March 14, 2021 | Saint Martin of Tours

Dear St. Martin of Tours Family and Friends,

Last week I spoke about how we inherit the blessings and curses from our ancestors, according to their godliness on the one hand, and their sinfulness on the other. Our families and each of us become the spiritual battleground of the good and evil of our forebears.

Sometimes, when a family or person finds themselves in a place where it just seems bad things keep happening time and time again, no matter the prayer or effort, it is both reasonable and probable that some curse incurred by one or more parent, grandparents, or another node of the family tree, continues to besiege subsequent generations. Why this is so can be understood by analogy to original sin passed down through the family tree: The unrepented-for actual sin of an ancestor gets handed down through “spiritual” DNA.

Objection: Hasn't Jesus’ blood broken all these evil bonds? Potentially, yes. But not automatically. Recall this exchange from Luke 18:41-42:

Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” the blind man replied.
Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”

Jesus’ query, “What do you want me to do for you?” seems a silly question. Clearly, Our Lord knows already what is needed. And the Father knows what we need before we ask. But there is an important link in this chain of prayer: We also must ask Jesus to break the bonds of generational evil! Here is a powerful prayer known for that purpose.[i]

PRAYER FOR HEALING THE FAMILY TREE Rev. John H. Hampsch, CMF

Heavenly Father, I come before you as your child, in great need of your help. I have physical health needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, and interpersonal needs. Many of my problems have been caused by my own failures, neglect, and sinfulness, for which I humbly beg your forgiveness, Lord. But I also ask you to forgive the sins of my ancestors whose failures have left their effects on me in the form of unwanted tendencies, behavior patterns, and defects in body, mind, and spirit. Heal me, Lord, of all these disorders. –

With your help, I sincerely forgive everyone, especially living or dead members of my family tree, who have directly offended me or my loved ones in any way, or those whose sins have resulted in our present sufferings and disorders. In the name of your divine Son Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, I ask you, Father, to deliver me and my entire family tree from the influence of the evil one. –

Free all living and deceased members of my family tree, including those in adoptive relationships, and those in extended family relationships, from every contaminating form of bondage. By your loving concern for us, heavenly Father, and by the shed blood of your Precious Son Jesus, I beg you to extend your blessing to me and all my living and deceased relatives. Heal every negative effect transmitted through all past generations, and prevent such negative effects in future generations of my family tree. –

I symbolically place the cross of Jesus over the head of each person in my family tree, and between each generation. I ask you to let the cleansing blood of Jesus purify the bloodlines in my family lineage. Set your protective angels to encamp around us, and permit Archangel Raphael, the patron of healing, to administer your divine healing power to all of us, even in areas of genetic disability. Give special power to our family members’ guardian angels to heal protect, guide, and encourage each of us in all our needs. Let your healing power be released at this very moment, and let it continue as long as our sovereignty permits. In our family tree, Lord, replace all bondage with a holy bonding in family love. And let there be an ever-deeper bonding with you, Lord, by the Holy Spirit, to your Son Jesus. Let the family of the Holy Trinity pervade our family with its tender, warm, loving presence, so that our family may recognize and manifest that love in all our relationships. All of our unknown needs we include with this petition that we pray in Jesus’ precious name.

Amen, Amen, Amen!

[i] In particularly tough cases, the person or family will require a visit to the Archbishop’s deliverance team. Call me if you think yours is a “tough case,” and I’ll help steer you in the right direction. - FRNW

Categories:

Pastor's Pen