National Family and Life Week is May 13 to 19, 2024.
This year’s theme, “Love hopes all things,” is drawn from the words of St. Paul: “[Love] endures all things, trusts all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
Message to Catholic Families
from the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on National Family and Life Week
Dear Catholic families,
National Family and Life Week (NFLW) this year will take place from 13 May to 19 May 2024. The theme for this year is “Love hopes all things,” which is taken from Saint Paul’s hymn on love in 1 Corinthians 13.7: “[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” This description of love is also at the heart of Pope Francis’s reflection on the dynamics of spousal and family love in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, chapter 4. Through this theme, families are encouraged to cultivate, deepen, and renew Christian hope by drawing on scriptural reflection, family prayer, and the Sacraments.
The CCCB Standing Committee for Family and Life and its corresponding Office have developed a pastoral toolkit specifically designed for the “domestic church.” Each day of the NFLW 2024 celebrates a specific theme, accompanied by prayers and activities for different ages, cultures, and circumstances. The toolkit includes: the logo for the 2024 National Family and Life Week; catechesis; prayer intentions and daily activities for families and parishes; graphic resources with quotes on Christian hope for daily social media campaigns; as well as pastoral suggestions for a Mass to celebrate Family and Life.
Dioceses/Eparchies, parishes, and Catholic movements and associations are encouraged to make good use of the pastoral toolkit in their own planning of activities to mark this Week, which concludes on Pentecost.
May the Holy Spirit lead us into a “Love [that] hopes all things” during this Week. May our thoughts, words, and actions be inspired by the same Spirit, and may God hear the prayers of our Catholic families and grant them the hope that only He can give.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
The Most Rev. William T. McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary
President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Download Full Weekly Calendar:
2024 NFLW Daily Prayers and Activities_EN
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