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Prayer is important for families. it is precisely the best way to give children a truly Christian upbringing. Scripture tells us about those early Christian families which drew new strength and new life from the light of the Gospel. St Paul calls them 'the Church in the household' (1 Cor 16:19).
Experience shows in all Christian environments what good effects come from this natural and supernatural introduction to the life of piety given in the warmth of the home. Children learn to place God first and foremost in their affections. They learn to see God as their Father and Mary as their Mother and they learn to pray following their parents' example. In this way one can easily see what a wonderful apostolate parents have and how it is their duty to live a fully Christian life of prayer, so they can communicate their love of God to their children, which is something more than just teaching them.
Every Christian home should be a place of peace and serenity. In spite of the small frustrations of daily life, an atmosphere of profound and sincere affection should reign there together with a deep-rooted calm, which is the result of authentic faith that is put into practice.
By means of the sacrament of marriage, in which it is rooted and from which it draws its nourishment, the Christian family is continuously vivified by the Lord Jesus… through the offering of one’s life and through prayer. In this priestly role, the Christian family is called to be sanctified and to sanctify the ecclesial community and the world (Familiaris Consortio 55).
By means of the sacrament of marriage, in which it is rooted and from which it draws its nourishment, the Christian family is continuously vivified by the Lord Jesus… through the offering of one’s life and through prayer. In this priestly role, the Christian family is called to be sanctified and to sanctify the ecclesial community and the world (Familiaris Consortio 55).
The family is, so to speak, the domestic church. In it, parents should, by their word and example, be the first preachers of the faith to their children” (Lumen Gentium 11).
This is an unprecedented time, but it is also a time for parents to take up the mantle of spiritual leadership. Parents are the priests of the domestic church of the home. At a time when so many families cannot go to Mass, it is even more clear that the spiritual responsibility for children rests firmly in the hands of parents.
Because God has chosen to reveal Himself as Father, dads in particular have a leadership role in the spiritual life of the family. To many fathers who have only ever led their children in grace before meals, this may feel like a daunting task, but this is just the moment for them to step confidently into this role as spiritual heads of the home. God has equipped both fathers and mothers to spiritually lead their children using the grace he provides in the sacrament of marriage:
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