What a beautiful sight is the Holy Family dwelling on earth! God could not
create anything more beautiful than this Holy Family; He reached the limit
of possibilities in creation when He had accomplished this. It is indeed a
great example to us, and a model which we ought to hold before our eyes
during this month, in order that we may study the foundations of what a
holy family ought to be; what a life that should be, where the holiest are
bound together in ties of most affectionate friendship and relationship.
Our Holy Father Leo XIII. has seen the great importance of the Christian
family: the family established by the laws of the Church and the country,
where marriages are legalized and solemnized; where continence and modesty
reign; where children, under kind and parental subjection, are brought up
to be good men and women, good for religion and for society. When poverty
strikes such a family there is patience and forbearance shown; when
sickness and death come, there is resignation to the will of God. In the
Christian home there is surpassing peace, and not that crazy restlessness
that looks for satisfaction in grasping at possessions, never satisfied
day nor night.
I do not think that this devotion has been appointed for this month by any
authority, except the idea that after having adored the divine infancy
during the month of January, the devotion to the Holy Family may follow as
a natural sequence. Should any one desire to make this devotion during
another month, it would certainly not be out of the way, for save only in
a few cases has a certain devotion been assigned to a particular time. The
devotion to the Holy Family is a beautiful and instructive one; the
Christian family should be built on this great model. The Holy Family
consisted of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph; the father, Mother, and Child. All
other families are made up of the same constituents.
Those who are actually in a family, or who intend to choose that mode of
life by which they may get to heaven, will love this devotion and find
instruction and consolation in it.
One of the greatest works of God in this world is the Holy Family at
Bethlehem and Nazareth. He sent down upon the earth His only Son, Jesus
Christ; prepared a most holy Mother for Him, Mary immaculate, and selected
for Him a foster‐father and a protector. He held them together in the most
tender family ties of father, Mother, and Child. He kept them in that
relation until St. Joseph died a blessed death, and the Lord Jesus went
forth on His sacred mission of teaching and redeeming mankind.
What a beautiful sight to us poor human beings! what a glory to God was
that Holy Family, dwelling in the humble abode of Nazareth! We find here
the model on which we shall reflect for this month of February. We will
consecrate this month to praising God with the members of the Holy Family;
we will study the ways by which they were so pleasing to God, and we will
draw from these considerations many valuable lessons for our own conduct.
Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII., with an ever‐watchful eye to the
necessities of our time, has seen the importance of a devotion to the Holy
Family, and has recommended it to the faithful, and with his own authority
established a sodality of the Holy Family; he has invested it with many
indulgences in order to encourage the faithful in taking the Holy Family
as their model. Here is, then, a practical way to teach ourselves the way
of salvation by the example of others.
It is therefore a most useful practice of piety to become members of the
sodality of the Holy Family; you will then place yourselves under its
special protection, and choose Jesus, Mary, and Joseph for your particular
advocates before God. Look upon the members of the Holy Family as the most
perfect models for imitation, whose examples will teach you what to
correct and what to avoid, what to do for your temporal and eternal
welfare, and that of your families.
Considerations and Prayers for Every Day.
First Day.
In an apostolic brief of June 14, 1892, the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII.,
demonstrates how the welfare of the family and of the State depends
chiefly on education, and that it is of the utmost importance that a
religious spirit be fostered in the Christian family. From the first
family, God so arranged the method and order of such a life as to exhibit
to the world a form of a divinely ordered association, in which all human
beings might behold a most complete model of family life, and of all
virtue and holiness. The devotion to the Holy Family, a holy and a
powerful institution before God and man, has increased very much within a
few years, and it is worth our while to think of this on the first day of
our monthly devotion, and appreciate it as we ought.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, Who didst hallow by Thy surpassing virtues, and the
example of Thy home life, the household Thou didst choose to live in
whilst on earth, mercifully look down upon this family, whose members,
humbly prostrate before Thee, implore Thy protection. Remember that we are
Thine, bound and consecrated to Thee by a special devotion. Protect us in
Thy mercy, deliver us from danger, help us in our necessities, and impart
to us strength to persevere always in the imitation of Thy Holy Family, so
that, by serving Thee and loving Thee faithfully during this mortal life,
we may at length give Thee eternal praise in heaven. O Mary, dearest
Mother, we implore thy assistance, knowing that thy divine Son will
hearken to thy petitions; and do thou, most glorious patriarch St. Joseph,
help us with thy powerful patronage, and place our petitions in Mary’s
hands that she may offer them to Jesus Christ. Amen.
