112.
The feast of the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Sunday in the Christmas
octave) is a festive occasion particularly suitable for the celebration of
rites or moments of prayer proper to the Christian family. The recollection of
Joseph, Mary and Jesus' going up to Jerusalem, together with other observant
Jewish families, for the celebration of the Passover (cf. Lk 2, 41-42), should
normally encourage a positive acceptance of the pastoral suggestion that all
members of the family attend Mass on this day. This feast day also affords an
opportunity for the renewal of our entrustment to the patronage of the Holy
Family of Nazareth; the blessing of children as provided in the ritual; and
where opportune, for the renewal of marriage vows taken by the spouses on their
wedding day, and also for the exchange of promises between those engaged to be
married in which they formalize their desire to found a new Christian family.
Outside
of the feast, the faithful have frequent recourse to the Holy Family of
Nazareth in many of life's circumstances: joining the Association of the Holy
Family so as to model their own families on the Holy Family of Nazareth;
frequent prayers to entrust themselves to the patronage of the Holy Family and
to obtain assistance at the hour of death.
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