LONDON, MAY 19, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The bishops of England and Wales are preparing for the first National Family Week by offering a resource pack to promote holiness within the home.
The program aims to «proclaim the holiness of our homes as places of life, love, service, teaching, fellowship, witness and prayer.»
Bishop John Hine, chair of the bishops’ Committee for Marriage and Family Life, expressed the hope that «this resource pack will help raise greater awareness of God’s presence at home, not only among families but also among all those who serve them within our Catholic community.»
The bishops’ conference is joining with many others to support the first ever U.K. family week, which will begin Monday.
Along with the resource packet that offers prayer cards, group reflection materials and a DVD, the conference has produced leaflets to help families celebrate the week.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, archbishop-elect of Westminster, stated: «For most of us, home is the place where the foundations of our faith were laid.
«Home is the place where we grow in understanding of what faith means in daily practice. Home is the place where we learn how to be patient, forgiving and full of joy.
«But the home also needs to be the place where we learn how to pray, how to talk to God and how to see ourselves as a family living in God’s presence. ‘Home is a Holy Place’ will help families to appreciate the presence of God in their lives and how an awareness of that presence can build up a life of faith in response to God’s love.»
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On the Net:
Bishops’ conference family week resources: http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/ccb/catholic_church/events/national_family_week_2009
