L S F (Laudetur Sacra Familia)
NOVENA FOR OUR SOCIETY FEAST
Jesus, the Centre of the Holy Family
Preparation Day:
"How would you form your disciples?" "By giving them a complete knowledge of the spiritual life – so that in the street or in the holes of the poor or at home in the community they would live the life of close union with God – The interior must become the main power of the exterior – To arrive at this, they will have the first year of their religious life one of complete contemplation – and perfect solitude – which will be renewed every six years, after they have taken the vows. They must also have all the possible help from holy priests in their spiritual life – so that religious perfection would become simple and easy – as the life of Mary was at Nazareth. For if they are not in love with God, they will not be able to lead this life of continual immolation for souls. Each must understand that if he wants to become a Missionary of Charity, he must be in love with the Crucified and be His Victim for the souls of the poor"(M.F.G. p. 22).
Mary
Desire perfect accomplishment of the Divine Will.
"My food is to do the Will of my Father who sent me"
(Jn 4: 34).Joseph
To Mary by Angel Gabriel:
First Day
AnnunciationsTo Joseph by the Angel of the Lord: "Take, Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit" (Mt 1: 20).
Call to be and to do – Message – Messengers.
The centre of the story is "Jesus", the Son of God.
"It was Mary whom the eternal Father chose to be the Mother of His only beloved and begotten Son Jesus; and it was to Joseph He entrusted the care of them both"
(R. 14).Second Day Reaction to the call – to accept or reject Jesus:"Mary, do not be afraid…" (Lk 1: 31).
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid" (Mt 1: 20).
Fear, doubt, misunderstanding, much suffering and pain.
Clarification, confirmation and assurance by the Angels.
Third Day Response – acceptance of Jesus in the Family, welcoming him:
"
Mary said: ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me as you say" (Lk 1: 38)."Joseph did what the Angel of the Lord had told him to do" (Mt 1: 24).
Trust, obedience and acceptance of the will of God through the Angels.
God did not speak to them in person, but only through His Angels.
Fourth Day Jesus becomes Mary’s Child – Mary is with Child – Jesus now lives in Mary:
"Blessed is the fruit of your womb
, Jesus" (Lk 1: 42)."Joseph takes Mary as his wife together with Jesus in profound faith, trust and humility" (cf. Mt 1: 25).
Fifth Day Jesus is born in Bethlehem in utter material poverty, misery and destitution…
Pain is terrible for Joseph who is unable to provide a proper place for Jesus to be born. The Son of God is born among animals in a crib "
Reduced to the most material poverty but raised to the highest spiritual riches.
"The Holy Family is our inspiration and our guide in practising voluntary poverty. It makes us immensely happy to the extent that we desire ourselves be clothed with the utter poverty and humility of Jesus on the cross - to die like a helpless destitute desiring to be nothing and to have nothing except to work evermore for His greater glory. This we do by means of our cheerful obedience to His will in love until we die" (R. 21).
Sixth Day Jesus is born in humility to give joy, a joy to be shared.
Many humiliations for the Holy Family. Mary and Joseph couldn’t have a worse humiliation than this that they couldn’t offer a proper home to the Son of God born of the Virgin Mary. And yet there is joy in heaven and peace on earth to all people of good will. Paradoxically there is great suffering and great joy since the Annunciation.
"Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people" (Lk 2: 10).
Here Mary and Joseph obey the laws promptly, without counting the cost and without any questions.
Triduum
Seventh Day Prayerfulness
"In Joseph the apparent tension between the active and contemplative life finds an ideal harmony that is only possible for those who possess the perfection of Charity" (Redemptoris Custos).
"The family that prays together, stays together"
Nazareth teaches us the importance of profound and positive silence. "If only we could once again appreciate its great value. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and in quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God's inner wisdom. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only by God" (Paul VI). (R. 198)
Eight Day Fidelity and obedience constancy and perseverance in love, for love:
"After the Magi had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: ‘get up, take the child and the Mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you’…", "So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where they stayed until Herod was dead" (Mt 2: 13-15).
"After Herod’s death, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said: ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel’. So Joseph got up and taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel…" (Mt 2: 19-21).
By means of pain, hard labour and endurance, the Holy family grew in holiness.
