2023 Daily Prayers for Families #NFLW

Let us spend the National Week of Family and Life (NFLW) 2023 united in prayer, reflection, and action, demonstrating our active support for family and life. Indeed, families are “guardians of life” when we love one another within our families and in wider society when we show kindness toward and care for the vulnerable and marginalized.

Note: Day 1 can begin anytime! We want to ensure everybody has the opportunity to join in and take part in this wonderful experience. Don't worry if you missed the start of NFLW, you can join in and start participating in the daily prayers and activities from any day.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

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Day 1 
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Prayer Intention: For single parents | God of love and tenderness, we pray for single parents, that you may be their guide, their protector, and their safe refuge. Grant them the grace to provide for the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of their children. In your loving mercy comfort all single parents in times of need and bring healing to their unique suffering. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Activity for families
Single parents can often struggle with feeling isolated or marginalized. If you know someone who is a single parent in your community or church, consider extending yourself to them and their children. You can reach out to them to introduce yourself and get to know them. Other ideas could be dropping off a meal, offering babysitting for an hour, or inviting them over for dinner.

In the parish community
In your parish community, is there an opportunity to establish a network of single parents and their children with others in similar situations? Monthly prayer events or online scripture studies can be a good way to bring single parents together with each other, as well as other families.

Today’s prayer intention and family activity was developed in collaboration with Momentum, a ministry supporting Catholic single mothers. 

Day 2 
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Prayer Intention: For those living with mental health challenges, including mental illnesses | Loving Jesus, you walk with us along the valleys and peaks of life. Be near to those living with mental health challenges, including mental illnesses. May they hear the still, small voice of calm whisper through the silence,“You are loved. You are not alone.” Strengthen and sustain caregivers and others who accompany those living with mental health challenges, including mental illnesses. May the joy of your Resurrection offer lasting hope and healing, as we await the coming of your kingdom where you live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily Activity for families
As a family, take time to check in on your individual mental health and share it with each other while practicing active listening. If you were to describe how you are feeling as a colour, what would it be and why? Recognizing that it’s okay not to be okay, are you experiencing a season of flourishing or of languishing? Can you care for your mental health together today? Perhaps go for a walk, have a kitchen dance party, make a visit to a Eucharistic chapel, bake your favourite muffins, or take a holy nap!

In the parish community
In your parish community, is there an opportunity to organize an outreach program or event to promote the wellbeing of every person? Wellbeing is about supporting the mental, physical, and spiritual health of persons and
families. What are some creative ways your parish community can promote wellbeing? Some examples could include a time of Eucharistic Adoration followed by a time of hospitality and fellowship. For an example ministry, see more information below about Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries. 

Today’s prayer intention and family activity was developed
in collaboration with Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries,
a ministry equipping the church to support mental health and
wellbeing. 

Day 3

Prayer Intention: For marriage accompaniment and enrichment | Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of my spouse and for the gift of each one of our children. You know our hearts and our needs. You know we desire to live faithfully our promises to you and to each other. We oftentimes find ourselves hurting each other and creating wounds in each other’s heart that we never wanted to cause. We recognize the gaps in our family caused by selfishness that have made us live distantly from you and each other. We want to invite you to fill our hearts with your presence and make us a family united in you. Inspired by the example of the Holy Family may our family always be a living gospel, giving witness to your love in our world. Amen.

In the parish community
In your parish community, is there  an opportunity to connect with couples preparing for marriage with couples who have been married for a number of years? What can the parish community facilitate to celebrate and recognize couples who have been married one year, or two years? An example is to host a special Mass for couples celebrating one year of marriage alongside mile-stone anniversaries like 10, 25, or 35 years of marriage. Host a special reception following Mass!
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Today’s prayer intention and family activity was developed in collaboration with Witness to Love, a Catholic marriage mentoring and preparation program.

Day 4

Prayer Intention: For persons with disabilities and their families | Father in heaven, you created us in your divine image. May every person living with a disability experience true belonging in a loving community. Guide us to pursue our call to work for justice and fullness of life for all persons with disabilities. Graciously help us to open new and creative spaces to invite all persons to participate meaningfully in parish and community life. Help us to contribute to the Church and, together, be a sign of the unity of the Body of Christ. Amen. 
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Daily Activity for families
On 3 December 2022, in his message for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Pope Francis spoke about a “magisterium of fragility ... a charism by which you—dear sisters and brothers with disabilities—can enrich the Church. Your presence ‘may help transform the actual situations in which we live, making them more human and more welcoming. Without vulnerability, without limits, without obstacles to overcome, there would be no true humanity.’” 

