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Praying Together as a Family
A Strong Foundation
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.
This page has information on how to build a strong foundation of prayer for your family through the following:The Sign of the Cross
Grace Before Meals
The Our Father
The Rosary
Confession
Helpful ToolsBefore you begin, download Prayers for the Catholic Child, a resource book developed by the Archdiocese of Seattle for families with children. This handbook contains all the prayers listed below, and more. Prayers are also grouped according to grade level, to help you cultivate your child's prayer life as he or she grows.
There are also a number of wonderful resources compiled in the Archdiocese of Seattle Faith Formation Online Resources website. In the Call to Prayer & Importance of Prayer webpage, you will find a number of helpful videos, articles and other useful links. The topics range from Lectio Divina, Relaxing Prayer, and more.
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The Sign of the Cross
"In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit"
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.
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Grace Before Meals
"Bless us O Lord and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord."
When we say grace, we sanctify what we are about to eat recognizing it is a gift from God. Claim the dinner table as a sacred space by keeping distractions away from the table, taking the time to gather together and pausing to give thanks to God.
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The Our Father
The Prayer that Jesus taught us
Catholics should pray this prayer that Jesus Himself taught us at least once a day. 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.
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Confession
The Sacrament of Reconciliation
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.
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The Rosary
"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, Rosarium Virginis Mariae #41
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