30 October
Calendar Overview
Calendar: Ordinary Time
Liturgical Color: Green (Life, hope, anticipation)
Month: The Most Holy Rosary
Season: After Pentecost (Roman Rite)
High Feast: The Feast of All Saints
Daily Preparations
Remove all items from the home oratory except the crucifix
Begin purchasing thirty-one (31) long-burning candles (vigil and pillar)
Prepare an art bin supplied with crayons, colored pencils, or markers
Arrange candles on the home oratory
Light candles every night for family oratory
Find or Print St. Pope John Paul II 9-Day Novena
Order donuts (Soul Cakes) for All Hallows Eve
Children prepare costumes to dress up as their favorite Saints
Rituals
Little Flower Bowl
Find or purchase a large bowl or 5-quart glass jar (this will be your Little Flower Bowl)
Find or purchase many fabric flowers or create your own origami flowers
Create a list of little acts of love that you can do individually and as a family. This list will help guide your family in what they can do for one another or for your community to show and share God’s love.
At the end of the day, during supper or evening time, you will review the little acts of love you have done as a family and place your “little flowers” in your Little Flower Bowl.
Gallery of the Saints
Every evening, for evening Rosary, pull out the Saint coloring sheets and color a picture of a Saint as you pray.
Tape up the pictures of the Saints around your home as if you were hanging family pictures, create a gallery of the saints, or post the pictures any and everywhere!
Novena
Pray a St. Pope John Paul II Novena
Family Liturgy
Family Prayer
Prayer for Peace
O God, Creator of the universe, who extends your paternal concernover every creature and guides the events of history to the goal of salvation, we acknowledge your fatherly love when you break the resistance of mankind and, in a world torn by strife and discord, you make us ready for reconciliation.
Renew for us the wonders of your mercy: send forth your Spirit that He may work in the intimacy of hearts, that enemies may begin to dialogue, that adversaries may shake hands and peoples may encounter one another in harmony.
May all commit themselves to the sincere search for true peace which will extinguish all arguments, for charity which overcomes hatred, for pardon which disarms revenge.
+ Amen.
Family Supper
Place your Little Flower Bowl on the table
Talk about the little acts of love you did that day as you place your “little flowers” for God into the Little Flower Bowl
Read a very short section from The Imitation of Christ
Family Formation
Catechism
Part One Section Two I. The Creeds Chapter Three I Believe In The Holy Spirit Article 12 I Believe In Life Everlasting III. The Final Purification, Or Purgatory
1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."607 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.608 The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.609
For older youths and adults
For children
Family Oratory
Just before the Family Prayer, place thirty (30) candles on the home oratory
Each candle should represent a soul in purgatory or a struggling, hurting, lost, or suffering soul you are praying for
Light the candles
Pray Novena
Pray the Rosary
Family Prayer
Healing Novena for the Intercession of St. John Paul II - (Opening Prayer)
Merciful God, I pray with thanks and gratitude for the great spiritual gift of Saint John Paul II’s apostolic life and mission. Through his heavenly intercession, please grant the following petition(s) . . .
[State your request(s) Here].
Grant also that I may grow in love for You and proclaim boldly the love of Jesus Christ to all people, through Christ, Our Lord.
+Amen.
Novena Continued: Healing Novena for the Intercession of St. John Paul II - (DAY 9)
Dear Saint John Paul,
The surest, straightest road to Christ is through His Holy Mother. When I am lost and confused in life, lead me to place myself before Our Blessed Mother, asking her to rescue me to faithfully live the spiritual path that leads to her Divine Son. Teach me to have in my heart the same great love you had for our Blessed Mother.
Dear Lord, You are the Greatest Healer. Everything I have comes from You: my life, my health, my family, my friends, my possessions and all that truly matters. I surrender them all to You as I search for meaning and purpose in all that is happening to me. I claim complete healing of my mind, body, heart and soul. I claim healing for those who are suffering and are lost. I claim healing for my family. I claim financial blessings so I can be a blessing to others. Grant me the patience to confidently accept Your answer to my prayers, whether it be yes, no or wait. All I ask I place before You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God, the Holy Spirit, help us to be models of good deeds in every respect by being temperate, dignified, self-controlled and sound in faith, love and charity.
May we control our temper and hold our tongue, especially when we grow impatient and are in pain. May we be like Saint John Paul II who was an outstanding model of self-control, dignity and unwavering faith.
+Amen.
Conclude with the Rosary or the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be prayers.
Rosary
Parents lead the family Rosary (or stream a Rosary from YouTube or the Hallow Prayer app)
As the family prays the Rosary, pass out the coloring sheets
Pass out the crayons, coloring pencils, or markers
When finished praying, hang up pictures of the Saints around your home
End of Novena