Feast of the Holy Family 2008

 

 

Dear Community of Saint Joseph’s;

 

As the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family I hope that you will spend time with your own families in gratitude and honor.  It is so very easy to take our spouses, children and parents for granted. We get on each other’s nerves, we are disappointed by behavior and choices, we get so busy with work and expectations that we forget to remind each other how great is the love that we have for one another.  Pat Conroy writes in his novel The Prince of Tides, “in families there are no crimes beyond forgiveness.”

 

With the aforementioned in mind I share with you today a blessing for your home written by Father Edward Hays.  It is the author’s intention that a family would bless their home together.  Perhaps as we move toward a new year this might be an opportunity for you to invite the Holy Spirit into your house to heal divisions and to strengthen the bonds of family life and love.

 

This blessing by Hays is adapted from his book Prayers for the Domestic Church.  This is an excellent volume that consists of prayers for various occasions in family life and would be an excellent addition to your home library. 

 

May God bless you and your families with good health and good humor on this Feast of the Holy Family and throughout this New Year!

 

 

Father Matt Pennington

Pastor

 

 

 

Blessing Prayer for the Home

 

Lord our God,

You whose home is in heaven, on earth….

And in that undiscovered beyond,

Come and bless this house

Which is our home.

 

Surround this shelter with Your Holy Spirit.

Encompass all its four sides

With the power of your protection

So that no evil or harm will come near.

May that divine blessing

shield this home from destruction, storm, sickness

And all that might bring evil

to us who shall live within these walls.

 

Blessed by this doorway.

may all who come it

be treated with respect and kindness.

May all our comings and goings

Be under the seal of God’s loving care

 

 

 

Blessed be all the rooms of this home.

may each of them be holy

and filled with the spirit of happiness.

May no dark powers

ever be given shelter within any of these rooms

but banished as soon as recognized.

 

Lord our God,

May Your divine name be always holy within our home.

May You as Holy Father lovingly care for all who shall live here.

 

May Your kingdom come in this home

As we love and respect one another.

May we always do Your holy will

By living in harmony and unity.

 

May we never suffer from lack of bread,

from a lack of all that we need

to nourish our family.

May the spirit of pardon and forgiveness reside with us

And be always ready to heal our divisions.

May the spirits of mirth and laughter, hope and faith,

playfulness and prayer, compassion and love

be perpetual guests in our home.

 

May our door be always open to those in need.

Open be this door

to the neighbor or to the stranger.

May our friends

who come to us in times of trouble and sorrow,

find our door open to them and to their needs.

May the holy light of God’s presence

shine forth brightly in this home

and be a blessing for all who shall live here

and for everyone who shall come to this door.

 

May God’s holy blessing rest upon us all,

in the name of the Father.

And of the Son

And of the Holy Spirit.

 

Amen