Family Fully Alive

Chairman Robert Mathewson Family Programs

To cultivate life as a domestic church, a family must deliberately welcome God into its home. This program has been created to help each family do this. The Family Fully Alive program provides monthly themes, reflections, meditations, family projects and Scripture verses designed to help each family place God and the Catholic faith at the center of its life. Through prayer and reflection each family has the opportunity to grow in holiness together.

Launching Your Parish Program
Councils should speak with their pastors about the program and remind them that families can participate at no cost to the parish. The Family Fully Alive program can be used as a devotional for all families throughout the liturgical year and all of the programs resources are available here on our Building the Domestic Church webpages.

Councils should order the full printed program book for families to use at home. You can place your order online through Supplies Online.

Suggested Weekly Format
Designate a space in your home where your family can gather together for prayer. The space should be free from distractions and, if possible, decorated with religious images and sacramental to help direct the family’s thoughts toward God. Open each week with the Our Father, Hail Mary or one of the other prayers included in the “Prayers for Every Family” section. Next, ask a family member to read the theme. Then, proceed with the month’s prayer and activities. Then, offer some petitions with each family member, adding personal intentions to the prayer. Conclude together by reciting the Consecration to the Holy Family. Feel free to add to this basic structure other devotions, songs and whatever your family finds spiritually enriching for prayer.

Adapting This Program to Your Family
The family fully alive program is designed to be flexible to meet the continuously changing needs of your family. This program can be started during any month of the year, completing projects and saying prayers at the times and places most suitable for your family. Some suitable times would be after family dinner or shortly before bedtime, making it easier to deal with the challenge of bringing the entire family together.

However you decide to incorporate the family fully alive program into your family’s busy schedule, one thing is certain — it will change your life. The monthly cycle of themes, prayers, reflections, meditations and family projects will help your family focus on the important things in the world. They will help build your domestic church as a place of faith, hope and charity, where each member will grow with grace toward his or her full potential in God.