Prayers For The Family Novena Booklet
Prayers For The Family Novena Booklet
Prayers For The Family Novena Booklet
Ke v i n Ne l l e s
STEUBENVILLE
PRESS
Table of Contents
What is a Family? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5
Pope Francis on the Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6
Prayers for the Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pages 13-24
Pope Francis Prayer for 2015 Synod. . . . . . page 13
Pope Francis Prayer to the Holy Spirit . . . . page 15
For Fatherhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 16
For Motherhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 18
For Broken Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 20
For Sanctity of the Family Structure . . . . . . page 21
For Future Family Members . . . . . . . . . . . . page 22
For the Innocence of Children . . . . . . . . . . page 23
Parents Prayer for the
Vocations of Their Children . . . . . . . . . .. . . page 24
Novena for the Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 25
Litany of the Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 36
What is a family?
While the theological and practical definition of
family is hotly debated in modern Western society,
both within current popular culture, as well as, sadly,
within the Church, a family has generally been
characterized, across cultures and throughout history,
by many articulations of this simple formula:
One man and one woman, united through marriage,
raising children.
The raising children element of a family described
here is not meant to imply that couples who
experience infertility are not legitimate families,
but rather that welcoming new human life, whether
by actual procreation or by spiritual and/or legal
adoption, is the ancient hallmark of the family. Those
who find themselves unable to have children, the
Catholic Church teaches, are still commended to live
conjugal lives full of charity, hospitality, and sacrifice
the very virtues fostered by parenthoodwith the
Holy Spirit offering comfort throughout the pains of
infertility.
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First Day
For love between spouses
Daily Scripture
Genesis 2:20-25
The man gave names to all the tame animals, all the birds
of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be
a helper suited to the man. So the LORD God cast a deep
sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out
one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The LORD
God then built the rib that he had taken from the man into
a woman. When he brought her to the man, the man said:
This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
This one shall be called woman, for out of man this one
has been taken. That is why a man leaves his father and
mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become
one body. The man and his wife were both naked, yet they
felt no shame.(NABRE)
(see also: Isaac and Rebekah, Genesis 24:62 67)
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Second Day
That the family may welcome others into their home
Daily Scripture
Acts 16:13-15
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the
river where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple
cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what
Paul was saying. After she and her household had been
baptized, she offered us an invitation, If you consider me a
believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home, and she
prevailed on us. (NABRE)
(see also: You Did It To Me, Matthew 25: 34-40)
(see also: The Commandment of Leviticus 20:33-34)
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Third Day
That the family take care of their elderly
Daily Scripture
Isaiah 46: 3-4
Hear me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
My burden from the womb,
whom I have carried since birth.
Even to your old age I am he,
even when your hair is gray I will carry you;
I have done this, and I will lift you up,
I will carry you to safety. (NABRE)
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Fourth Day
For protection from temptation and/or addictions
Daily Scripture
1 Corinthians 6:17-20
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Fifth Day
That children respect and obey their parents
Daily Scripture
Proverbs 23:22-26
Listen to your father who begot you,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Buy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who begets a wise son will be glad in him.
Let your father and mother be glad;
let her who bore you rejoice.
My child, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways. (NRSVCE)
(see also: The Grace of Parental Wisdom, Proverbs 1:8-9)
(see also: Marys Request at Cana, John 2:1-11)
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Sixth Day
That parents love and understand their children
Daily Scripture
Matthew 18:1-5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? He called a
child, whom he put among them, and said, Truly I tell you,
unless you change and become like children, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble
like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes
me.(NRSVCE)
(see also: Do Not Provoke Your Children, Colossians 3:21)
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Seventh Day
That parents live out the Gospel as an example to
their children
Daily Scripture
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your
heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them
when you are at home and when you are away, when you
lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your
hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write
them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
(NRSVCE)
(see also: As a Father Treats His Children, 1 Thessalonians
2:11-13)
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Eighth Day
For Christian unity within the domestic church
Daily Scripture
Ephesians 4:1-6
I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner
worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and
gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through
love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the
bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also
called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one
baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and
through all and in all. (NABRE)
(see also: Be of the Same Mind, United in Heart, Phillipians
2:1-5)
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Ninth Day
For forgiveness of past wrongs and reconciliation
Daily Scripture
Colossians 3:12-15
Put on then, as Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and
patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one
another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord
has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these
put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace
of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were
also called in one body. And be thankful. (NABRE)
(see also: How Often Must I Forgive? Matthew 18: 21-22)
(see also: Leave Your Gift at the Altar, Matthew 5:21-24)
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