THE FAMILY ZONE

On September 21, we will hear in the Gospel of Luke that you cannot serve two masters. The material, consumer driven world we live in does not align well with the Gospel principles of caring for the least of us. This passage also invites us to examine what it means to be honest and trustworthy. These are great conversations to have as a family. In your daily life, how are you tempted to hold back the full truth? Why do we, as humans, choose to avoid consequences rather than living with the truth? What does God ask of us and how are we challenged by this Gospel to live differently? As human beings, we are constantly in a state of growth and transformation. How can we be changed by the words of Luke's Gospel?

Forgiveness is an Act of Love

Holy water fonts are located at the entrance of a church. This marks our transition from ordinary space to sacred space. The use of these comes from an ancient Jewish practice of purifying oneself before entering the temple. Holy water is a sacramental, or a sacred sign that bears a resemblance to the sacraments. After dipping our finger in the holy water, we make the Sign of the Cross. In our churches, we are reminded of the sacrament of our own baptism when we bless ourselves with holy water from the font, repeating the words that were said on that day. This simple action makes a powerful statement about our Christian life. Blessing ourselves also is a way of asking forgiveness for our sins, before we enter into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. "Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness, in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me." (Psalm 50) The next time you bless yourself with holy water from the font, let your mind transition from the busyness of daily life, to the quiet peace of God's presence!

Many Catholics have a home font, or a small bottle of Holy Water they received at Easter. Play the video below to hear more about having holy water in your home.

Have you wondered HOW Holy Water becomes Holy Water? Watch below:

Make this Family Litany of Trust part of your week!

This year, we will provide you with a recipe and a topic to keep the communication going beyond "how was your day?"

What makes someone trustworthy? What do you notice about people that makes you trust them? What do you do if you want to earn someone's trust? How do you feel when you trust someone and they disappoint you?

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester

Editor: Leslie Barkin leslie.barkin@dor.org

Email: oec@dor.org
Website: oec.dor.org
Location: Diocese of Rochester, Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210

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