Day 1: Novena to Sts. Louis and Zelie, for all families

Grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel.

The parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, are the first married couple to be canonized together. They share a joint feast day – not the day of the death of either one, but instead, their wedding anniversary, July 12.

Join us in praying a novena to Louis and Zelie, for families everywhere.

Reflection:

[T]he couple’s fruitful relationship becomes an image for understanding and describing the mystery of God himself, for in the Christian vision of the Trinity, God is contemplated as Father, Son and Spirit of love. The triune God is a communion of love, and the fam- ily is its living reflection.

Saint John Paul II shed light on this when he said, “Our God in his deepest mystery is not solitude, but a family, for he has within himself fatherhood, sonship and the essence of the family, which is love. That love, in the divine family, is the Holy Spirit.” The family
is thus not unrelated to God’s very being.

From Amoris Laetitia.

Prayer:

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.

Sts. Louis and Zelie, pray for our families.
Help us to learn from your shining example,
and make us docile to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.