Dear Family of Mary

The Duet family prays together on Podbrodo
(c)Mary TV 2010

December 30, 2011

Dear Family of Mary!

On this beautiful feast, we contemplate Jesus' life in His human family:

"When they [the Holy Family] had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him." (Luke 2: 39-40)
Jesus lived with His foster father and his mother, in Nazareth, like any other family. They ate together, slept together, worked together, and most assuredly prayed together. Their life was ordinary. But it was extraordinary too, because they lived a life centered of God. And it was blissful in the midst of the normal difficulties because they loved each other so deeply and perfectly. Love and prayer were the centerpieces of their family life, and so Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. Prayer and love grow incredible children!

Our Lady, the very Lady who visits us in Medjugorje, lived that life with Jesus. She knows the stresses and sacrifices of family life. She knows it all, and so her words to us about family in her messages from Medjugorje carry with them great authority. She is speaking from experience. Here are a few of the things she has said to us about family life:

"Dear children! I beseech you to start changing your life in the family. Let the family be a harmonious flower that I wish to give to Jesus. Dear children, let every family be active in prayer for I wish that the fruits in the family be seen one day. Only that way shall I give you all, like petals, as a gift to Jesus in fulfillment of God's plans. Thank you for having responded to my call." (May 1, 1986)

"Dear children! Today I invite you all to awaken your hearts to love. Go into nature and look how nature is awakening and it will be a help to you to open your hearts to the love of God, the Creator. I desire you to awaken love in your families so that where there is unrest and hatred, love will reign and when there is love in your hearts then there is also prayer. And, dear children, do not forget that I am with you and I am helping you with my prayer that God may give you the strength to love. I bless and love you with my motherly love. Thank you for having responded to my call." (April 25, 1993)

"Dear children! Today I invite you to prayer. Let prayer be life for you. A family cannot say that it is in peace if it does not pray. Therefore, let your morning begin with morning prayer, and the evening end with thanksgiving. Little children, I am with you, and I love you and I bless you and I wish for every one of you to be in my embrace. You cannot be in my embrace if you are not ready to pray every day. Thank you for having responded to my call." (August 25, 1995)

"Dear children! This is a time of grace for the family and, therefore, I call you to renew prayer. May Jesus be in the heart of your family. In prayer, learn to love everything that is holy. Imitate the lives of saints so that they may be an incentive and teachers on the way of holiness. May every family become a witness of love in this world without prayer and peace. Thank you for having responded to my call." (October 25, 2004)

"Today is a great day of joy and peace. Rejoice with me. Little children, in a special way, I call you to holiness in your families. I desire, little children, that each of your families be holy and that God's joy and peace, which God sends you today in a special way, may come to rule and dwell in your families. Little children, open your hearts today on this day of grace, decide for God and put Him in the first place in your family. I am your Mother. I love you and give you my Motherly Blessing." (December 25, 2006 Jakov)

God bless you all! Sunday is the great Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God!! Let's prepare for this feast by making our families more prayerful and filled with self-giving love!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
http://www.marytv.tv/MaryTV/

PS. I am adding the beautiful and powerful prayer of Fr. John Hampsch, C.M.F., "The Healing of the Family Tree". Our Lady wants us to bring our families to the Lord for healing and blessing. This prayer is a great beginning on the road to healing of the family.

~PRAYER FOR HEALING THE FAMILY TREE~

REV. JOHN H. HAMPSCH, C.M.F.

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, neglect 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 living 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 and 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 blessing 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 areas 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. Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us.