Prayers for February

The Month of the Holy Family

The Holy Family, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Decatur, GA. (© flickr user andycoan; CC BY 2.0)
Icon of the Holy Family in the Adoration Chapel, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Decatur, GA. (Photo © flickr user andycoan; licensed under CC BY 2.0)

In January, the Catholic Church celebrated the Month of the Holy Name of Jesus; and in February, we turn to the entire Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

In sending His Son to earth as a Baby, born into a family, God elevated the family beyond a mere natural institution. Our own family life reflects that lived by Christ, in obedience to His mother and foster father. Both as children and as parents, we can take comfort in the fact that we have the perfect model of the family before us in the Holy Family.

One commendable practice for the month of February is a Consecration to the Holy Family. If you have a prayer corner or a home altar, you can gather the entire family and recite the consecration prayer, which reminds us that we aren't saved individually. We all work out our salvation in conjunction with others—first and foremost, together with the other members of our family. (If you don't have a prayer corner, your dining room table will suffice.)

There's no need to wait until next February to repeat the consecration: It's a good prayer for your family to pray every month. And be sure to check out all of the prayers below to help you meditate on the example of the Holy Family and ask the Holy Family to intercede on behalf of our families.

For the Protection of the Holy Family

The Holy Family, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Decatur, GA. (© flickr user andycoan; CC BY 2.0)
Icon of the Holy Family in the Adoration Chapel, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Decatur, GA. andycoan; licensed under CC BY 2.0)/Flickr

Grant unto us, Lord Jesus, ever to follow the example of Thy holy Family, that in the hour of our death Thy glorious Virgin Mother together with blessed Joseph may come to meet us and we may be worthily received by Thee into everlasting dwellings: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

An Explanation of the Prayer for the Protection of the Holy Family

We should be ever mindful of the end of our lives, and live each day as if it might be our last. This prayer to Christ, asking Him to grant us the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph at the hour of our death, is a good evening prayer.

Invocation to the Holy Family

grandfather and grandson praying together
Blend Images/KidStock/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind,
Bless us now and in death's agony.

An Explanation of the Invocation to the Holy Family

It's a good practice to memorize short prayers to recite throughout the day, to keep our thoughts focused on our ​life as Christians. This short invocation is appropriate at any time, but especially at night, before we go to bed.​

In Honor of the Holy Family

Holy Family Sculpture Against Wall
Damian Cabrera/EyeEm/Getty Images

O God, Heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth, home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

An Explanation of the Prayer in Honor of the Holy Family

Christ could have come to earth in any number of ways, yet God chose to send His Son as a Child born into a family. In so doing, He set the Holy Family as an example for us all and made the Christian family more than a natural institution. In this prayer, we ask God to keep the example of the Holy Family always before us, so that we will imitate them in our family life.

Consecration to the Holy Family

Painting of the Nativity, St. Anthony Coptic church, Jerusalem, Israel, Middle East
Painting of the Nativity, St. Anthony Coptic church, Jerusalem, Israel. Godong/robertharding/Getty Images

In this prayer, we consecrate our family to the Holy Family, and ask the aid of Christ, Who was the perfect Son; Mary, who was the perfect mother; and Joseph, who, as foster father of Christ, sets the example for all fathers. Through their intercession, we hope that our entire family may be saved. This is the ideal prayer to begin the Month of the Holy Family.

Daily Prayer Before a Picture of the Holy Family

The Holy Family and Saint John the Baptist

Having a picture of the Holy Family in a prominent place in our house is a good way to remind ourselves that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph should be the model in all things for our family life. This Daily Prayer Before a Picture of the Holy Family is a wonderful way for a family to participate in this devotion.

Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament in Honor of the Holy Family

France, Ile de France, Paris. Catholic parish mass France.
Catholic Mass, Ile de France, Paris, France. Sebastien Desarmaux/Getty Images

Grant us, O Lord Jesus, faithfully to imitate the examples of Thy Holy Family, so that in the hour of our death, in the company of Thy glorious Virgin Mother and St. Joseph, we may deserve to be received by Thee into eternal tabernacles.

An Explanation of the Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament in Honor of the Holy Family

This traditional Prayer in Honor of the Holy Family is meant to be recited in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It is a very good post-Communion prayer.

Novena to the Holy Family

Parents and Daughter Praying at Breakfast Table
conics/a.collectionRF/Getty Images

This traditional Novena to the Holy Family reminds us that our family is the primary classroom in which we learn the truths of the Catholic Faith and that the Holy Family should always be the model for our own. If we imitate the Holy Family, our family life will always be in conformity with the teachings of the Church, and it will serve as a shining example to others of how to live the Christian Faith.

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ThoughtCo. "Prayers for February." Learn Religions, Aug. 27, 2020, learnreligions.com/prayers-for-february-542763. ThoughtCo. (2020, August 27). Prayers for February. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/prayers-for-february-542763 ThoughtCo. "Prayers for February." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/prayers-for-february-542763 (accessed March 28, 2024).