THE FAMILY ZONE
Equipping the Domestic Church/ISSUE 73/ 11.14.21
A Time for Prayer: Gratitude and Healing
JOURNEYING WITH ST. JOSEPH
As we continue into the cold months when colds and sickness become more a part of daily life, we can turn to St. Joseph. In the Litany of St. Joseph, one of the titles used is “Hope of the sick”. This comes from the Tradition that St. Joseph was an elderly man as Jesus grew up, and most likely had health ailments. Here is a prayer for St. Joseph’s intercession on behalf of the sick:
Benevolent Joseph,
the Son of God placed his life in your hands.
With the Virgin Mary, our Blessed Mother,
you cared for the Child Jesus,
who is the force of life in our world.
May your compassion embrace our fragility
and bring us the comfort of the divine presence.
Loving Saint Joseph,
we join with you in prayer by crying out:
Lord Jesus, Son of the Living God,
say a word for our healing!
Make us sensitive to the illnesses
of those closest to us.
Support us in our efforts to care
for our sick brothers and sisters.
Give us courage in the fight against all evil.
Help us to find meaning
in God’s great project for humanity
beyond the sickness and suffering that blind us.
May the Love of God be with us,
because our only hope is with Him.
We make this prayer
through the intercession of Saint Joseph
to Christ Jesus, Our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Saint Joseph, Hope of the Sick, pray for us!
READ!
SUNDAY READINGS:
Click on the link below for the readings that you will hear at the Sunday's Mass for the coming two weeks. This will give you a chance to prepare your heart and mind for full and active participation in Mass this weekend! For a Mass schedule in our diocese click on the grey button below.
Family Stories: Story Time with a Positive Message.
- Mary's First Thanksgiving by Kathy-jo Wargin (learning that gratitude doesn't have to be because we have EVERYTHING; we can be grateful for life's little blessings)
- A Very Thankful Prayer by Bonnie Rickner Jensen (help our littlest ones develop a sense of their blessings)
- We are so Thankful: A Guided Gratitude Journal for Kids and Their Parents by Katie Clemons (great gratitude exercises for fun family conversation)
- The Little Green Jacket by Jodi Dee (talk about how giving makes a big difference!)
WRITE!
2. Create an acrostic prayer out of the word THANKGSIVING, by beginning a line of your prayer with each letter from THANKSGIVING. Start with Thank you God for ...and continue on with H...
3. Make place cards for your Thanksgiving table by rewriting Psalm 100 on each card with the name of your table guest. It's a great way to memorize a Psalm that is FULL of gratitude. Or, try writing it in your own words!
LISTEN!
WATCH!
CREATE!
PRAY!
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you. We give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, You take away the sins of the world have mercy on us; You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; You are seated at the right hand of the Father: have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord, You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
PLAY!
- Find something that makes you happy
- Find something to give to someone to make them smile
- Find something that you love to smell
- Find something that brings you joy to look at
- Find something that you are thankful for in nature
- Find something that makes you feel calm
- Find something that is useful for you
- Find something that tastes good
- Find something that makes a beautiful sound
- Find someone who you are grateful for
- Find something that is unique to you
- Find something that makes you laugh
- Find something at night time that you enjoy
- Find something in the morning that you enjoy
- Find a friend or pet that you love spending time with
- Find your favorite place to spend alone time
- Find something that reminds you of the people you love
- Find something that you enjoy doing outside
BE WELL!
- Attending Mass as an outward sign of your gratitude. Remember EUCHARIST means Thanksgiving
- Praying your gratitude out loud and silently
- Expressing gratitude toward one another
- Witnessing to gratitude by creating a gratitude space (post-it's on a door, magnet letters on the fridge or a blessings jar)
- Demonstrating gratitude by modeling your appreciation to your kids, your spouse, your neighbors and strangers!
Word of the Week!
Evening Prayer which is part of the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office. Evening Prayer gives thanks for the day just past and makes an evening sacrifice of praise to God
TEACHABLE MOMENT
WONDER WITH THE HOLY FAMILY
Isn’t it amazing how much the Holy Family has to be thankful for? It was not an easy life, with the fear of Herod, then losing Jesus, and then Joseph’s death, and yet they were so blessed! We are too! Think about how much we have to be thankful for, even if life can be difficult. How amazing!!
Parents – How do you instill a sense of gratitude in your children? Could you have them share something they are thankful for each day, and not just at Thanksgiving?
Children – Think about how much is good in your life! God wants us to be happy so that we can share that happiness with other. Who makes you smile, and how do you get others to smile?
Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Debtor in PossessionEmail: oec@dor.org
Website: oec.dor.org
Location: Diocese of Rochester, Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210