In these recent months when our dining room table has become a makeshift classroom, a place for Zoom meetings, an arts-and-crafts station, and more, the theme for Quebec’s upcoming Week for Families on reconciling work and family has become more relevant than ever! Here are some resources for you, your family and friends with which to celebrate this special week.

National Week for the Family 2020 Put your family “on trial”!

Strengthen the love that brings you together by letting each other know what you admire in them! One person at a time is “accused”. One after the other, the other members of the family “accuse” him/her of his qualities or talents (eg. generous, creative, perseverant, etc.). The “accused” can’t talk and has no right to “defend” himself : he must let others love him! A secretary can take note of all the accusations and give the final report to the accused person with his “condemnation”: remaining awesome! (Adapted from Famille Marie-Jeunesse)

Discover the “customized” mission that God wants to give to your family!

The family is the most visible sign that God created in order to show his Love to the world. After your family’s “trial” (or without), ask God to help you “decode” the clues that you found to discover your mission : among all the qualities, interests and talents that you have identified, what are the things that stand out the most, that complete each other, or that, put together, can reveal the specific ways through which God is inviting your family to work with Him to reveal his love to anyone whom you meet? Then become a “family on a mission”!

Detectives, find out more about “the Suspect”!

Every act of kindness reveals a little more of who God is and what his love looks like. During the day/week, become “detectives” and stay aware of acts and words of kindness that you will “witness” (take notes in your detective notebook!). At the end of the day, call a “secret meeting” to share your discoveries (e.g. When Mom didn’t become upset with me, I realized that the Suspect (God) was patient because He loves us so much. When my big brother played knights with me, I found out that the Suspect’s love is generous and makes us joyful.) Throughout the week, develop the most detailed description of “the Suspect” so He can be identified more easily day after day!

Assign a secret “guardian angel” to everyone!

One of the family’s missions is to make God’s Love “experienceable” to one another. Randomly pick the name of one of your family’s members and go on a mission to secretly do nice things for him/her, give little gifts, do small acts of service, etc. Try to keep the suspense going as long as possible!

Diocesan Centre for Marriage, Life and Family