Second Day.
Within our own time the devotion to the Holy Family has grown under the
fostering care of the Supreme Pontiff, who has authorized the
establishment of associations throughout the world, by which men and
women, married and unmarried, are gathered into one fold from the
standpoint of the family. The Holy Father desires that all the faithful of
the Catholic Church should consider this association as a consecration to
the Christian life, and that they will feel that they are bound to lead a
holy life because their association is established and legalized by God.
For what is the Sacrament of Matrimony but the legalizing of the family
before God and man? Let us consider the family as a special institution of
God’s providence for the preservation of the world, and the propagating in
it of sound principles of learning and religion.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Third Day.
We are to consecrate ourselves to God under the union of a family. That is
the pretence with which we come before God, to claim His kindness and
mercy because we belong to a family. We are not isolated creatures,
looking for our selfish ends, but we are a union of individuals
constituted under a certain authority, which gives us a claim to the
respect of God and man; for God has said, “Where there are two or three
gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”—Matt.
xviii. 20. The formula of consecration of a Christian family has been
given us by the Sovereign Pontiff himself; rules, regulations, and by‐laws
have been given to this society under the same authority of the Holy
Father. The whole Christian family should be so united among themselves,
that there be but one family under one head, set over all to rule them by
its supreme power. We belong to this Christian family of the Church; let
us then unite for the common good of all.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Fourth Day.
The scope of the pious association of the Holy Family is that all
Christian families be consecrated to the Holy Family of Nazareth, placing
it before themselves for veneration and imitation; offering up every day
before its image prayers in its honor, and practising in their lives the
sublime virtues which the Holy Family offered for imitation to every grade
of society. The rich will find a model before them, the learned and highly
educated will know exactly what to do according to the dignity of their
position, the working class, especially, will find here the guidance and
friendship needed in their temptations and troubles. The Holy Family is a
poor, working, humble family, as poor as the poorest, as laborious as the
most hard‐working, as humble as the most lowly.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Fifth Day.
The picture of the Holy Family should be in every household; it is a
perpetual reminder, placed in tangible form, of our dear Lord, our blessed
Lady, and our friend, St. Joseph, who were the members of the Holy Family.
We often are interested in the pictures of great persons, and take delight
in representations of angels and holy people. What is the secret of this
inclination? Why, we can see those whom we wish to imitate, and grow to
know their good and holy lives through their pictures. The Holy Father has
approved one special picture which is to be the emblem of this
association: Mary and Joseph, holding the youth Jesus between them by the
hand. Jesus is not an infant, for this picture is to bring to mind the
fact that His parents had to suffer care and anxiety in order to bring Him
to this stage of boyhood, for which noble duty they were fitted by special
providence and by special faithfulness.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Sixth Day.
“We have good hopes,” says the Holy Father, concluding his encyclical
letter, “that all to whom the salvation of souls is committed, especially
the bishops, will make themselves partners and sharers of our zeal in
promoting this pious association. For those who recognize and deplore with
us the change and corruption of Christian morals, the extinction of the
love of religion and piety in families, and the passion for earthly goods,
enkindled beyond measure, will desire exceedingly to apply suitable
remedies for so many grievous evils. Since nothing can be more salutary
and efficacious for Christian families than the example of the Holy
Family, let care be taken that as many families as possible, especially
those of the working classes, against which insidious forces are more
strongly exercised, enroll themselves in this association. Let the
association be on its guard, lest it swerve from its purpose, or change
its spirit—rather let the practices of piety and the prayers which have
been determined on to be preserved intact. May Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,
thus besought within the family circle, be graciously present! May they
foster charity, regulate morals, incite all that imitate them to virtue,
and alleviate and render more bearable the hardships which oppress
mankind!”
