II: “The family, more than any other human reality, is the place in which the person is loved for himself and in which he learns to live the sincere gift of self.” God bless your family.
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