Prayer in the Domestic Church
Praying with your children is a very simple way to be Domestic Church.
But how can we begin to pray together as a family?
• STEP ONE : Meal Prayers •
Before you start your evening meal, start with a prayer:
Bless us, Oh Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
• STEP TWO: Prayers Together •
Once as a family you are in the habit of praying before your meal, introduce one of our common prayers. Do not try them all at once but spend time getting to know and remember the prayer. Cultivate a habit of praying this prayer at the same time and in the same place each day, perhaps before leaving for school, or in the car or when you get home.
• STEP THREE: Growing in Gratitude •
All of us can become better at being thankful and seeing God’s goodness in our day.
As a family, you can help each other try to be more thankful. Perhaps during your meal together take it in turns to say one thing you are thankful for, as parents model this and help your little ones say what they are trying to say. Of course, this may be helped with turning the TV off during meals…
• STEP FOUR: Adoration •
Eucharistic adoration is the practice of praying before Jesus truly and substantially present in the Eucharist.
Recalling Jesus’ command to “let the little children come to me” (Matthew 19:14), it is great to bring your little ones to Eucharistic adoration. Perhaps don’t bring noisy toys to adoration; however, you might bring religious picture books or crayons and religious colouring sheets for them to do before Jesus.
• STEP FIVE: Family Rosary •
The Rosary is a beautiful prayer that can be prayed with the whole family, from the youngest to the oldest. However, it can feel daunting to start this with your little-ones.
Begin with placing rosaries in prominent places in your home, use activities to help them remember parts of the prayers and start slowly – do not expect them to be able to pray the whole rosary in one sitting within the first week of praying it together!