Great Guides for the New Year

Our Family's Patron Saints for 2012

This year our family decided to enlist the help of some extremely successful individuals to cheer us on, encourage us, and pray for us as we journey through 2012. It's not that we believe the world will end in 2012, but rather it is because we know that being in the world in 2012 will be challenging, mentally and spiritually; thus, we decided to enlist those who have already been successful on this journey to walk with us. In fact, our recruits were so successful they are considered "triumphant." Now, that's success! Each member of our family choose to walk with another member of God's family, a member of God's family in heaven.

On New Year's Eve, our family put as many saints as we could think of on slips of paper. (Ok, to be honest we stopped after about 40 because that project itself could have taken us through 2013 -turns out after singing the Litany of Saints for years the kids know a lot of saints!) We prayed together thanking God for all He had given us this past year, hardships and joys, and we asked for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we each drew a name of the one who would be our patron saint for the year.

I'll admit, I had a little saint "envy" when my middle daughter drew Blessed John Paul II, but that quickly faded as I opened my slip and saw that I would be spending the year praying to and learning all I can about Blessed Mother Teresa. As part of choosing a patron saint for the year, we will each read about our saint's life and truly get to know them, as well as ask them to pray for us daily.

Our goal as a family in doing this is to imitate our brothers and sisters in Christ who came before us on this earth and are models of holiness, and to grow in the family that is above all families, the Trinity. If we know that "the fervent prayer of the righteous person is very powerful" (Jas 5:16), how much more effective will the prayers of those who stand before God in heaven be for our needs and concerns? How much more can they help us with the battles we will face, big or small? This is the beauty of God's family, we are connected to those who have gone before us by the Communion of Saints.

The Communion of Saints represents the whole family of God, in fact, it represents God, who is Himself, a Triune God, a family. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us: "When the Lord comes in glory, and all his angels with him, death will be no more and all things will be subject to him. But at the present time some of his disciples are pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still others are in glory, contemplating 'in full light, God himself triune and one, exactly as he is" (CCC 954).

So our goal this year is to keep God's family before our family. We will strive to treat our brothers and sisters on earth with charity, pray for the souls in purgatory, and call on those in heaven with confidence. I can think of nothing better to help our family this year than to look to God's family for prayer, and above all to depend on the one who is the first among saints by the fullness of grace which was hers, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Pope Benedict tells us that "from their infancy, children learn to perceive God thanks to the teaching and example of their parents." Think of three ways you can be an example to your children in 2012.

It's not too late to choose a saint to walk with you and your family in 2012. AmericanCatholic.org has Saint of the Day, a wonderful resource to learn about the extraordinary lives of Catholic saints. Draw from a list of saints today. Let us know who will be walking with your family in 2012?

Blessed Mother Teresa... pray for us.

Blessed John Paul II... pray for us.

St. Augustine.... pray for us.

St. Catherine of Siena... pray for us.

St. Francis Xavier... pray for us.

Mary, spouse of the Holy Spirit... pray for us!

POPE TO FAMILIES: STRENGTHEN THE FAITH IN YOUR HOMES

"It is in the family that we learn to live together, that faith is transmitted, values are strengthened and freedom is channelled to ensure that one day children will be fully aware of their own vocation and dignity, and that of others. The warmth of the home and domestic example can teach much more than words can say. This educational dimension of the family may receive particular encouragement in the Year of Faith, due to begin in a few months time. For this reason, I invite you to revitalize the faith in your homes and to become increasingly aware of the Creed we profess". Pope Benedict XVI, December 31, 2011

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