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Seventh Day.
A plenary indulgence after a sincere confession and a worthy communion,
and praying for the intentions of His Holiness, may be gained by the
members of the association on the following days: First, on the day of
their entrance into the association, after they have recited the act of
consecration. Second, on the day of a general meeting, when all go to
communion in a body, and renew their promises. Third, on the feasts of the
Nativity (Christmas), the Circumcision, Epiphany, Easter and Ascension.
Fourth, on the feasts of the Blessed Virgin: Immaculate Conception,
Nativity, Annunciation, Purification, Assumption. Fifth, also on the
following days: feast of St. Joseph in March, Patronage of St. Joseph,
Third Sunday after Easter, Espousal of the Blessed Virgin on the twenty‐
third of January. Sixth, on the feast of the Holy Family, and Seventh, at
the hour of death.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Eighth Day.
Partial indulgences may be gained when visiting a church where the
association is established, provided the members pray for the prosperity
of Christendom, and for the intention of the Holy Father. Seven years and
seven quarantines may be gained on the feasts of the Visitation,
Presentation, and the Patronage of the Blessed Virgin. The same
indulgences may be gained by the family in the reunion in prayer among
themselves, if they pray before a picture of the Holy Family. The same
also, whenever the members attend a public meeting of the association.
Three hundred days’ indulgence is granted as often as a member of the
association recites, before a picture of the Holy Family, the prayer “O
most loving Jesus,” etc., etc. The members may gain an indulgence of two
hundred days when they make the salutation: “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,
enlighten us, aid us, save us. Amen.” One hundred days for every new
member that is brought to the association, and sixty days for every good
work done in honor of the Holy Family. All these indulgences are
applicable to the souls in purgatory.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Ninth Day.
The Catholic Christian has the true faith which comes to him from Jesus
Christ, the Founder of the true Church. He ought, then, to show by his
conduct that his faith has made him better than so many others, who have
not had the graces and advantages which came to him. In other words, it is
not enough to believe the truths that God has revealed; it is not enough
to belong to the true Church by the internal adhesion of the mind; it is
indispensably necessary to manifest our faith in exterior works. Our faith
should so have penetrated our whole being, that the profession of religion
should show itself in all our actions. Faith without works is dead, and at
the Last Judgment the almighty Judge will demand of us an account of all
our actions, and then will He render to every one the merited reward or
punishment. Let it be our aim in life to fill the days of our stay on
earth with many good actions, the outcome of our faith, so that when we
stand before the throne of God, we may have many glorious deeds to our
credit.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Tenth Day.
A Christian considers his faith as a gift of heaven, a priceless treasure
far surpassing any earthly wealth, because it raises man to a true
knowledge of God and secures for him his eternal salvation. He rejects
with horror the maxims of our modern infidels, who say, “One religion is
as good as another”; “Hell is only a bugbear”; “The faith of the heart is
enough for salvation,” and many others of the same nature. He rejects them
because he knows that God is one, that the truth that comes from God is
one, and that therefore faith must be one, and religion one. He knows that
religion cannot be framed according to the whims of man, but only can come
from the authority of God in His holy revelation. He will not associate
with those who hold the above false doctrines; he will be an enemy of bad
books, which teach errors of faith and which drag those who read them into
the mire of immorality, and he will caution his friends against them.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Eleventh Day.
The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ as a perfect society, with
authority to make laws, with power to punish the guilty, and to expel
rebellious subjects from her midst. This power was given to the Church by
Christ when He said, “And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall
be bound also in heaven.” It is clear that Christ intended His Church to
be our guide in all our actions, as an authority to teach us what the
revelation is concerning our future state. We should, therefore, be
obedient and faithful children of the Church. We should be grateful to
God, Who in His mercy has established certain fountains of grace, which
are found in the Church, and are guarded by her. These fountains of grace
are the sacraments, which point out the holy states of life, and the true
manner of pleasing God. We should use the Sacraments of Penance and Holy
Eucharist for the remedy of our faults, and the strength of our weakness.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twelfth Day.
