The Family that Prays Together,
Stays Together

Read: Genesis 2:25

“The Family That Prays Together Stays Together.” That was the message of Servant of God Patrick Peyton, the founder of Holy Cross Family Ministries who was best known as the "Rosary Priest."

Just in time for the World Meeting of Families in 2015, Saint Benedict Press released a new book chock-full of ideas and inspiration for parents who want to lead their families in prayer. The title of the said book is “A Short Guide to Praying As a Family.'

Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M.Cap., archbishop of Philadelphia, wrote the Foreword. "If parents love God," he wrote, "children see and learn faith. Parents who pray together teach by the way they live that God is real; that he is present, listening, and eager to be part of our lives."

Some of the prayers contained in the book are familiar to Catholic families. Even the youngest child can understand the Sign of the Cross as a way of putting on our armor for the day. He can learn to understand the meaning of the gestures as saying to God: “Take my mind” (when we put our fingers to our foreheads); “Take my heart” (when we move our fingers over our hearts); and, “Take my whole self” (when we touch our fingers to each shoulder).

Creating a sacred space in the home, praying before a sporting event, the monthly family meeting, using holy water and other sacramentals, all help to make the Catholic faith alive in the home. Celebrating the liturgical feasts and seasons, visiting the cemetery to pray for the dead, planning a family “Media Fast” and doing something else instead of watching television—these are all ways that busy families can structure their lives to make time for daily prayer.

The authors of this book offer a prayer which is an inspiration in itself. “May your family” they say, “be the garden where Christ Himself is always welcome, where He always delights, and where He always rests. May He, the Master-Gardener, be the One who applies His gentle artistry to water (to bless), to prune (to purify), and to give new growth to your whole family.”

Source: https://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-family-that-prays-together-stays-together