Pope’s prayer for the Synod on family

December 30, 2013 - Pope Francis on Sunday underscored the evangelizing role of the family both in the Church and in society. Speaking to a vast crowd after his weekly ‘Angelus’ prayer and blessing at noon on Sunday in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square, the Pope noted that the preaching of the Gospel is done first inside the family and in the different spheres of everyday life. He reminded Catholics about the upcoming Consistory when he will make new cardinals and the Synod on the family. He thus invited all to join him as he recited a prayer to the Holy Family which he has written for the synod:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
in you we contemplate
the splendour of true love,
to you we turn with trust.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
grant that our families too
may be places of communion and prayer,
authentic schools of the Gospel
and small domestic Churches.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
may families never again
experience violence, rejection and division:
may all who have been hurt or scandalized
find ready comfort and healing.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
may the approaching Synod of Bishops
make us once more mindful
of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,
and its beauty in God’s plan.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
graciously hear our prayer.