Confession is the correction of our faults, and if we have sinned let us
remember we have an advocate in heaven, to Whom we wish to return in the
sincerity of our hearts. The Holy Eucharist is the body and blood of
Christ and communion the partaking of it.
We should not, therefore, be deterred from frequenting these sacraments by
human considerations, or by the mockery of the people of this world. We
should have these words of Christ deeply engraven in our hearts: “Except
you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not
have life in you.”—John vi. 54. A devout Catholic is easily distinguished
from the crowd of careless ones, when we see him humbly and frequently
going to confession and to holy communion.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Thirteenth Day.
Be also reverent and devout in the house of God; not brought there by vain
curiosity, or by fashion, but by unfeigned piety, rendering to God an
external tribute of dependence and adoration. Look upon priests as the
ambassadors of God, treat them with respect, listen to their teaching, and
put it into practice. Reverence the bishops as divinely constituted
guardians and teachers in the Church: especially the see of St. Peter, the
Vicar of Christ, the Roman Pontiff, the Father and teacher, in whom is
intrusted the plentitude of power to rule the whole Catholic family.
Reverence the infallible authority of the Pope, which guides you in
matters of faith, in form of worship, and morality.
Accept with docility and obedience the decisions of the Holy See, and
conform to them your opinions and thoughts. Do not follow the changeable
and novel opinions of our infidel age.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Fourteenth Day.
The true Christian must not only profess the faith, but also the laws of
Christ. He is anxious to observe them exactly and to observe them all,
knowing that he is guilty of damnation who violates the law in one
important point. This law bids us to love all men as fellow creatures, to
love our relatives, our country, but above all, and before all, we must
love God, the Author of our being, the great loving Father of heaven. The
honor of God is the very first duty of man, who as a rational being knows
God and His infinite goodness; we wish to serve Him as His subjects,
render Him the homage due to His immensity, a worship which our infinite
littleness renders to God. Never profane the word of God yourself, and
prevent curses and oaths in others as far as possible. By acts of praise
and benediction let us repair the offences against God when we cannot
prevent them. At least pray for those who use the name of God in vain, and
thus endeavor to ward off from them the eternal punishment due to that
wicked practice.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Fifteenth Day.
Contribute your share towards the glorification of the name of God, by
observing the Sundays and festivals of the Church. God has expressly
reserved these days to Himself, and has pointed them out by the authority
of the Church. In the Old and in the New Law, God has had days of rest and
of religious practices; and for the observances of these He has promised
publicly that there should be many rewards. Every good, God‐fearing man
will give a just tribute of respect to God, because God wills it, and
because he is looking for some benefit from God. Abstain then from servile
works on those days, no matter what temporal gains may be expected, and be
careful that others, too, keep holy the Sabbath of the Lord, particularly
those who are intrusted to your care and command. Do not have work done on
Sunday, and allow none to be done about your premises.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Sixteenth Day.
Respect your parents, superiors, and masters, and all those who hold
positions of trust towards you. They hold the authority of God, and he who
despises them despises God Himself. Honor and respect those superiors as
representatives of God, and obey them in all things that are not against
His law; and so we come to that great second commandment, which is like
unto the first: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” We should do
unto others as we would wish that others should do unto us; that is, we
should look upon one another as children of one great family, of which God
is the heavenly Father. “By this shall all men know that you are My
disciples, if you have love one for another,” not showing this love
through politeness only, but through a real, downright feeling of interest
in others, and without a selfish regard of our own interests. Try to
perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy for your neighbor.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Seventeenth Day.