Ninth Day Nazareth will remain for s the first pattern for all our communities:
"We may say that the Holy Family was a Trinity on earth, which in a certain way represented the Heavenly Trinity itself"
(St. Francis e Sales)."Nazareth is the home of every Contemplative Brother and is at the same time model and school where we learn how to be holy like Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They are not only our model of virtues but also our teachers of:
- H umility - God's own humility now incarnate in the person of Jesus who invites us to learn from His humility (Mt 11:29).
- O bedience - to be ever ready to do God's holy will. Jesus obeyed His human parents (Lk 2:52). He learnt obedience through suffering (Heb 5:8). "His food was to do the will of His Father and to accomplish His work" (Jn 4:34). He became obedient unto death, death on a cross. Mary said to the Angel: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me as you say" (Lk 1:38). Joseph too is a real example of prompt obedience: "When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him" (Mt 1:24; 2:14ff.; 2:21ff.).
- L ove - The Holy Family of Nazareth can be said to be the closest shadow on earth of the love of the Holy Trinity. As the centre of God is undefeatable, creative, ever fresh and dynamic love, there was in the heart of the Holy Family the same enduring love. No one ever has loved so much or has ever lived so close to Jesus as did Mary and Joseph in the home of Nazareth. This closeness was both physical as well as spiritual and mystical.
- Y earning - which can be identified with one's thirst...God's thirst for us can concretely be found in Jesus who lived and died, died on the cross with the cry of "I Thirst". Jesus was thirsty for our thirst for Him. Mary standing beneath the cross of Jesus and living with Him for 33 years shared in His thirst; also by having St. John, who symbolizes the whole of humanity, entrusted to her...Mary and Joseph were chosen to assist Jesus to bring to conclusion the Mission of Jesus on earth..."I have come to set fire on earth.... and how I wish it to be ignited" (Lk 12:49). "Whoever is thirsty, may come to me and drink" (cf. Jn 7:37ff.). Every M.C. Contemplative Brother is to experience this twofold thirst with the same intensity as Jesus felt it, and share in this thirst of Jesus as closely as he can, as Our Lady and St. Joseph shared in it:
a) God's thirst for us and for all
Thirst
b) Our thirst for God
Jesus chose Mother Teresa and made her experience this intense thirst which like flames of fire has spread across the sea and oceans. We all share in her thirst and work hard to quench the thirst of Jesus by faithfully persevering in our vocation until the end of our lives" (R. 18).
NOVENA PRAYER TO THE HOLY FAMILY
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace of loving our Society as we should, above every earthly thing, and of ever showing our love by deeds.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to live generously the vows we have made or are going to make.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph bless us and grant us the grace of sharing as we should in the defence and propagation of the faith when duty calls, whether by word or by the sacrifice of our possessions and even our very lives.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph bless us and grant us the grace of loving the Brothers in our Communities in mutual charity as we should and establish us in perfect harmony of thought, will and action under the guidance of our Superiors; teach us to be poor and simple and to go in search of the poorest of the poor in order to love and serve in obedience to our Rules.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph bless us and grant us the grace of conforming our lives fully as we should to the Spirit and Charism of our Society as detailed in our Constitutions and Spiritual Path, so as to live always in that Charity which they set forth. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we ask in particular the special favour (mention your favour)...
CONSECRATION OF OUR SOCIETY TO THE HOLY FAMILY
Most loving Jesus, by your sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, charity, poverty, chastity and obedience, patience and gentleness you bless with peace and happiness the family which you chose on earth. In your mercy look upon our Society. We belong to you, for we have received your many blessings over many years and we entrust ourselves and our Society with its growth in holiness and number to your loving providence, and fatherly care and protection.
Look upon our Community, our Society and all its members. In your loving kindness, preserve us from dangers, give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in imitation of your Holy Family, so that having loved and served you in our brothers and in the poorest of the poor faithfully on earth, we may praise you eternally in Heaven.
Mary, dearest Mother, to your intercession we have recourse, knowing that your Divine Son will hear your prayers. Glorious Patriarch, St Joseph, help us by your powerful prayers and offer our prayers to Jesus through Mary's hands. Amen.
God bless you. Fr. Sebastian Vazhakala M.C.