Mass for Family on Sunday April 17

I requested Fr. Ibrahim El-Haddad, Pastor of Jesus the King Melkite Catholic Church in Toronto, to offer the noon Mass on Sunday April 17 for the living and the dead of the Farahat family. Far from being a show-off, there are many reasons for such a request. In my mind, I pray almost every night for my immediate family (my wife, children and myself); the extended family (brothers; in-laws; cousins and relatives: All with their children and their families too); and friends (that we knew or know) including their children and families. As for the departed ones, I pray for our parents, grandparents and every person we know who recently departed to God. Two persons in the extended family departed recently to God: one in Canada and one in Lebanon. I also mention the sick and old that I know, and in general the persecuted; women and kids raped or sold by extremists; people facing injustice; and the poor.

But why pray?  For who? Why in the Mass?
Prayer is first of all to help us seek God; ask for his forgiveness; love God and our families and everyone we know as much as possible. Prayer allows us to align ourselves with the good will of God for each one of us. But I believe that Christ wants us to enjoy this life too within reason. Here too we can find God. The natural world is full of beauty that reflects the beauty of its maker. We pray for ourselves, our families and parents, our children, and people we meet. We pray for their happiness and joy here and in eternal life.
And the community prayer allows us to share our thoughts and love. In the Mass, the community is the family celebrating together the self-sacrifice of God on the cross and his resurrection. The Mass is a re-presentation of the one self-abandonment of Christ for our sake to attract all humanity to his beloved Father in the Holy Spirit. Every good is accomplished through the Spirit of Christ who helps you and me and everyone else to be Christ-like...
May the Lord Jesus Christ the King our God and Savior, bless the entire world.through the prayers of Mary the Mother of God and all the angels and saints.