Daily Reflections by Cathy

January 30, 2020 Reflection – There must be holiness in the families…

Cathy Nolan

Published January 30, 2020

There must be holiness in the families…

January 30, 2020

Dear Family of Mary!

“…There must be holiness in the families, little children, because there is no future for the world without love and holiness – because in holiness and joy, you give yourselves to God the Creator who loves you with immeasurable love….” (January 25, 2020)

Our Lady often reminds us that our families must be holy. She knows that so much depends on the family. The family is the place where life begins. The family is where God’s great design for the human race is enacted, as we co-create with Him our children. The family is where community is first experienced. The family is where prayer exists, between husband and wife, and with the children, every day. God is present in that prayer. And in the family the faith is shared and grows.

Humanity depends on these families. Our Lady knows how crucial it is that there are good and holy families in the world.

Fr. John Hampsch, C.M.F. authored a beautiful prayer for the healing of the family, and indeed the extended family. It is powerful. Let’s pray this prayer for our families, asking that holiness will grow in our families, and love and joy will follow:

PRAYER FOR HEALING YOUR FAMILY TREE

Heavenly Father, I come before you as your child, in great need of your help; I have physical health needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, and interpersonal needs. Many of my problems have been caused by my own failures, neglects, and sinfulness, for which I humbly beg your forgiveness, Lord. But I also ask you to forgive the sins of my ancestors whose failures have left their effects on me in the form of unwanted tendencies, behavior patterns and defects in body, mind and spirit. Heal me, Lord, of all these disorders.

With your help I sincerely forgive everyone, especially livings or dead members of my family tree, who have directly offended me or my loved ones in any way, or those whose sins have resulted in our present sufferings and disorders. In the name of your divine Son, Jesus, and in the power of his Holy Spirit, I ask you, Father, to deliver me and my entire family tree from the influence of the evil one. Free all living or dead members of my family tree, including those in adoptive relationships, and those in extended family relationships, from every contaminating form of bondage.

By your loving concern for us, heavenly Father, and by the shed blood of your precious Son, Jesus, I beg you to extend your blessings to me and to all my living and deceased relatives. Heal every negative effect transmitted through all past generations and prevent such negative effects in future generations of my family tree.

I symbolically place the cross of Jesus over the head of each person in my family tree, and between each generation; I ask you to let the cleansing blood of Jesus purify the bloodlines in my family lineage. Set your protective angels to encamp around us, and permit Archangel Raphael, the patron of healing, to administer your divine healing power to all of us, even in the area of genetic disability. Give special power to our family members’ guardian angels to heal, protect, guide and encourage each of us in all our needs. Let your healing power be released at this very moment, and let it continue as long as your sovereignty permits.

In our family tree, Lord, replace all bondage with a holy bonding in family love. And let there be an ever-deeper bonding with you, Lord, by the Holy Spirit, to your Son, Jesus. Let the family of the Holy Trinity pervade our family with its tender, warm, loving presence, so that our family may recognize and manifest that love in all our relationships. All of our unknown needs we include with this petition that we pray in Jesus’ precious name. Amen

St. Joseph, Patron of family life, pray for us.

Rev. John H. Hampsch, C.M.F.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
(c)Mary TV 2020