2020 Novena for Family Unity Copyright 2017 George Martell/Holy Cross Family MInistries. All rights reserved.[/caption] How to begin Take a moment to gather your family. It’s helpful to find a quiet space, turn off all digital devices, light a candle and perhaps have a statue or image of Our Lady or the Holy Family. Discuss as a family what intentions you will pray for today. Is a family member ill, out of work, struggling with their studies? Were you blessed in some way today that you would like to offer a petition of thanksgiving? There are no right or wrong petitions. Anything from the hearts of any family member are important to offer. If every family member has a Rosary, take them out. FamilyRosary.org offers an infographic on how to pray the Rosary that you can share with your children as they learn this form of prayer.

DAILY OPENING PRAYER

Begin by praying together each day the following prayer: O Jesus, on the Cross you gave us Mary as our Mother. Her faithful servant, Father Patrick Peyton C.S.C., the Family Rosary priest, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to proclaim an important message about the power of family prayer. He believed and preached that The Family That Prays Together Stays Together. Through Mary and his intercession, we ask for this favor for our family:  _____________________________________. Let our praying of the Rosary be a way for us to become more united as a family. Amen.

January 5 – Glorious Mysteries

Pray the Rosary. Read one mystery and reflection at each Our Father and spend a few quiet moments reflecting on it. You may want to have different family members read the reflections and lead the prayers:

HOPE

As we pray the Glorious Mysteries together today, we seek a deeper understanding of Mary’s virtue of Hope and strive to emulate it in our lives. First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” John 20:2 When Jesus told the disciples of his fate, they understandably reacted with sorrow. This showed their love for Jesus but it also showed that they needed to grow in hope for the Glorious Easter Resurrection; a victory over sin and death. Lord Jesus, help us to love you more this day and grow in hope that the Mystery of the Resurrection truly drives out discouragement and despair. Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord “The Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven … they went forth and preached everywhere.” Mark 16:19-20 When Jesus returned to his disciples on Easter Sunday they were still reeling from his Passion and Death; they, like we at times, were incredulous, brokenhearted. Yet on the day of His Ascension, His disciples are filled with joy! They were beginning to better understand God’s way of doing things. Lord Jesus, help us to see your Ascension as a sign of your plan as we grow in hope for life eternal. Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit “And it happened that while they were conversing … Jesus drew near and walked with them.” Luke 24:15 The experience of Pentecost, when from Heaven Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon His disciples in the form of tongues of fire, ignites their hearts and they immediately go out and preach the hope of Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, help our family to both be receptive to your Holy Spirit and to let the love we have for you to grow. Give us a greater sense of hope for our lives both today and every day. Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven “Mary, preserved free from all stains of original sin, when the source of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory.” (Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus, 1950.) From the moment of His conception in Mary’s womb, Jesus knew His Father. And from this, Jesus lived a life of hope, one that only God can offer. The Church calls Mary the Mother of Sacred Hope, for she is the most exalted model of perfect confidence in God. Lord Jesus, help our family grow in hope as we pray: “Hail Holy Queen, our life, our sweetness and our hope!” Let our Blessed Mother’s Assumption into Heaven cause us to grow in hope for what you have promised us. Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary “There, ‘in the glory of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity,’ in the communion of all the saints, the Church is awaited by the one she venerates, as Mother of her Lord and as her own mother.” At her Immaculate Conception, Mary’s soul was endowed with an intense degree of Hope, but the full perfection of that Hope was crowned in Heaven only after a lifetime of joy and trials. Help us look to Mary as she placed her boundless faith in God as the source of our hope both in good and bad times. Let us grow into what is possible when we live a life of Hope rooted in God.

CLOSING

We end this novena with Venerable Patrick Peyton’s prayer for beatification: Prayer For the Beatification of Venerable Patrick Peyton Dear Jesus, Father Peyton devoted his priestly life to strengthening the families of the world by calling them to pray together every day, especially the Rosary. His message is as important for us now as it was during his life on earth. We beg you, therefore, to hasten the day of his beatification so that your faithful people everywhere will remember his message that The Family That Prays Together Stays Together, will imitate him in his devotion to your Mother and ours, and will be inspired by his holy life to draw ever closer to you with childlike confidence and love. Amen. Here at CatholicMom.com, we will offer the full text of the daily novena prayers at 5:30 AM Eastern through January 9. You may also download the Novena eBook from FamilyRosary.org. All in honor of Venerable Patrick Peyton, we thank you for joining us in this Novena of Thanksgiving. As we express our profound gratitude to Our Lord for this tremendous gift, we also give thanks for all your prayers for Father Peyton’s Cause. Please continue to pray for Father Peyton’s Cause so that one day he will become “Blessed,” then a “Saint.” After all, the world needs “A Saint for Family Prayer.” We encourage you to continue praying with your family every day, wherever you are. For additional online resources for family prayer including a Prayer Petition Page and our World at Prayer Blog, please visit FamilyRosary.org. All our resources represent a sample of  Father Peyton’s passion for family unity through prayer. We hope our services will enhance your family’s prayer life particularly remembering Father Peyton’s famous words: “The Family That Prays Together Stays Together” and “A World at Prayer is a World at Peace.”
Copyright 2020 Holy Cross Family Ministries