Welcome to Month 8 of Family Formation FOUNDATIONS!

So, think about last Sunday when you were at Mass. At the end the priest or deacon gives us some kind of dismissal. Our deacon’s favorite option is, “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” And we reply with “thanks be to God.”

Sometimes that “thanks” is said with relief, lots of times it’s just our autopilot response, but it should be jubilant; we should all be thinking of it as ending with an exclamation point!
Something incredible just happened at Mass and we want to share the fruits!

And in that way, what happens at each Mass is the pattern for everything we’re doing this last month. We’re coming together this month, first at church and then when you do your Home Lesson in your domestic church (aka your living room), and we’re recalling the good things the Lord has done for us, saying a sincere thank you, and going forth from there.

If you’re ending the year in a “whew that’s over” way, or planning to skip your last Home Lesson, you’re missing a great opportunity because believe it or not, the Lord has done great things for you this year and it’s wrong to not celebrate that! If your family has prayed, or had any kind of faith conversation outside of church – “Thanks be to God!” If you could now answer a question you wouldn’t have been able to answer in October, if you’ve made literally any progress in your knowledge of faith – “Thanks be to God!” If you’ve brought any aspect of the Faith into your home, where in past years perhaps you’ve left that sort of thing in the hands of your parish drop off program …  “Thanks be to God!”

I could go on and on, but with even a few moments of reflection you can certainly come up with a list of things the Lord has done for you this year. Your journey of faith started here,[reach left] but now you’re here! [reach right] Any and all of that is a great gift that is worth recognizing and celebrating!

And if you’ve developed some habit of faith this year: doing lessons, bedtime prayer, reading the Bible with breakfast, not missing Sunday Mass — don’t drop that over the summer!

If you happen to have a little pile of lessons you haven’t quite gotten to yet, summer would be a good time to do them – continue to grow that habit of learning together, but out on your deck or sitting around a campfire.  Show your kids that growing in faith is for always and everywhere.

What does it mean to be a Missionary Family? This short article from Unleash the Gospel gives practical ways that your family can grow in holiness as the domestic church you’re called to be.