In all your intercourse with others respect their persons and property; do
not look for unjust gains; be faithful to your bargains and contracts;
never look to your own selfish interests solely. Never speak ill of
anybody, nor circulate detractions, nor reveal secrets and defects that
might lessen the esteem in which any one is held; excuse the faults of
others, and find some excuse for the intention with which even an evil
action is committed. We are all temples of the Holy Ghost, sanctified and
ennobled by the blood of Christ. We are the dwellings of the Holy Trinity,
called to a heavenly inheritance. Do not desecrate this sacred temple by
impurity; guard against impure thoughts and immodest desires, flee from
dangerous occasions. Avoid foolishly pursuing the luxuries and vanities of
the world, improper company, and bad conversation. Do not enter theatres
or places of amusement where your morals are endangered, and from which
you carry nothing but pictures of immoral objects. Arm yourself most
effectually against the approach of evil by the powerful shield of prayer,
and walk in the presence of God.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Eighteenth Day.
So far we have considered the law of God practically interpreted in our
every‐day life; let us go still further and endeavor to learn the laws of
the Church, for the Lord has said: “He that heareth you, heareth Me; and
he that despiseth you despiseth Me,” and “If he will not hear the Church
let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.” On Sundays and holydays
of obligation, we ought to hear Mass. We should observe the feasts of the
Church and the restriction from flesh meat on Fridays and other days of
abstinence. Remember that these little acts of mortification are a great
benefit to us, since the Lord has commanded, “That we should bring forth
fruits worthy of penance.” Make your Easter duty, for the Church has laid
down the law that you should fulfil those duties, not from routine or
human respect, but with the knowledge of the needs of your soul.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Nineteenth Day.
What an exalted opinion we should have of Christian piety! It inspires the
Christian man and woman with lofty ideas, and prepares them for noble
undertakings. These lessons of piety should be planted early in the hearts
of the young, that they may take root and grow up to a magnificent fruit
of mature virtue. Serve God as a loving and dutiful child, cherish a great
devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and have recourse to her in all your
wants, being sure that all your petitions will meet with a ready and
hearty response. Never forget these three truths, which should be the main
considerations of the true Christian on every occasion: First, That sin is
the only evil which should be feared; Second, The grace of God is the real
good for which we should strive with all our heart; Third, The salvation
of the soul is the all‐important business of our lives, for which we were
created, and which should be looked after with that care which it
deserves.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twentieth Day.
The husband, as head of the family, owes to his wife fidelity, love, and
support. Fidelity is that constancy of affection which he has promised at
his marriage, and which must be preserved inviolable until death; it means
that purity of soul and body which will not permit itself to be degraded
by impurity and adultery. Conjugal fidelity is a great and holy duty, in
which matrimony is held sacred. There you find peace, happiness, and the
blessing of almighty God. Our Lord was very stringent upon this point, for
He says: “Whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already
committed adultery with her in his heart.”—Matt. v. 28. Whosoever then
commits adultery transgresses a most important divine commandment. In the
Old Law this crime was punished by stoning the guilty person to death, and
in the primitive Church by a severe public penance of many years’
duration. What fidelity does not the husband demand of the wife! With the
same strictness is he obliged to be faithful to her whom he has chosen as
his life companion.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐first Day.
The second duty of the husband and wife is conjugal love. The word
conjugal means joined together, because husband and wife are united to
bear the same burden. The Apostle says: “Husbands, love your wives, as
Christ also loved the Church, and delivered Himself up for it.”—Ephes. v.
25. Husband and wife are individuals whom God has joined in inseparable
companionship. The greatest bond between mankind, and the sweetest one, is
conjugal love, of which we are thinking on this day consecrated to the
Holy Family. Keep this great duty before your eyes and never forget it,
for it is easily destroyed. It is from that love, too, that should spring
your children, who are to grow up to take your place in the Church and the
State. These children you are to bring up in the fear and love of God,
faithful to the Church and their fatherland. A tremendous responsibility!
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐second Day.
The husband is the main worker in the family, so that his duty is to
provide for his family by his industry and economy. He must look for
employment and strive to keep it, so as to have a never‐failing source of
income, by which his people may live in comparative comfort. There are
husbands who will allow their wives and children to work, while they
themselves live idle lives, which is the fashion of the untutored Indian.
