Bringing about God’s Kingdom

In and Through Families

Family Consecration can bring about God’s kingdom on earth—starting with families and spreading to all of society. Since the very beginning of our ministry, our founders recognized consecration as a powerful way to bring the Faith to life and protect families in the battle against evil. That’s why we’re so excited to share the spirituality of Family Consecration with you, the Church, and the world.

Family Consecration

What Is It?

Family Consecration is a practical way to intentionally live your baptismal consecration (promises) and grow in union with God, as a family. Through Baptism, we become children of God, called to eternal life with Him in Heaven. But to grow in union with God, we must choose to live for Him.

With Family Consecration, your family can renew your baptismal commitment by making an act of consecration to the Holy Family. This act of consecration is a deliberate choice to follow Jesus Christ more fully, with the help of Mary and Joseph, and to set your family apart for God. 

Then, taking the Holy Family as your model, each family member seeks to lead a life that gives glory to God.

A Way of Life

Inspired by the Fatima Message

When Our Lady appeared at Fatima in 1917, she delivered a message of hope that gives the solution for reversing the effects of sin and bringing about God’s kingdom on earth. The AFC has summarized this message in four points.

 
The Four Points
      • SIN is the cause of all unhappiness.

      • GRACE is more powerful than sin.

      • HOLINESS, cooperation with God’s grace, repairs for sin and brings peace into the world.

      • CONSECRATION maximizes our efforts to repair for sin, because when we entrust ourselves to Mary, she purifies and multiplies our good works.

       

      Family Consecration is a response to this message of hope. By turning away from sin, accepting God’s grace, seeking to live a holy life, and consecrating yourself—to Jesus, through Mary, in union with St. Joseph—your family can help to repair for sin and bring other souls to Heaven!

      The Power

      of Family Consecration

      Family Consecration is incredible! Through it, everything you do or endure takes on purpose and meaning. Your ordinary activities, like washing dishes or going to work, as well as your trials, are made holy and can be used by God for the conversion of others.

      If enough souls live Family Consecration, the ripple effect can become a force strong enough to crush the head of Satan and bring about God’s reign on earth!

      Two Aspects

      of Family Consecration
       
      • Making an act of consecration

      • Living your consecration every day

       

      First Aspect:

      Making an Act of Consecration

      Making an act of consecration to the Holy Family, together as a family, is a renewal of your baptismal consecration and sets your family apart for God. When you consecrate your family to the Holy Family, you are placing Jesus at the center and pledging to live totally for Him, with the help and protection of Mary and St. Joseph.


      Prayer of Consecration

      to the Holy Family

      Lord Jesus, Your hidden years with Your Blessed Mother and St. Joseph at Nazareth showed us the beauty of the community of life and love that the family is meant to be. You taught us the value of selfless love, humble obedience, and silent sacrifice. You showed us how to sanctify the daily give-and-take of family life.

      Today, we, the members of the ____________ family, publicly acknowledge You, Jesus, as the true Head of our family and the King of our home. We renew and ratify today, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, the vows of our baptism. We renounce Satan and resolve to follow You even more closely than before.

      We consecrate to you, O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, our work, our play, our sorrows, and our joys, along with our interior and exterior possessions, including the value of our good actions—past, present, and future. Please magnify our humble offerings and present them to Jesus as your own.

      We also consecrate ourselves to you, dear St. Joseph, head of the Holy Family. In faithful imitation of Jesus and Mary, we place ourselves and all our concerns under your care and protection. To you, after Jesus and Mary, we consecrate our bodies and souls, with all their faculties, our spiritual growth, our home, and all our affairs and undertakings.

      This is the covenant we make with you, most Holy Family. We desire to live our lives in close communion with you as your consecrated children and faithful servants. We pledge to model our family after you, O Holy Family of Nazareth.

      In return, most Holy Family, we ask you to bless and protect us. Keep us ever faithful to this covenant. Help us to sanctify our lives and family by faithfully fulfilling the responsibility of each present moment, for the glory of God and the good of others.

      Jesus, King of Families, come and reign over our family!

      Mary, Queen of Families, take possession of our hearts!

      St. Joseph, Protector of Families, help us live in and reflect the love of the Holy Family!

      Amen.


      Daily Renewal

      of Your Consecration

      Each day, renew your act of consecration. This helps you to remember and live your commitment in daily life. You can renew your consecration in a variety of ways, such as praying this AFC prayer: All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.


      Second Aspect:

      Living Your Consecration Every Day

      Family Consecration is more than a one-time event. It’s a joyful, balanced way of life.

      After making an act of consecration to Jesus, through Mary, in union with St. Joseph, you can live your consecration (and express your love for God) by following the pathway of the Seven Keys to God-Centered Family Living.

      Seven Keys to God-Centered Family Living

       
      • Prayer Life

        Building a personal relationship with God.

        Daily prayer helps each family member to build their personal relationship with God and more deeply embrace their identity as His child. Family members should pray together and individually. In particular, the AFC emphasizes the daily family Rosary as a direct response to the Fatima message. Watch the video.

      • Sacramental Life

        Growing in grace.

        The sacraments give special grace to grow in holiness and union with God. The AFC encourages families to go to Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and Confession often—to increase in the life of grace and to worship Our Eucharistic Lord in union with the whole Church. Watch the video.

      • Learning the Faith

        Knowing God helps us to love Him.

        Learning the truths of the Catholic Faith helps families to grow in love of God. Knowledge of the Faith also protects families from the false values of the world and equips them to more confidently defend, live, and share the Faith with others. Watch the video.

      • Living the Virtues

        Faith, hope, and love lead to freedom and unity.

        Families are empowered to live a life of virtue through the graces they receive through prayer, the sacraments, and learning the Faith. As they grow in faith, hope, and love, families are led to greater unity, peace, and freedom. Watch the video.

      • Serving Others

        Putting love into action.

        Serving others, both in the home and outside the home, is one of the best ways families can express their faith and love for God. By putting their love for each other and those around them into action, families satisfy Jesus’ thirst for love. Watch the video.

      • Sharing the Faith

        Answering the call to make disciples.

        Families that have deepened their union with God are inspired to evangelize by leading others to an encounter with Jesus. Sharing the Faith can take many forms, such as sharing one’s testimony, opening up the home to others, and treating everyone with charity. Watch the video.

      • Sanctifying Daily Duties

        Offering up each moment “All for”

        By embracing and joyfully offering the present moment to God, each family member can sanctify their daily duties and help to repair for sin. That way, when confronted with trials or difficulties, the family can remain at peace, recognizing that everything is either willed or permitted by God and that He draws good out of everything. Watch the video.

       

      How your family lives the Seven Keys will be unique to you! Living the Seven Keys can be as simple as saying a quick “All for” before driving, folding the laundry as an act of service to your family, or doing your chores without being asked. Through these daily activities offered to God, Family Consecration becomes part of your life in a peaceful, balanced way.

      We invite you to try it for yourself and discover the peace and joy that flow from this spirituality.

      Begin by Praying

      the Family Rosary

      One way to get started with the spirituality of Family Consecration is to begin praying the family Rosary. By praying the Rosary, you will come to know Christ’s humanity, discover His presence in your joys and sorrows, and learn to place your hope in the glory to come.

      A Visible Sign of Your Consecration

      Holy Family Enthronement

      Giving an image of the Holy Family a special place in your home is a beautiful way to love and honor Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The image can also be a reminder to model your life after the Holy Family. Purchase a home enthronement kit here.