As a family, watch together the 4-minute video below. You will get to know a priest from Australia who was born legally blind and is a witness to a joyful faith lived within human fragility and limits. “We” not “they,” disability in the life of the Church www.bit.ly/IamChurch​

Discussion Questions for Families

• What surprised you about Fr. Justin Glyn, SJ?
• In your own life, do you live with certain limitations or vulnerabilities? How does your faith help you with these experiences?
• After hearing Fr. Justin’s story, do you have any ideas about how to open creative spaces to promote the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in your faith community?

In the Parish Community
In your parish community, can you identify ways to open creative spaces for persons with disabilities to foster a sense of belonging for everyone? For some practical ideas in your parish, explore “Beyond the Ramp: A Parish Guide to Welcoming Persons with Disabilities”, written by Connie Price.

Additional Resources

1. David Rizzo, Faith, Family and Children with Special Needs
2. Megan Gannon, Special Saints for Special People: Stories of Saints with Disabilities
3. For Catechists, teachers, parents, families: Loyola Press Resources for Special Needs Ministry: Special Needs | Loyola Press

Day 5

Prayer Intention: For an increase of good palliative care and end-of-life care | Compassionate and healing God, We pray for all those who are sick and those nearing the end of this earthly life. Draw near to them and extend your consoling presence. Bless them with family and friends to care for and accompany them, skilled caregivers to ease their suffering and lessen their burden, and volunteers to lend a listening ear and steady presence. May your loving embrace be a light to their lives. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
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Daily Activity for families
Start a conversation in your family about what’s most important to you at the end of life. Health care and end-of-life planning conversations are a powerful entryway to connect meaningfully about life and death. Note: This activity is most appropriate between young adults, parents and grandparents; however, mature teenagers may also find these types of conversations helpful.

In the parish community
In your parish community, have you launched the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' Horizons of Hope: A Toolkit for Catholic Parishes on Palliative Care? The open access program includes a facilitator’s guide and four modules that are easy to follow and offer high-quality medical and theological information on palliative care. It is so important to talk about end-of-life are today—don’t delay in opening these conversations in your parish community.

Day 6 

Prayer Intention: Offering compassion for those grieving the loss of little ones | O loving God, out of the depths, we cry to you. Your Spirit intercedes for us even when we do not know how to pray. Come near to those who mourn the loss of a preborn infant or child, for you know our hearts and share our tears especially in times of grief and sorrow. Guide us with your grace to recognize you are always with us, even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Almighty God, who knew us and formed us in the womb, we ask that you enfold every grieving heart and every child in heaven into your tender loving care; by your Spirit, we ask for your kindness and grace. Amen.

Daily Activityfor the family
Create a ‘Rooted in Love’ Memory Garden Start with talking about how each family member feels about having a memory garden to honour their sibling. Young children can help plan and draw what it might look like. Choose a special tree and plant it together as a family and create a garden so everyone can contribute and participate.

You can symbolize the family unit with pots or other objects such as DIY stepping stones for each family member. Hummingbird feeders and wooden hand-painted bird feeders can attract feathered friends to visit. Be creative and decorate pots, stones etc. with pens or paint. Use ribbons to represent memories, laminate drawings or pictures and hang them off branches.

Make it your own! You may wish to include a statue of the Holy Family and/or design a Rosary garden using painted rocks. Add a prayer bench and table to read, journal or meditate with a candle. It can be healing to sit around a firepit and pray together.

Here are ideas on how families can decorate the tree together; 

• Advent | Jesse Tree Symbols and/or a numbered bag for each day of Advent with a surprise such as mini pieces to create a small nativity scene to display under the tree
• Christmas | Have children create their own decorations using clear ornaments and add mini outdoor lights
• Valentine’s Day | Hang hearts and notes of love and gratitude for family members to find
• Lent/Easter | Use Easter eggs with scripture verses inside for each day of Lent, have an Easter egg hunt
• Birthdays | Add streamers, have a picnic in the yard that includes birthday cake  

Additionally, the same plant/tree can also be sent to extended family members so they can also be part of honouring the lost child. Flower seeds can also be sent to those who are farther away. It's a beautiful way to remember loved ones and also create a new life and memories together. How meaningful would it be to exchange pictures of the memory gardens each Christmas? 

In the Parish Community
In your parish community, can you find ways to gently raise awareness and support for those grieving the loss of preborn and born children?

​Sometimes the best people to lead these outreach programs and initiatives are those who have also experienced the grief of losing a child. Consider working closely with these parents and families and seeking guidance from them in your pastoral approaches and ideas.  

Today’s prayer intention and family activity was developed in collaboration with Elizabeth Ministry BC, which offers faith-based, peer support after loss of a baby during pregnancy, at birth, in infancy and toddlerhood. Visit Elizabeth Ministry BC’s website here: elizabethministrybc.ca

Source: National Life & Family Week Daily Prayers & Activities, CCCB, 2023