Not only must the husband work, but he must live in economy, and not throw
his money away foolishly in gaming or in drunkenness. The most frequent
cause of a husband and father’s failure to provide for his family is
drunkenness. Drunkenness causes woe, sin, sorrow and shame. Drunkenness
besots the mind, and makes of an intelligent being a brute in his
passions, and a fool in his actions; it extinguishes the spirit of God in
him, all sentiments of religion are lost, the Church of God is despised
and disgraced. Drunkenness does as much harm as the greatest vices,
bringing ruin with it whenever indulged in.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐third Day.
The husband has to share the care of the children and he should look after
the instruction of the child. Children are a great treasure, worth more
than all the wealth of the world. The Lord said of them to the apostles:
“Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of
such is the kingdom of God.” And why is the Lord so anxious for the
welfare of the innocent child? Because it is a weak human being, unable to
help itself, destined for heaven, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and a
temple of the Holy Ghost, more fitted to be such on account of the purity
of its soul. Now the care of this child is given to the father and the
mother, under whose care it is to grow up a true Christian, an exemplary
member of the Church of God; to live on until it has fulfilled its days
and the duties of its state of life, when, like yourself, having come to
the fulness of maturity, it is gathered in to render an account of its
life work to almighty God. The success of the child’s life depends chiefly
on the manner in which its parents fulfil their duty.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐fourth Day.
In what special duties are you to instruct your children? First of all,
let the young children learn early to pray, make them think of God, speak
to them of His love for mankind, teach them to adore Him, because He has
created them, to thank Him for all His benefits which flow to them so
abundantly, to ask Him with confidence for all the graces that they need.
Correct the children for their faults: Lying, stealing, cursing,
stubbornness, disobedience, fighting, and cruelty. Have an eye very early
on their morals, for little children learn to do wicked things, by which
they lose the love and grace of God. Be not a tyrant, but a sensible,
religious father or mother, and see to it that the children are free from
these vices. Give them no bad example, especially by using profanity, or
by getting intoxicated. All this presupposes perpetual vigilance; remember
you will have to render a strict account of these things before God.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐fifth Day.
Having considered the husband’s duties, we must now look at the duty of a
wife. The Scriptures say of the wife: “A good wife is a good portion; she
shall be given in the portion of them that fear God, to a man for his good
deeds.”—Eccles. xxvi. 3. There is nothing in the whole world more precious
than a good wife. “A wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish will
pull down with her hands that also which is built.”—Prov. xiv. 1. A wife
must love her husband, and she owes him the most scrupulous fidelity; if
the first duty of the husband is to love his wife, so also is there a
corresponding duty to return that love. She must be patient with him when
he comes home murmuring against his fate; she must make the home agreeable
to him by cleanliness and cheerfulness. She must bear the burdens of this
life with her husband, and encourage him, that he may not be despondent.
The wife must be sober, not given to scolding and fault‐finding. “Let
women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord; because the husband is
the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the Church.”—Ephes. v. 22.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐sixth Day.
The conscientious observance of the marriage vows is to be a supreme law
to the wife. Purity must be the virtue principally looked to in marriage,
according to the laws of the Sacrament of Matrimony; the wife’s motto must
be that of Susanna of old, who said: “I will rather die than sin before
God.” The wife owes her husband a compliance at least to his wishes; not
exactly an abject obedience, but that the husband and wife consult with
each other, and that she comply in all lawful and sensible things. This
subjection is founded on the Scriptures. God Himself said to Eve, “Thou
shalt be under thy husband’s power, and he shall have dominion over thee”
(Gen. iii. 16), and St. Paul declares, “Let women be subject to their
husbands as to the Lord.”—Ephes. v. 22. The loving, true, and obedient
wife exerts an unbounded influence for good over her husband. She will
make him great in the eyes of men, she will make him respectable and
presentable in society; in short, she will make the married life a truly
happy one from beginning to end.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐seventh Day.
The wife has a sublime calling to be a mother. What is more beautiful than
motherhood? what is more useful to the new‐born humanity than the mother?
All the world recognizes her dignity, and respects her. A Christian mother
will consider the child a gift from God, which though given to her, still
belongs to God; hers is the first care of the newly‐born infant, her care
and love will not relax for all time to come. She is always the mother.
