Consecration of the Family to Jesus

CONSECRATION OF THE FAMILY TO JESUS

(Also known as Consecration to the Holy Family)

O Lord Jesus,

You lived in the home of Mary and Joseph in Nazareth,

there You grew in age, wisdom, and grace

as You prepared to fulfill Your mission as our Redeemer.

We entrust our family to You.

O Blessed Mary,

you are the Mother of our Savior.

At Nazareth you cared for Jesus

and nurtured Him in the peace and joy of your home.

We entrust our family to you.

O Saint Joseph,

you provided a secure and loving home for Jesus and Mary

and showed us the dignity of faithful work and humble obedience.

We entrust our family to you.

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,

we consecrate ourselves and our family to you.

May we be united in a love that is lasting,

faithful, and open to the gift of new life.

Help us to grow in virtue,

to forgive one another from our hearts,

and to live in peace all our days.

Keep us strong in faith, persevering in prayer,

diligent in our work, and generous toward those in need.

May our home, O Holy Family,

truly become a domestic church

where we reflect your example in our daily life.

Amen.

Consecration of a family to Jesus is a spiritual practice within Christianity, particularly prominent in Catholicism, where a family dedicates itself to Christ, often through the intercession of Mary. This act signifies a commitment to live according to Christian virtues and to invite divine presence into the home.

The practice often involves specific prayers and rituals, with variations depending on the particular devotion being followed. One common form is the Consecration of the Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which emphasizes Christ's kingly dominion over the family and a desire to live in accordance with His life and virtues. This consecration seeks divine blessings on family undertakings, both spiritual and temporal, and aims to dispel worries, sanctify joys, and alleviate sufferings. It also includes a plea for mercy for any family member who might stray and a hope for eventual reunion in heaven. The Immaculate Heart of Mary and Saint Joseph are often invoked to present and uphold this consecration. This form of consecration was approved by Pope St. Pius X on May 19, 1908, and is traditionally recited kneeling, led by a priest or the head of the household.

Another significant practice is the Family Consecration to Jesus Through Mary, often inspired by the teachings of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort. This method emphasizes that devotion to Mary is a "surest, shortest, and most perfect way to approach Jesus" Saint Louis de Montfort tirelessly preached that Jesus is not known well enough because Mary is not known well enough. This consecration often involves a 33-day period of preparation, adapted for families, including daily spiritual exercises and activities designed to bring adults and children to a greater knowledge and love of Jesus through Mary. Saint Faustina also highlighted the importance of consecrating children to Jesus through Mary, stating that prayer alone for children might not be enough to defend them from evil and pave their way to Heaven. This act is seen as a renewal of baptismal vows, with Mary's loving hands and Immaculate Heart guiding the process.

The Blessed Mother is seen as an intercessor and advocate, always leading believers to her Son. Her presence at the wedding at Cana, where she instructed the servants to "Do whatever he tells you," is often cited as an example of her role in guiding people to Jesus. Saint John Paul II also affirmed Mary's role as a "faithful coworker for the salvation of the human race"

These acts of consecration are deeply rooted in Catholic tradition and are intended to strengthen faith within the family unit, promote Christian living, and seek divine protection and guidance.

OTHER PRAYER: "O Jesus, behold our family prostrate before Thee. Once more do we consecrate ourselves to Thee—our trials and joy—that our home, like Thine, may ever be the shrine of peace, purity, love, labor, and faith. Do Thou protect and bless all of us, absent and present, living and dead. O Mary, loving Mother of Jesus and our Mother, pray to Jesus for our family, for all the families of the world, to guard the cradle of the newborn, the schools of the young, and their vocations. O Joseph, Holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by Thy prayer in all the necessities of life. Ask of Jesus that special grace which He granted to Thee, to watch over our home at the pillow of the sick and the dying, so that with Mary and Thee, Heaven may find our family unbroken in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Amen."