Question:
I’d like to make some new resolutions about practicing the faith in our family during the new year. Do you have any suggestions?
Answer:
The family is the most essential space for the formation of values and character. Practicing your faith as a family can happen both internally and externally. Consistent prayer together builds habits that can last a lifetime. With younger children, praying together as a family in the evening or at dinnertime could be fairly doable most nights. In the evening, select a few common prayers such as the Our Father, Hail Mary, or Guardian Angel prayer. Ask each of your children to thank God for three things that day and include a time for children and adults alike to pray out loud for special needs in your family. This practice could be done with older children, committed to intentional efforts in the midst of increasingly busy schedules.
Look for other opportunities to practice the faith outside the home as well. Sunday Mass should already be part of your family’s weekly routine. Consider setting other monthly goals as well. This could be a family service project in your city, attending the sacrament of Confession together, or hosting a hospitality night in your home. Get your children involved in the planning process. Ask them where they’d like to volunteer or who they think is having a hard time and might need a special night just for them. Rather than simply imposing new practices, your whole family can have a dynamic role understanding and integrating faith and life.
©LPi
