Praying as a family starts with a strong foundation. Make these prayers a regular part of your family routine:
"In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit"
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
The Dominican tradition says that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Dominic in the year 1214 in the church of Prouille. She is said to have presented him with the Rosary, both the beads and the prayers to be prayed. To learn more, click here.
A strong foundation is the key to any construction. It’s the same with prayer. More advanced forms of prayer are wonderful. But they only bear fruit if our foundation is solid.
This is part of why, when the disciples asked Him how to pray, Jesus directed them away from complicated formulas or recitations “do not babble like the pagans who think they will be heard by their many words.” (Matthew 6:7) Simple prayers shift our focus away from our words and make space for God to speak to us.
St. John Vianney taught that “a Christian who makes a sign of the cross . . . fully aware of the action which he is performing, makes all hell tremble." (Sermons of St. John Vianney #8) This prayer proclaims that our mind, heart and body belong to God as we pray.
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"
We are what we eat. When we say grace, we sanctify what we are about to eat recognizing it is a gift from God.
Studies repeatedly demonstrate what the Journal of the American Medical Association found in 2004, that children of families that eat dinner together are much more likely to thrive. We can claim the dinner table as a sacred space by keeping distractions like phones and tablets away from the table, taking the time to gather together and pausing to thank God for the gifts we will to receive. This prayer also creates an opening to share with our family the good (and bad) things that happened over the course of the day.
"Bless us O Lord and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord."
Catholics should pray this prayer that Jesus Himself taught us at least once a day. Bedtime is a great time to repeat this prayer and, as with dinnertime, we should create a sacred space by keeping distractions (especially electronics) away. Even better, avoid electronic distractions in the hour before prayer. This lets us quiet our hearts to pray. Parents will find this really helps children understand that God is our Father and will give us what we need. In this space, we give God room to work on hearts and minds in a way that will form the foundation of everything we do.
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
Each of us should take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a regular basis. This practice of faith helps us to receive forgiveness and participating in the Sacrament as a family helps our children see that, though we all struggle with sin, God is eager to forgive and help us to follow Him when we ask for help.
"As a prayer for peace, the Rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family... The family that recites the Rosary together reproduces something of the atmosphere of the household of Nazareth: its members place Jesus at the center, they share his joys and sorrows, they place their needs and their plans in his hands, they draw from his the hope and the strength to go on."
-Pope St. John Paul II in his apostolic letter: Rosarium Virginis Mariae #41.
Find his entire letter on the Rosary here