Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia Congregation Nashville, Tennessee
A Short Guide to
praying as a family growing together in faith and love each day
an excerpt from A short Guide to
praying as a family Growing together in faith and Love each day
Š 2020 by St. Cecilia Congregation, LBP Communications. All rights reserved.
MARY, QUEEN OF FAMILIES, HELP OUR FAMILY TO BE HOLY. AMEN.
CREATING SACRED SPACES IN YOUR HOME Prayer
Consecration to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary
of
of Jesus
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, we consecrate our whole family to You. We consecrate all that You have given us: our lives, each member of our family, our gifts and talents, our sorrows and joys, our home and all our possessions. We beg You to use us to show forth Your love and Your glory. Help us in our weakness and selfishness, so that we may persevere, faithful to You, to the end of our lives. May we love You more and more each day and long to encounter You, Jesus, in the sacraments. May we serve You by serving one another, neighbor, and country. Accept, O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, our humble offering of our family to You. Be with us always—in every trial, difficulty, and suffering. In You we hope. Amen.1 Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. 1
Composed by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. With the ecclesiastical approval of the Most Reverend David R.Choby, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Nashville, on December 9, 2014. 4
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s you begin to pray more and more as a family, your home itself becomes a place of prayer, a sacred space. Perhaps there is one area of your home in particular where you pray together, or perhaps there is a place you would like set aside as a place of prayer where any family member can go to pray. An ideal place is oftentimes around the fireplace, in a corner of the living room or family room, or any comfortable place in your home where your family likes to gather. There, you could mount a large crucifix and place statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and other saints who may be special to your family. For example, if you have a child named Sebastian, you could have a statue of St. Sebastian. This sacred space could also have the family Bible, rosaries, and other holy images and sacred items (such as relics and holy water). The family prayer board (see page 120) could later be added in or placed close to this area. Candles can further beautify the sacred space, reminding your family of the light and warmth brought by God’s presence in your home. The children can also place flowers in this space. You might have them take turns making sure there are always fresh flowers. In making a sacred place in your home, allow every family member to give input. Let it be a family project. You may be amazed at the ideas your children come up with. It may
be important to also set rules about the sacred space (e.g., no electronics). You may want to create smaller sacred spaces in each child’s bedroom. This, too, would be an appropriate place for a crucifix (e.g., above your child’s bed) and for the child’s saint to be represented somehow. You might also place the child’s baptismal candle and rosary there. A simple but beautiful image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the child’s Bible might also be placed there; or allow your children to create their own sacred spaces in their rooms. These sacred spaces in our homes invite us to turn our minds and hearts to God more often and to recognize His presence in our daily lives. They encourage us to call upon Him and His saints, as well as to thank Him for the many blessings we receive from His hands each day.
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any families also choose to consecrate (“set apart” or “dedicate”) their homes and their families to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This means that they choose for their families to belong in a special way to Jesus and Mary, to receive their powerful protection and help. Through the consecration, the family also promises to try to live for God’s glory and honor. The devotion to the Sacred (or “Holy”) Heart of Jesus was spread through the work and prayer
of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690). By thinking about the Heart of Jesus, we can come to a better understanding of His true humanity and His love for us. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has a real human heart. With His Sacred Heart, He loves us. It was this Sacred Heart that was pierced by a lance while Jesus hung on the Cross (cf. Jn 19:34). Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary became widespread shortly after Pope Pius XII consecrated the whole world to Mary’s Immaculate Heart in 1942.1 Mary has a human heart, and hers is the heart most closely united to Jesus’ Heart. Her heart is “immaculate,” or “without stain,” because Mary has never sinned and was conceived without original sin. Purity, goodness, mercy, gentleness, and love are all characteristics of Mary’s heart. Mary loves us, her children, with her Immaculate Heart.
would like. Once your home is consecrated, you may display an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is a lovely way to honor Jesus and Mary.
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f you would like to consecrate your home and family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, you may do so using the prayer given on page 38. This prayer may be prayed by your entire family or by you and your spouse. You may pray it just once, or once a year, once a month, or as often as you
New Catholic Encyclopedia, s.v. “Immaculate Heart of Mary.” 1
I AM GOING TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU. John 14:2
PRAYING AS A FAMILY,
we give the Lord the little we have; He multiplies it like loaves and fills us with joy.