On December 24, Pope Francis officially opened the Great Jubilee by participating in the rite of Opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. The Holy Door represents a pathway of salvation to eternal life. There will be five Holy Doors opened in total and one will be at a prison in Rome. The theme of the Jubilee is "Pilgrims of Hope," and that prison door will be opened to remind prisoners and all of us that there is always room for hope in Jesus despite life's challenges. Throughout this Jubilee year, we will share this column to give you concrete ways you and your family can focus on the theme of hope and celebrate the beauty of our faith in a renewed and beautiful way!

FOR FAMILIES: Your home is holy. We call it the Domestic Church. Imagine your front door as a Holy Door. Name 5 things you could do to bring more holiness into your daily family interactions!

On Epiphany, we celebrate God's revelation to humanity as visitors, from different corners of the Earth, known as the Magi or Three Wise Men, came to see the baby Jesus! If you have a nativity set that includes the three kings and possibly camels, you can create a procession of them through your home to the manger. It's also a traditional day of gift-giving in many cultures, but if that isn't part of your tradition, maybe you want to think about a kindness your family can do for others, in honor of the baby Jesus! You can also make a traditional king's cake or cupcakes to enjoy together using the recipe below!

When Louis was just three, he tried to use one of his father's tools for leatherworking. The tool slipped and pierced him in the eye which caused him to be blinded for life. Because he had many gifts, despite his blindness, Louis was sent to the Royal Institution for Blind Youth in Parish. He was frustrated by the system for reading and writing and invented his own raised bump alphabet made by the very tool that had blinded him. Besides his gift for inventing and teaching, he was also a talented musician and worked as a church organist. He helped to create opportunities for the blind to read music as well. Louis' invention of the Braille alphabet brought great hope to his community!

Louis Braille created a tool (a code actually) that solved real world problems. Can you do the same? What could you create from found items around the house? Check out this idea for an inventor's box that lets the imagination go to town!

Below is the official Jubilee prayer. What's your favorite line of it?

Wrestling with doubts is part of the experience of a Christian on a faith journey; there will be times of extreme devotion and clarity as well as times in which we feel separated from or uncertain about our faith. As parents, we can engage in this spiritual work of mercy by creating an openness around talking about God. As our comfort with discussing God grows within a family, we can be more prepared when questions and doubts arise!

Here are some easy ways to introduce this relationship to your kids:

1. With younger children, as you put them to bed, reinforce God's love: Mommy loves you, Daddy loves you, Grandma loves you, Joey loves you...etc., and God loves you. Then make the Sign of the Cross on their head. This reinforces a relationship they will naturally talk about as they grow!

2. Ask kids where they saw God at work in their day/week.

3. Read Bible or Faith-based stories and ask questions about them such as: "What do you think Jonah was feeling toward God right then?"

A traditional symbol of baptism is the shell. Enjoy these stuffed shell recipes as a way to celebrate the day as a family and share stories of your child's baptism with them!

Epiphany is a perfect time to go stargazing as a family or take a night hike with headlamps and flashlights! Bundle up and head out with hot cocoa in hand. As you sit or walk and gaze, talk about the wonder of God's creation and the depth of the universe in which we live. Be amazed at what you see and help your child to wonder by looking for constellations; can they see any shapes in the sky?

You can even take this moment to invite each person in your family to share a word for their year. What do they pray God will bring to their life this year in one word?

Be sure to tell the story of the Wise Men being guided by the star. Can they imagine such a journey without a GPS? What might the Wise Men been thinking and feeling on this long journey?

Join us to pray for the sanctity of all life on January 23 with Bishop Matano at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

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

See them all here!