Finding small moments to pray is one way families with younger children can pray together as a family
Incorporating prayer into daily routines can be a challenge for families. Anne Corio of St. Joseph Parish in Imperial shares how her family prioritizes prayer with children ages 9, 8, and 4.
These are some ways in which they encourage a prayer life at home:
Small moments for prayer: Anne looks for small opportunities to fit prayer into the day, such as the car ride to school. The children have a list of prayers and are invited to offer special intentions. “It’s a way to start the day off right,” she said.
Rosary before bed: Most nights before bed, the family prays a decade of the Rosary together. Each child gets to choose a Scripture story and then guess the mystery of the Rosary with which it corresponds.
Family Holy Hour: The Corios sign up for a time slot at eucharistic adoration and go as a family — while allowing for flexibility. “Sometimes my husband and I will drive separately, (the children) will go for half an hour and one leaves, while the other stays,” she said. The older children also use a special journal that includes prompts and activities for writing and drawing every time they’re at adoration.
Sundays as a day of rest: Sunday is the Lord’s day and a day of rest. Anne limits the children’s screen time and they opt for hands-on activities such as playing a board game together. Any Sunday screen time is faith-based, such as videos from formed.org or Veggie Tales.
Sacrificial Fridays: On Friday mornings, each family member chooses something small that they’re going to give up for the day. “They get to choose, and sometimes we have discussions about what really is a sacrifice,” Anne said. “We remember that Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, and we make a small sacrifice for Him.”
This is the second in a six-part series on keeping prayer alive in the home. The series also will explore ways to foster prayer with teens, adults, multi-generational families and seniors.
Read the first part, as well as subsequent parts when they are published, at www.stlouisreview.com/story/prayer-alive-in-the-home/
