Moveable Feast!

The Feast of the Holy Family is observed on the Sunday following Christmas - BUT - when Christmas falls on a Sunday (as it did this year) then the Sunday after Christmas is January 1 which is the Solemnity of the Mary, Mother of God - AND - solemnities trump feast days - SO - in such years, the Feast of the Holy Family is transferred to December 30 - TODAY!

Christmas can bring out the best in families.  And sadly, Christmas can bring out the worst in families.  Most of us probably find ourselves in families where the best and the worst mingle together all year ‘round - and so we find ourselves in need of prayer...

 

Let’s pray today for our families 

- just as they are -

with the hope they'll become, 

    with the help of God's grace

- all they’re created and called to be…

 

In that spirit, let us pray: 

for families of origin,  

for nuclear families,

for extended families, 

for blended families, 

for biracial families,

for small families, 

for big families, 

for couples hoping to have a family, 

for our nation's family, 

for the global family, 

for the human family, 

for families living through war,

for immigrant families, 

for refugee families, 

for migrant families,

for families with two parents,

for families with one parent,

for families with gay or lesbian parents,

for families raised by grandparents, 

for families living with illness,

for troubled families,

for happy families,  

for grieving families,

for broken families,  

for families divided by politics,

for struggling families,  

for families who are poor 

   and for families who have too much,

for homeless families,  

for divorced families,  

for separated families, 

for adoptive families,  

for foster families,   

for the Church family,  

for parish families, 

for families of faith, 

for families of all faiths,

for inter-faith families,  

for families of no declared faith, 

for expectant families, 

for new families, 

for old families, 

for growing families, 

for families with only 

    a few members left,

for close families,  

for families separated by distance,

for families next door, 

for his family,  

for her family…

 

And we pray, Lord, 

for the human family: 

   hold us, help us and heal us 

   until we're one family, 

   brothers and sisters all,  

   children of one Father, 

   one in spirit, one in faith, 

   one in hope and one in love...

Amen.

 

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