What?
During this very important step, you will prepare for, learn about, and do the ceremony to enthrone a Holy Family Image and Sacred Scripture in your home. You will also be introduced to 3 powerful devotions: the Rosary, the Miraculous Medal and the Brown Scapular.
Why this step?
Fr Kevin tells you why in this video=>
A) A Little Faith= Big Blessings
Our Lord confounds the pride of the devil by abundantly blessing simple acts of faith! Throughout the Bible God asks His people to trust Him in small ways and He provides spectacularly. He asks for: a few loaves & fishes to feed thousands, a simple sign on the Israelites doorposts to save the lives of their first born, etc.
B) Amazing Promises
Our Lord promised St Margaret Mary Alacoque that He would “bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored.”
St Joseph promised “peace among men & nations” if we honor him “in union with Jesus and Mary.”
How to do this step?
(1) Prepare
Priest, Supplies & Checklist
Decide whether or not you will have a priest lead the enthronement ceremony or do it yourself. You could ask the priest to bless your home and also perform the optional (but recommended) Brown Scapular & Miraculous Medal ceremony.
Supplies
a. Holy Family Portrait-
Download & Print or
Purchase for Family and choose either a portrait or
Holy Card for each of your Children
b. Enthronement Certificate
Order or
Print out (
Spanish Version here)
c. Bible to be enthroned
d. Candle- and matches
e. Rosaries-
order/purchase and for each family member
f. Location-Choose a place of Honor in your home for the portrait & Bible. Children: pick a place in your room for a Holy Family portrait or Holy Family prayer Card
g. Decorations- a nice cloth, flowers, family picture, be creative!
h. Treats-Plan for fun treats throughout the learning & after the ceremony
i. Optional but Highly Recommended:
To Do Checklist:
a. Order supplies
b. Schedule date & priest( if you are using a priest)
c. Plan for special treats for the learning times & following the Ceremony
d. Frame portrait or portraits (nice, but not necessary for children’s pictures)
e. Without a priest: if ceremony is done without one, request a priest to bless your portraits, candle, rosaries, brown scapulars & miraculous medals. Also, ask the priest to do the Brown Scapular Ceremony & Miraculous Medal Ceremony with you & your family.
f. Set up the place of honor for the Portrait & Bible. Consider adding flowers & other decorations.
g. Go to Confession: You & your family will receive more graces from God through this process, when you are in a state of grace. Use the excellent Examinations of Conscience . You can bring them into the confessional to help you make a good confession!
h. Rosary: start to pray the daily rosary with your family. Begin with one decade & increase to a full Rosary over time. (see resources in “Learn” section)
i. *Important: Schedule appointed times to go through the videos & stories in the “Learn” section below. These stories will capture both your & your children’s imagination and will build cooperation & enthusiasm for this powerful step to protect yourself & your family. Follow each learning session with a promised treat!
(2) Learn
Videos, Amazing Stories & Pray along Rosary
This section is very powerful! The stories, explanations & videos below will help you and your family better understand the promises attached to these devotions. Also, the stories of miracles associated with these devotions are God’s confirmations that He keeps His promises!
Miracle stories will capture your imagination and inspire your faith & the faith of your children. Talk about the stories with your children and be sure to offer treats or incentives to help them pay attention and look forward to learning!
A) Holy Family Portrait: Explanation, Promises & Effects
1. Holy family Portrait Explanation 16 minute video below or Read Text.
2. 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart 11-minute video or Text of the 12 Promises
3. Mother Teresa on Family prayer & its effects 1.5 minute video.
4. Mother Teresa’s comments on Enthronement & Its effects on the Family 5 minute video.
5. Music video on the Eucharist 4 minute video.
B) Rosary: Promises & How to pray it
Start to pray the daily rosary with your family. Begin with one decade & increase to full Rosary over time.
a. Share with your Children these incredible Scapular Miracle Stories!
b. Read about the scapular
c. Watch & Learn about the Brown Scapular
a. Share with your Children these incredible Miraculous Medal Stories!
b. Read about Miraculous Medal & St. Catherine Laboure
c. Watch & Learn about the Miraculous Medal
(3) Ceremony
Ceremony Video, Prayers & Certificate
This is a most special moment in your family history! Through this ceremony, you are responding to God’s desire to honor the Holy Family. You imitate the Holy Trinity in honoring Jesus, Mary & Joseph! As you have learned, this devotion protects you & your family and will open you up to many graces(God’s helps)! Be sure to celebrate with a special treat for yourself & the children!
a. Begin with a Prayer (Our Father) & light the blessed candle
c. Miraculous Medal (Do
Miraculous Medal Ceremony if a priest is present, otherwise just solemnly put on the blessed medal. You can also print out the ceremony and at a later time ask a priest to bless & confer the medal)
e. Enthrone the Children’s own Holy Family portraits in their room
h. Celebrate! Break out the treats!
(4) Encourage Priests and Bishops
Why encourage them?
Because they know that faithful families are needed and even crucial in transforming the world into the God’s Kingdom!
“We need holy families, lest the church and the world would perish.” Bishop Nickless
“As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Pope John Paul II
How to encourage them?
We ask you to Register your enthronement so as to publicly join with others who also honor the Holy family. As an ever-growing association of believers, we edify the whole church. We also encourage the Holy Father when he is presented with your family’s commitment to the Holy family. How does Registering help my family & me?
1) You become a Holy Family Cooperator whose family has enthroned the Holy Family.
2) Your family shares in all the prayers and good works of the Apostolate for Family Consecration.
3) Your family shares in all the collective graces and merits derived from the many spiritual alliances made by the Apostolate with other powerful spiritual communities including Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's Missionaries of Charity and the Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary in Fatima, Portugal.
4) Your intentions are remembered in all the Masses of the Apostolate for Family Consecration every First Saturday and on the Feast of the Holy Family.
5) Your intentions are also remembered during all the First Friday Masses of the Apostolate for Family Consecration.
6) Your family is included in the list of families who have enthroned the Holy Family in their homes presented to the Holy Father, the Pope!
Back to Step 1 ... Link to Step 3
