The Light Entrusted to You
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"You have asked to have your child baptized.
In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him (her) in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring him (her) up to keep God's commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?" Parents: "We do." "Parents and godparents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ. He (she) is to walk always as a child of the light. May he (she) keep the flame of faith alive in his (her) heart. When the Lord comes, may he (she) go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom." |
First, entrust your children to Sts. Mary and Joseph
Oh, Immaculate Heart of Mary,
sure refuge of sinners and firm anchor of salvation, we consecrate our family to you. In these times of great spiritual battle, of struggle between light and darkness, between truth and deceit, between authentic family values and destructive permissiveness, we ask you to receive our family into your Heart, to protect us under your mantel, to defend us in your maternal arms and to guide us safely to the Heart of your Son, Jesus. Mother Most Holy, our family recognizes you as our Mother and Teacher. By this consecration, our family receives you into our home, into our hearts and into our family. We invite you to participate fully in our lives, in our joys and in our struggles. We confide ourselves to your maternal protection, to your intercession, and to guide us on the sure and perfect way to the Heart of Christ. With confidence in your promise that in the end your Immaculate Heart will triumph, we consecrate ourselves to your Heart as the sure means to be consecrated to the Heart of Christ. |
Heavenly Father,
you have given us the model of life in the Holy Family of Nazareth. Help us, O Loving Father, to make our family another Nazareth where love, peace and joy reign. May it be deeply contemplative, intensely Eucharistic, revived with joy. Help us to stay together in joy and sorrow in family prayer. Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our families, especially in their distressing disguise. May the Eucharistic heart of Jesus make our hearts humble like his and help us to carry out our family duties in a holy way. May we love one another as God loves each one of us, more and more each day, and forgive each other’s faults as you forgive our sins. Help us, O Loving Father, to take whatever you give and give whatever you take with a big smile. Immaculate Heart of Mary, cause of our joy, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us. Holy Guardian Angels, be always with us, guide and protect us. Amen. – Mother Teresa of Calcutta |
O glorious St. Joseph, to you God committed the care of His only begotten Son amid the many dangers of this world. We come to you and ask you to take under your special protection the children God has given us. Through holy baptism they became children of God and members of His holy Church. We consecrate them to you today, that through this consecration they may become your foster children. Guard them, guide their steps in life, form their hearts after the hearts of Jesus and Mary. St. Joseph, who felt the tribulation and worry of a parent when the child Jesus was lost, protect our dear children for time and eternity. May you be their father and counselor. Let them, like Jesus, grow in age as well as in wisdom and grace before God and men. Preserve them from the corruption of his world, and give us the grace one day to be united with them in Heaven forever. Amen. www.aleteia.org Powerful 30 Day Novena to St. Joseph |
