Monthly Day of Continuous Prayer for Marriage & Family Life
Faithful to Christ’s
teaching we look to the reality of the family today in all its complexity, with
both its lights and shadows.
Anthropological and cultural changes in our time influence all aspects
of life and call for an analytical and diversified approach. (32)
The light of Christ
enlightens every Person. Seeing things
with the eyes of Christ inspires the Church’s pastoral care for the faithful
who are living together, or are only married civilly, or are divorced or
remarried. (78)
Therefore, while
clearly stating the Church’s teaching, pastors are to avoid judgements that do
not take into account the complexity of various situations, and they are to be
attentive, by necessity, to how people experience and endure distress because
of their condition. (79)
Some thoughts:
·
Every
family, whatever its composition, whatever its faith or lack of faith or even
its rejection of God, is a sacred place.
·
We
cannot impose our faith on others. They
have to have the freedom to make their own choices and we have to respect
those. But we can make them part of our
prayer and our love.
·
Within
the community of faith, especially in our Catholic tradition, the family is
seen as the Domestic Church, the Church of the home. This has serious implications for our vision
of the Church in general.
·
It
is in the home that Christian faith is at its best and sometimes also at its
worst. The home is a community that is
rooted in love. It is also a community
that is committed to love as its way of life.
It is where each person has the best chance to be loved as she or he is;
where each one can have freedom to become her or his own unique person (and
this is not just about the children!); where each one can make mistakes and
know that they will be forgiven and even understood.
·
But
the family cannot find its way on its own.
The parish community is vital for the growth and well-being of each
family. It is from the parish community
that the family can be reminded of the values we hold in following Christ. And it is there also that each family can
find support in trying to live out those values of love and generosity and
faith.
This month we may want to pray for all families that they may
grow in love and that they may find support from those around them. We could ask God that the families in our
Parish Community may grow in their love for his son Jesus Christ, and that we
may support them in their faith journey.
We could pray that they may accept their responsibility for the handing
on of the Faith and that the Church be strengthened by their faith and
commitment.
Also at this difficult time with the Coronavirus Pandemic let
us pray:
Lord God, we entrust to you our
families and our community
And all those directly affected by
Coronavirus, wherever they may be.
We pray especially for health care
workers, that you may guide and protect them.
We pray that your Spirit might inspire
those researching new medicines and treatments.
And in the midst of this, keep us
strong in faith, hope and love. Grant us the courage and perseverance to
be good neighbours.
May the words of your Son Jesus Christ
in the Our Father,
be our prayer as we entrust ourselves
and all of us who are affected
to your infinite power and love.
Amen.
On the 9th day of each
month, our parish of Dungannon prays for
Marriage & Family Life. This
is part of a Movement of Continuous Prayer for Marriage & Family Life, as
other parishes and groups take on the prayer for the other days of the month.
To make this prayer
continuous, many people in our parish have committed themselves to a specific
hour of prayer in such a way so that as much of the whole day and night as
possible are covered.
Everyone is invited to
join in this prayer, either by taking on an hour, or by including this
intention in their own prayer during that day.
If you would like to
undertake an hour each month please contact the Parish Office (Tel 028 8772
6893) where a special Prayer Booklet is available to assist you with your
Prayer. The hour that you choose is at
your discretion and you can make this Prayer wherever you find it most
suitable.
“The future of humanity
passes by way of the family.” (Saint
John Paul II)
