Family Consecration.
Family Consecration is a practical way to intentionally live your baptismal consecration (promises) and grow in union with God, as a family. Through Baptism, we become children of God, called to eternal life with Him in Heaven. But to grow in union with God, we must choose to live for Him.
With Family Consecration, your family can renew your baptismal commitment by making an act of consecration to the Holy Family. This act of consecration is a deliberate choice to follow Jesus Christ more fully, with the help of Mary and Joseph, and to set your family apart for God.
Then, taking the Holy Family as your model, each family member seeks to lead a life that gives glory to God.
A Way of Life
INSPIRED BY THE FATIMA MESSAGEWhen Our Lady appeared at Fatima in 1917, she delivered a message of hope that gives the solution for reversing the effects of sin and bringing about God’s kingdom on earth. The AFC has summarized this message in four points.
The Four Points
SIN is the cause of all unhappiness.
GRACE is more powerful than sin.
HOLINESS, cooperation with God’s grace, repairs for sin and brings peace into the world.
CONSECRATION maximizes our efforts to repair for sin, because when we entrust ourselves to Mary, she purifies and multiplies our good works.
Family Consecration is a response to this message of hope. By turning away from sin, accepting God’s grace, seeking to live a holy life, and consecrating yourself—to Jesus, through Mary, in union with St. Joseph—your family can help to repair for sin and bring other souls to Heaven! Power
Family Consecration is incredible! Through it, everything you do or endure takes on purpose and meaning. Your ordinary activities, like washing dishes or going to work, as well as your trials, are made holy and can be used by God for the conversion of others.
If enough souls live Family Consecration, the ripple effect can become a force strong enough to crush the head of Satan and bring about God’s reign on earth!
Two Aspects
OF FAMILY CONSECRATIONMaking an act of consecration
Living your consecration every day
Making an act of consecration to the Holy Family, together as a family, is a renewal of your baptismal consecration and sets your family apart for God. When you consecrate your family to the Holy Family, you are placing Jesus at the center and pledging to live totally for Him, with the help and protection of Mary and St. Joseph.
Prayer of Consecration
TO THE HOLY FAMILYDaily Renewal
OF YOUR CONSECRATIONEach day, renew your act of consecration. This helps you to remember and live your commitment in daily life. You can renew your consecration in a variety of ways, such as praying this AFC prayer: All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.
Second Aspect:
LIVING YOUR CONSECRATION EVERY DAYFamily Consecration is more than a one-time event. It’s a joyful, balanced way of life.
After making an act of consecration to Jesus, through Mary, in union with St. Joseph, you can live your consecration (and express your love for God) by following the pathway of the Seven Keys to God-Centered Family Living.
Seven Keys to God-Centered Family Living
Prayer Life
Building a personal relationship with God.
Daily prayer helps each family member to build their personal relationship with God and more deeply embrace their identity as His child. Family members should pray together and individually. In particular, the AFC emphasizes the daily family Rosary as a direct response to the Fatima message.
Sacramental Life
Growing in grace.
The sacraments give special grace to grow in holiness and union with God. The AFC encourages families to go to Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and Confession often—to increase in the life of grace and to worship Our Eucharistic Lord in union with the whole Church.
Learning the Faith
Knowing God helps us to love Him.
Learning the truths of the Catholic Faith helps families to grow in love of God. Knowledge of the Faith also protects families from the false values of the world and equips them to more confidently defend, live, and share the Faith with others.
Living the Virtues
Faith, hope, and love lead to freedom and unity.
Families are empowered to live a life of virtue through the graces they receive through prayer, the sacraments, and learning the Faith. As they grow in faith, hope, and love, families are led to greater unity, peace, and freedom.
Serving Others
Serving others, both in the home and outside the home, is one of the best ways families can express their faith and love for God. By putting their love for each other and those around them into action, families satisfy Jesus’ thirst for love.
Sharing the Faith
Families that have deepened their union with God are inspired to evangelize by leading others to an encounter with Jesus. Sharing the Faith can take many forms, such as sharing one’s testimony, opening up the home to others, and treating everyone with charity.
Sanctifying Daily Duties
Offering up each moment “All for”
By embracing and joyfully offering the present moment to God, each family member can sanctify their daily duties and help to repair for sin. That way, when confronted with trials or difficulties, the family can remain at peace, recognizing that everything is either willed or permitted by God and that He draws good out of everything.
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