Have the child presented for Baptism at the very earliest moment; if it be
in danger of death see that it receives private baptism. Then start out in
patience and kindness to rear it, giving it a secular but above all a
religious training, as the child must be prepared to take its place as a
good member of society and of the Church. Hence prayers must be taught,
and care must be taken that they are recited with piety and regularity;
the dogmas of the Church must be impressed on the child. At home it has to
learn all that pertains to the spiritual life of the holy Roman Catholic
Church, of which it is a member. Secular learning must be imparted, too,
as much as possible in schools belonging to the Church, so that the very
best education may be secured for the child.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐eighth Day.
The mother must watch over the children, and be very careful of the
company they keep. She must see that prayers are said morning and night,
before and after meals, that they go regularly to church on Sundays, and
to school every day. When they are able to go to work, give them an
occupation so that they will not be idle. Keep a vigilant eye on your
grown‐up sons and daughters. They are forming acquaintances which perhaps
are not good for them; their associations may not be the best.
Unrestricted, unobserved meetings should not be allowed, for they excite
the passions. When the time of their marriage comes, pray to almighty God
that they may find such partners as will be a help to them for the rest of
their lives, and lead them on in sanctity to their eternal salvation. As
you have been a good mother to your children, they will respect your
memory, will pray for you when you are gone, and will imitate your
virtues. The memory of a good mother lives forever.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐ninth Day.
The principal feast during the month of February is the feast of the
Purification of the Blessed Virgin, or Candlemas. On that day Mary goes to
the Temple, because the days of her purification are over. For forty days
she was excluded from the Temple as being impure. Mary, as we know, was
holy and good, and did not need to subject herself to the Law of Moses;
but she was obedient and permitted herself to be regarded as an ordinary
woman. There in the Temple she presented her first‐born Son to God. He
belongs to God already, He is God; He is the victim by whose atonement a
permanent reconciliation is effected between God and man. The gates of
heaven are opened, and the places made vacant by the fall of the angels
are to be filled. Mary brings with her the offering of the poor, a pair of
turtle‐doves as a ransom. God has accepted the sacrifice of His divine
Son, made for Him by His holy Mother. O holy Virgin! do thou also make
propitiation to the Father for us poor sinners, that we may be acceptable
to God, may belong to God, and may spend our lives in His service.
Prayer.
O most loving Jesus, etc., etc.
Litany of the Holy Family.
(_For Private Devotion Only._)
Lord, have mercy on us.
_Lord, have mercy on us._
Christ, have mercy on us.
_Christ, have mercy on us._
Lord, have mercy on us.
_Lord, have mercy on us._
Christ, hear us.
_Christ, graciously hear us._
God, the Father of heaven, _Have mercy on us_.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, _Have mercy on us_.
God, the Holy Ghost, _Have mercy on us_.
Holy Trinity, one God, _Have mercy on us_.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, _Have mercy on us_.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, worthy subjects of our reverence and love, _We
all have recourse to you._
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, by the voice of the ages called the Holy Family,
_We all have recourse to you._
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, names forever blessed, of the father, the Mother,
and the Child, who compose the Holy Family, _We all have
recourse to you._
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, pure husband, pure spouse, and divine Child,
restorers of the family, degraded before Christianity, _We all
have recourse to you._
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, image of the august Trinity on earth, _We all
have recourse to you._
Holy Family, whose chaste union was prepared for by an innocent and
virtuous youth, _We all have recourse to you._
Holy Family, tried by great contradictions, _We all have recourse to you._
Holy Family, afflicted in the journey to Bethlehem, _We all have recourse
to you._
Holy Family, repulsed by all, and forced to take refuge in a stable, _We
all have recourse to you._
Holy Family, greeted by the concert of angels, _We all have recourse to
you._
Holy Family, visited by the poor shepherds, _We all have recourse to you._
Holy Family, extolled by holy Simeon, _We all have recourse to you._
Holy Family, persecuted and exiled to a strange land, _We all have
recourse to you._
Holy Family, hidden and unknown at Nazareth, _We all have recourse to
you._
Holy Family, faithful to the law of God, _We all have recourse to you._
Holy Family, model of the Christian family, _We all have recourse to you._
Holy Family, in which reign peace and concord, _We all have recourse to
you._
Holy Family, whose head is a model of paternal vigilance, _We all have
recourse to you._
Holy Family, whose spouse is a model of maternal solicitude, _We all have
recourse to you._
Holy Family, whose Child is a model of obedience and filial piety, _We all
have recourse to you._
Holy Family, who led a poor, laborious, and penitent life, _We all have
recourse to you._
Holy Family, who earned your bread by the sweat of your brow, _We all have
recourse to you._
Holy Family, poor in goods of the earth, but rich in goods of heaven, _We
all have recourse to you._
Holy Family, despised by men, but great in God’s eyes, _We all have
recourse to you._
Holy Family, our support during life and our hope at the hour of our
death, _We all have recourse to you._
Holy Family, patron and protector of our associates, Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph, _We all have recourse to you._
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Spare us, O Lord_!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Graciously hear us, O
Lord_!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Have mercy on us, O
Lord_!
