EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
Feast of the Holy Family
[+] In the name of the Father…
Opening Song: any appropriate song
Leader: Every family has its cares and worries. On today’s feast of the Holy Family we are shown that Mary and Joseph and Jesus had more than their share of problems and woes, especially that the very reason and heart of this family was Jesus, this bewildering son. They did everything for him. What is typical for us in the Holy Family is that in everything they sought God’s will; this will be characteristic too for Jesus, God’s will was to be his food and drink. In this moments of adoration, Let us pray that the heart of all families, parish and religious communities, too, be Jesus, and, with Jesus and Mary and Joseph we ask ourselves that we be united in his love. May we do everything in his name, for his glory.
— a moment of silent prayer and adoration —
Leader: Let us pray that God may bless our families. (PAUSE)
God our Father, you let Mary and Joseph provide the warmth of a home
to your own Son, Jesus Christ. Let Jesus become the heart and center
of all our Christian families. May we all grow up in him and become closer to one another in patience and love. // With the Holy Family of Nazareth,
may we seek your will in all we do. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.
I. JESUS TRUTH
Gospel Introduction: With his family, Jesus relives the history of the People of God: from the Holy Land to Egypt, from Egypt to the Holy Land. Mary and Joseph accept to be uprooted and inconvenienced by the coming of the Savior.
Gospel Reading: Mt 2:13-15, 19-23
REFLECTION:
From an address by Venerable Paul VI, pope
(Nazareth, January 5, 1964)
Nazareth, a model
Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God’s Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning. And gradually we may even learn to imitate him.
Here we can learn to realize who Christ really is. And here we can sense and take account of the conditions and circumstances that surrounded and affected his life on earth: the places, the tenor of the times, the culture, the language, religious customs, in brief, everything which Jesus used to make himself known to the world. Here everything speaks to us, everything has meaning. Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and to live by the teachings of his Gospel.
How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth! How wonderful to be close to Mary, learning again the lesson of the true meaning of life, learning again God’s truths. But here we are only on pilgrimage. Time presses and I must set aside my desire to stay and carry on my education in the Gospel, for that education is never finished. But I cannot leave without recalling, briefly and in passing; some thoughts I take with me from Nazareth.
First, we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God’s inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.
Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family’s holy and enduring character and exemplify its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings, in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children—and for this there is no substitute.
Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognize its value—demanding yet redeeming—and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.
In closing, may I express my deep regard for people everywhere who work for a living. To them I would point out their great model, Christ their brother, our Lord and God, who is their prophet in every cause that promotes their well-being.
Song:
II. JESUS WAY
Leader: Nazareth is a kind of school where we begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel. In Nazareth, we observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God’s Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning.
At this point of our spiritual journey, how far have we learned and grown in imitation of the family of Nazareth in its silence; in its family life; in the value of work and the discipline it entails. Let us closely examine our hearts… let us examine our consciousness. [SILENCE]
Penitential Act
Leader: Let us ask pardon from the Lord that we have often done carelessly
the common tasks of everyday life.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you grew up in Nazareth and lived as the son of the local carpenter: Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus Christ, to work with your hands was part of your human dignity: Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, through your life in the holy Family you sanctified the ordinary tasks of everyday life: Lord, have mercy.
Leader: Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us all our sins. May our lives give you worship and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
III. JESUS LIFE
Leader: With the Holy Family of Nazareth we trust in the Lord who knows all our needs, and we ask him to bless all human families. Let us say:
Lord, bless your people.
– For the family of the Church, that it may be a mother and a home for all people in need, let us pray:
– For all married couples, that they may keep the freshness of their first love or rediscover it, let us pray:
– For all the families of the world, that they may keep growing in mutual appreciation and service, let us pray:
– For children and young people, that their parents may be to them grownups concerned about their growth and happiness, let us pray:
– For separated couples and their children, that they may meet warmhearted people whose understanding love helps them to overcome the failure of their home life, let us pray:
– For our Christian communities, that as members of one family we learn to carry each other’s burdens and to share each other’s joys. Let us pray:
(in silence, let us pray for our own families, especially those who are in need most of prayers at this time. May they experience God’s nearness & abiding presence in their daily lives)
Leader: Father, we trust in you. May we not deny one another all the love you show us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing Song: any appropriate song
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