The prayers to say in February: the devotions, the pattern to follow
In January, the Catholic Church celebrated the month of the Holy Name of Jesus; and in February we turn to the whole Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
By sending his Son to earth as a child, born into a family, God elevated the family beyond a simple natural institution. Our family life reflects that lived by Christ, in obedience to his mother and adoptive father. Both as children and as parents, we can console ourselves in the fact that we have the perfect model of the family before us in the Holy Family.
A laudable practice for the month of February is a consecration to the Holy Family. If you have a prayer corner or a home altar, you can gather the whole family and recite the consecration prayer, which reminds us that we are not saved individually. We all work together for our salvation together with others, first of all together with the other members of our family. (If you don't have a prayer corner, your dining room table will suffice.)
There is no need to wait until next February to repeat the consecration: it is a good prayer for your family to pray every month. And be sure to check out all the prayers below to help you meditate on the example of the Holy Family and ask the Holy Family to intercede on behalf of our families.
For the protection of the Holy Family
The Holy Family, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Decatur, GA. (© flickr user andycoan; CC BY 2.0)
Icon of the Holy Family in the Chapel of Adoration, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Decatur, GA. andycoan; licensed under CC BY 2.0) / Flickr
Grant us, Lord Jesus, to always follow the example of Your holy Family, so that at the hour of our death your glorious Virgin Mother together with Blessed Joseph can come to meet us and we could be worthily received by you in eternal homes: who most alive and regal world without end. Amen.
An explanation of the prayer for the protection of the Holy Family
We must always be aware of the end of our life and live every day as if it could be our last. This prayer to Christ, asking him to guarantee the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph at the hour of our death, is a good evening prayer.
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Invocation to the Holy Family
grandfather and grandson praying together
Fusion images / KidStock / X brand images / Getty Images
Jesus, Mary and Joseph very kind,
bless us now and in the anguish of death.
An explanation of the invocation to the Holy Family
It is a good practice to memorize short prayers to be recited during the day, to keep our thoughts focused on our Christian life. This brief invocation is appropriate at any time, but especially at night, before going to bed.
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In honor of the Holy Family
Holy Family Sculpture Against The Wall
Damian Cabrera/EyeEm/Getty Images
O God, Heavenly Father, was part of Your eternal decree that Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, his blessed Mother, and His adoptive father, St. Joseph. In Nazareth, domestic life was sanctified and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we implore You, that we can faithfully understand and imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that one day we may join them in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
An explanation of the prayer in honor of the Holy Family
Christ could have come to earth in many ways, yet God chose to send his Son as a child born into a family. In doing so, he set the Holy Family as an example for all of us and made the Christian family more than a natural institution. In this prayer, we ask God to keep the example of the Holy Family always before us, in order to imitate them in our family life.
Consecration to the Holy Family
Nativity painting, Coptic Church of Saint Anthony, Jerusalem, Israel, Middle East
Nativity painting, the Coptic Church of Saint Anthony, Jerusalem, Israel. Godong / robertharding / Getty Images
In this prayer we consecrate our family to the Holy Family and ask for the help of Christ, who was the perfect Son; Maria, who was the perfect mother; and Joseph, who, as the adoptive father of Christ, sets an example for all fathers. With their intercession, we hope that our whole family can be saved. This is the ideal prayer to start the month of the Holy Family.
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Daily prayer before an image of the Holy Family
The Holy Family and Saint John the Baptist
Having a photo of the Holy Family in a prominent place in our home is a good way to remind ourselves that Jesus, Mary and Joseph should be the model in all things for our family life. This daily prayer before an image of the Holy Family is a wonderful way for a family to participate in this devotion.
Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in honor of the Holy Family
France, Ile de France, Paris. Catholic parish France.
Catholic mass, Ile de France, Paris, France. Sebastien Desarmaux / Getty Images
Grant us, O Lord Jesus, to faithfully imitate the examples of your Holy Family, so that at the hour of our death, in the company of your glorious Virgin Mother and Saint Joseph, we may deserve to be received by you in eternal tabernacles.
An explanation of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in honor of the Holy Family
This traditional prayer in honor of the Holy Family must be recited in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It is an excellent post-Communion prayer.
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Novena to the Holy Family
Parents and daughter praying at the breakfast table
conics/a.collectionRF/Getty Images
This traditional Novena to the Holy Family reminds us that our family is the main class in which we learn the truths of the Catholic Faith and that the Holy Family should always be the model for ours. If we imitate the Holy Family, our family life will always conform to the teachings of the Church and serve as a shining example for others on how to live the Christian faith.