Jesus, hear us. _Jesus, graciously hear us._
_Let Us Pray._
O God of goodness and mercy, Who hast vouchsafed to call us to this pious
association of the Holy Family, grant us the grace always to honor and
imitate Jesus, Mary, and Joseph; that having pleased them on earth we may
enjoy their company forever in heaven. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Memorare To Mary.
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary! that no one ever had recourse to thy
protection, implored thy aid, or sought thy mediation without obtaining
relief. Confiding, therefore, in thy goodness and mercy, we cast ourselves
at thy sacred feet, and do most humbly supplicate thee, O Mother of the
Eternal Word! to adopt us as thy children and to take upon thyself the
care of our salvation. O let it not be said, our dearest Mother, that we
have perished, where no one ever found but mercy, grace, and salvation.
Amen.
Form Of Renewing The Baptismal Vows.
Humbly prostrate before Thee, O my God! and before the Holy Family, Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph, I return my grateful thanks for the inestimable benefit
bestowed upon me, of being born and educated in the Catholic Church, of
which I was made a child by Baptism. I thus received a right to the graces
which Jesus Christ dispenses through the sacraments, the happiness of
being admitted into the number of the children of the true faith, and the
hope of one day entering paradise. I come to renew and ratify the promises
made at my Baptism. Yes, O my God! I desire to belong entirely to Thee, to
serve Thee all my life, and strive always for the end for which I was
created. Therefore I renounce Satan and all his works, sin and its
occasions. I renounce the world, its maxims and vanities. I renounce the
flesh and its concupiscences, all irregular desires, and whatever may be
displeasing to Thee. I renounce human respect, which for so long kept me
from Thee. Formerly I feared the world and its ridicule, now I have but
one fear, that of forgetting my religious duties. I will henceforth
faithfully perform them, I will live according to the precepts and maxims
of Jesus Christ, I will be a good Christian. O Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
make me more and more worthy of the name. Through the help of your
powerful protection, may I be a respectful child of God, submissive to the
Church, faithful to my duties, that I may one day have the happiness of
thanking and glorifying you in the heavenly country. I am resolved to live
according to the precepts and maxims of Jesus Christ; yes, I desire to
live a good Christian life, that I may die the death of the elect. I
promise to remain faithful to my obligations as an associate of the Holy
Family, and hope to persevere until death. And at that moment what
happiness it will be for me to pass from the arms of Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph on earth, to the arms of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in heaven,
for all eternity. This is my hope. Amen.
An indulgence of forty days.
Act Of Consecration.
O Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I, N. N., in sight of the whole celestial court,
choose you this day for my patrons and protectors. I offer, and solemnly
consecrate to you in this association, my body and soul, all I have and
all I am. I promise to live as a good Christian, that I may die the death
of the predestined. What happiness for me to pass one day from the arms of
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph on earth, to the arms of the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost in heaven, for all eternity. This is my hope. Amen.