Joseph and Mary Journey to Bethlehem

The Marriage Covenant Lived Out:

Husband and Wife Together Share the Responsibilities,
the Joys and the Burdens of Married Life. 

Leader:
Oh Most Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph; intercede for us who seek your help.

All:
For in you we place all our faith and all our trust.

Meditation:
(Lk. 2:1-4) In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with Child.

Reflection:
The marriage covenant is lived correctly and fully when husbands and wives share all of the joys and all of the responsibilities. A covenant cannot be authentic if one is merely passively involved or indifferent to the well being of spouse or children. A loving marriage must be based on a mutual respect which shows itself in the sharing of all things, together as one.

Prayer-All:
In order to have a successful and a happy marriage, a husband and a wife must share the responsibilities. They must pray, work and struggle together as did Joseph and Mary. We pray that the example of this Holy Family will inspire husbands and wives everywhere to share in all things as they work to make their families, holy families.

Our Father...
Hail Mary....
Glory be to the Father...