February — Monthly prayer to the Holy Family

The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family of Nazareth, whose liturgical feast is celebrated on the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas. The devotion was promoted in the 17th century by the Bishop of Quebec St François de Laval, received a proper Office in 1893 under Pope Leo XIII (whose encyclical Neminem fugit solemnly consecrated all Christian families to the Holy Family, on 14 June 1892), and was extended to the universal Church by Benedict XV on 26 October 1921. The doctrine of the family as the domestic Church was solemnly reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council (Lumen Gentium 11) and by the apostolic exhortations Familiaris Consortio of St John Paul II (1981) and Amoris Laetitia of Pope Francis (2016).

Lord Jesus Christ, who in taking flesh in the Virgin Mary willed to be born and to grow up in a human family, under the care of Mary your Mother and Joseph your foster father, in the little house of Nazareth where you learned to obey, to work and to pray: sanctify every Christian family, especially those divided, sick, poor or in trial; grant to parents the patience of Mary and the justice of Joseph; to children, the humble obedience with which you yourself grew in wisdom, in age and in grace before God and men (cf. Lk 2:52). May every Christian family, in our time, be a little domestic Church.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.