Skip to main content

Passing on Prayer & Praying Throughout the Day

Passing on Prayer & Praying Throughout the Day:

When I was a kid, my mom taught our family two prayer traditions she had growing up. The first: Praying three “Hail Mary” prayers as a family when you began a road trip together, and the second: When you hear an emergency vehicle pray, “Jesus and Mary we pray, bless them on their way.” I remember not only feeling comfort by saying these prayers together growing up, but also feeling like I was helping, even if it was only in a little way, by praying for those helping others and those needing their assistance. 

Now, as a wife and mother, I realize just how important it is to teach your children prayers and praying together as a family. I didn’t know it then, but as a kid my mom and dad were helping my siblings and I build a solid prayer foundation that has helped us continue to grow in prayer as adults. I’ve passed the two prayer traditions from my childhood on to my family, and hearing my daughter recite the “Jesus and Mary prayer,” every time she hears an emergency vehicle siren, often before I’ve started praying, amazes me. Praying the “Hail Mary” together as a family, not only before road trips but before bedtime with my kids, and seeing especially my two year old son‘s love for Mary as he says “Hail Mary” and then repeats “Hail Mary” after we’ve said the prayer wanting to say it again, is something I treasure in my heart.

Teaching your children how to pray is so important, and praying together as a family and as parents modeling how to pray, are some of the most important ways you can help lay a strong faith foundation for your children. My husband and I have started trying to show our children that they can pray throughout the day—having a conversation with God. We’ve staring pausing what we’re doing at or a little after 3:00pm each day to pray a “Divine Mercy Prayer.” When my parents were babysitting my kids one day, they told me that my daughter reminded them they needed to stop and pray at three o’clock. I was amazed that she’d remembered all on her own. 

Our kids also bless themselves with holy water before going to bed and say goodnight to Jesus on our crucifix hanging in the hallway. Saying goodnight to Jesus is a simple way to help your children see that he is approachable and help them feel comfortable praying to him. 

If you don’t already, try praying throughout the day and allowing your children to see you doing this. I’m sure you’ll see them start to pray throughout the day too! Laying a strong prayer foundation is one of the best gifts you can give your children as they grow in their relationship with Christ!



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Invite Your Parish Priest Over for Dinner:

Invite Your Parish Priest Over for Dinner: Four months after moving into our new house, my husband and I decided to invite our parish priest over for dinner and to bless our new home. We still had piles of unpacked boxes, our toddlers were bouncing off the walls with excitement, and my husband and I were a little nervous. Was our home clean enough? Would we be able to engage in good conversations with our guest? When the doorbell rang, our children raced to the door, and began bouncing around, welcoming Father inside. During dinner, we found that the conversations flowed easily. We shared stories about where we grew up, our families, and various other details as we got to know one another outside of church. We laughed as our daughter spilled the beans that my husband and I were expecting our third child, and when we shared our due date, our priest began enthusiastically sharing all sorts of common, as well as some crazy sounding, saint names for days on and near our due date.  Afte...
1 comment
Read more

Make a Rosary Garden—Planting Flowers and the Seeds of Prayer

Make a Rosary Garden—Planting Flowers and the Seeds of Prayer:  On the lawn outside of my family's parish, there is a stepping-stone Marian-Rosary garden. Often, after attending daily Mass, on warm or non rainy days, my children love to run around the rosary stones, encircling the statue of Mary, and sit upon the garden's benches. The days when they would run around, only able to exclaim the words, "Hail, Mary! Hail, Mary! Hail Mary!" for each stone, are precious treasured memories I hold within my heart. When we entered the pandemic shutdown, in the spring of 2020, I didn't realize just how much I missed the rosary garden tradition my children and I had after Mass. When my husband and I scheduled confession with our pastor, twelve days into the shutdown, we took turns waiting with our children and letting them play and pray in the rosary garden, while we participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I'd always desired to make a Mary/Rosary garden in our ba...
Post a Comment
Read more

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Feast Day: Nov. 17th  Saint Elizabeth of Hungary has always held a special place in my heart since she is my confirmation saint. If I'm being honest, when I was reading about saints back in the eighth grade, trying to choose which saint I wanted to take as my patron, my requirements were as follows: (1) She couldn't die a horrible death, (2) She was married with kids, (3) and her life was pretty good allowing her to serve God and others through the blessings she'd been given. In hindsight, my list of "requirements" was probably a little superficial, but now as an adult I focus more on the virtues and saintly qualities of Saint Elizabeth, and find inspiration in how she lived. She was humble, a kind and loving wife and mother, and very generous to the poor. She also made plenty of time to pray and grow in her relationship with the Lord. On her wedding day, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, who was a princess, did not wear a crown. Instead she s...
Post a Comment
Read more