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 9 – Luminous 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:

FAMILIES

As we pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary together today, let us ask a special blessing for all families. May God grant every family a deep love and longing for spiritual enrichment. First Luminous Mystery: The Baptism in the Jordan “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 The Baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of His ministry, service to others. As a family we are called to serve one another. From our service we gain the strength, love and support to extend ourselves to serve our greater community. Second Luminous Mystery: The Wedding at Cana “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee and the Mother of Jesus was there.” John 2:1-12 The fact that Jesus first revealed his power and purpose at a wedding is significant. It tells us that marriage and family life are of primary concern to God. The small ways in which we appreciate and respect one another can strengthen family relations in mutual love and faithfulness. Third Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” John 20:22-23 The Spirit appears to help us realize the Kingdom of justice, peace and love proclaimed by Christ. May we feel the loving energy and presence of the Spirit in our family, especially in moments of forgiveness, reconciliation and new beginnings. Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration “While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling while.” Luke 9:29 In the Transfiguration Jesus is no longer represented as a symbol of light; here we see Him as the Light, unfading, unfailing and undying. Ask Christ to light up our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds that we might appreciate, in new light, our own family. Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist “He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.” John 13:1b Everything about the institution of the Eucharist speaks to us about self-giving and service. Ask Jesus to give you and your family an understanding and determination to be more like Christ by emulating His actions.

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

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