THE RITE OF CONSECRATION OF THE FAMILY TO THE DIVINE MERCY IN THE HOME
At an agreed time, the entire family gathers in their usual prayer area in the house or a place of choice. There should be a lit candle held by a member and another, different from who will lead the prayer, holds the picture of Divine Mercy. The Hymn starts while the people are standing. Anyone may lead.
1. Hymn: God of Mercy and compassion (CHB 194)
2. Introduction by the leader: My dear (wife, husband, children, father, mother, family members, etc.) we have gathered as a family to consecrate ourselves and our family to the loving mercy of God. We have come to seek his mercy upon us and upon our family members alive and those whom it has pleased him to call to himself.(You may pause to mention some of them by name). For those of us alive, may we realize the purpose of our lives and how short it is; for the dead, through our supplication, may they find mercy.
3. Penitential rite: We know we are sinners and constantly in need of God's mercy, let us therefore call to mind our sins and ask God for pardon. (Pause for some time.)
Leader: Glory to you, Father, who forgive our faults and heal our infirmities. Lord have mercy.
R. For your mercy endures forever.
Leader: Glory to you, Lord, merciful and kind, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. Christ have mercy.
R. For your mercy endures forever.
Leader: Glory to you, Lord; you who are a tender Father toward your children. Lord have mercy.
R. For your mercy endures forever.
4. Prayer: Let us pray.
All: O God, author of true freedom, who desired to gather the whole human race into one people, unshackled from the chains of slavery; and who give to us, your children in the family of …..……...…., a time of mercy and forgiveness; grant that our family, may experience true freedom and peace. May the light of your mercy so shine on us and penetrate our hearts. May we in turn find the strength and courage to be able to forgive one another in this family and beyond, So that the love and peace which your son Our Lord Jesus Christ desired and died for, May reign supreme in our family, our parish and our world. May we experience the comfort of your presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(All Sit)
5. READING (The proclamation of the Gospel by a family member follows).
Family member: A reading from the Gospel according to Luke 15:1-7
There will be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who converts
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
6. Exhortation(To be read by a family member)
Mercy is the action of God who turns towards those who are suffering, who runs towards those who are in sin, who hears the cry of the poor, who responds to the oppression of his people, who embraces all our poverties including our greatest poverty--death--and raises us up, giving us life. In this Jubilee year, we are called to become oasis of Mercy. Pope Francis talks to us: "Without forgiving it is impossible to live or at least to live well, especially in the family. Every day we do each other wrong. We have to take into account these mistakes that are due to our fragility and our self-centeredness. Yet, what we are asked to do is to immediately heal the wounds we cause, to reweave the threads that we break in the family. If we wait too long, everything becomes more difficult." If we learn mutual forgiveness in the family, apologizing before it's too late, the family itself is made "stronger" and "less cruel than society." Consequently, then the family is "a great training ground for reciprocal giving and forgiving, without which no love can last for long."
"If we learn to ask for forgiveness immediately and mutually forgive one another, healing the wounds, the marriage is strengthened and the family home gradually becomes more solid, capable of resisting the shock of our small and great wickedness. Now, that does not require a big speech, but just a caress: a caress and everything is finished and starts again. But do not end the day at war! Got it?". "The ability to forgive and to forgive one another is part of the family's vocation and mission. The practice of forgiveness not only saves families from division, but it also enables them to help society to be less wicked and less cruel. Yes, every act of forgiveness repairs the cracks in the house and strengthens its walls."
"Truly, Christian families can do much for today's society, and also for the Church. It is, therefore, my wish that during the Jubilee of Mercy families will rediscover the treasure of mutual forgiving. Let us pray that the families become increasingly able to live and build concrete paths of reconciliation, where no one feels abandoned under the weight of his debts.”
7. ENTHRONEMENT (The leader now places the blessed picture of the Divine mercy on the wall or the altar provided for it. All kneel and say the prayer of consecration)
Leader: ACT OF CONSECRATION OF THE FAMILY TO THE DIVINE MERCY
All: O Jesus, you showed us your infinite compassionate love by exhausting the very last drop of blood and water from your body. From this day forward, with full confidence, we entrust our families to your Divine Mercy. We abandon our past, our present, and our future. We place into your wounds all of our wounds which are caused by lack of love, understanding, and trust. Jesus, expel Satan and all evil from our families, free us from the consequence of sin and protect us from further harm. Heal our wounds. May our families learn to venerate your Divine Image that they will never perish but experience your loving mercy. Amen.
Leader: PRAYER OF CONSECRATION TO THE DIVINE MERCY
All: Jesus, the Divine Mercy, we consecrate our entire life, from this day on, to You without reserve. Into Your hands we abandon our past, our present, and our future. From this day forward, make us true followers of Your teaching. Let Your Divine Mercy protect our home and our family from all the powers of evil. May all who venerate you never perish, may it be our joy in life, our hope in death, and our glory in eternity. Amen.
One Our Father, 3 Hail Mary and one Glory be
Leader: We fly to your protection
All: O holy mother of God. Despise not our prayers, in our necessity. But deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed virgin.
Leader: Jesus... All: We trust in you (3 times)
(Family members shake hands or embrace as a sign of peace)
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