Top photo caption: A family is pictured in a file photo praying before Mass. OSV News photo/Nancy Phelan Wiechec
By Colleen Pressprich, OSV News
As Catholics, we are meant to be constantly turning our hearts to the Lord. As parents, we are meant to be teaching our children how. That can feel impossible, especially in the summer.
I know for us, it is even busier than the school year. Between camps, sports and swim team, we are constantly on the go, and we rarely keep the same schedule week to week.
It can make it hard to find a rhythm, especially for prayer time.
But it’s possible, and easier than you think, to cultivate a habit of prayer in the busiest of seasons, for yourself and for your children.
Here are five times to slide prayer into your family’s day this summer that will deepen your prayer lives and be easy to keep up when school rolls back around. In fact, you’ll notice that these are all “on-the-go” moments. This comes with a bonus: Prayer in the car means fewer distractions. Car time opens up opportunities for meaningful conversations, for our kids to ask us questions, and for us to understand their hearts more fully.
As you think about sprinkling these prayerful moments throughout your day, keep in mind the words of St. Paul VI, who wrote, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers.”
What does this have to do with family prayer? It means you will likely have to step out of your comfort zone a little. I know I did. Praying aloud doesn’t often feel natural to us, but it’s the best way to teach your kids. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but I promise it will bear fruit.
– Prayer when passing a Catholic Church –
Each and every time our family drives or walks past a Catholic Church, we make the sign of the cross and say this short prayer: “Jesus, I love you.”
Acknowledging Christ truly present in the tabernacle reinforces for our children that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, and it helps them understand the importance and centrality of our belief in the Eucharist. Though it might sound simple, this practice has opened up many conversations with our children. It’s given us the chance to explain Eucharistic theology, the differences between different denominations and even the importance of a reverent sign of the cross, a powerful prayer in itself.
– Prayer upon hearing sirens –
Anytime our family hears a siren, we pause whatever we’re doing and say, “Dear Jesus, please help the paramedics, the police officers, the firefighters and everyone they are going to help.”
Short and succinct, this prayer models for our kids the importance of looking beyond themselves, of seeing the needs of others and lifting them up in prayer. Over the years, we’ve found that our kids notice others in need and ask us to join them in prayer. I am often amazed at what their eyes see that I may have overlooked. Intercession has become a habit.
– Prayer when we see a homeless person –
Our family has the habit of praying for the homeless we see along our drives. If it’s safe, we’ll stop and ask for their name so that we can pray for them specifically.
As Catholics, we believe in the inherent dignity and worth of every person. Pausing long enough to really see the people on the margins of society, taking the time to recognize them as individuals, and offering up a prayer for them gives our children a powerful witness and shapes how they treat others. We have had wonderful conversations with our kids about the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and Catholic social doctrine, and we have watched our children grow in love and respect for all they meet.
– Prayer when passing a cemetery –
This habit I learned from my own grandmother. When driving past a cemetery, we say a Hail Mary for the souls of those buried there, still undergoing purification in purgatory. Souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves, but rather they rely on the prayers of others. This simple habit has allowed us to explain the communion of saints in a real and tangible way to our children and given them the chance to pray for those who might not have anyone left to pray for them.
– Prayer when witnessing beauty –
The final time we try to slip prayer into our daily lives is when we see something beautiful in the natural world. In those moments, we’ll offer a prayer of gratitude out loud for whatever it is. “Thank you, Jesus, for this stunning sunset.” “Thank you, Father, for the smell of fresh cut grass.”
Whatever you feel grateful for, vocalize it. This was the hardest one for me to feel comfortable with, but it’s also borne so much fruit in my children that I’m grateful I pushed through the awkwardness of my first attempts.
– Prayer on the go –
Cultivating a life of prayer for your family doesn’t have to be complicated. These small on-the-go moments will blossom into bigger conversations, longer moments of prayer and a deeper understanding of the gift that is our Catholic faith.
Colleen Pressprich is the author of “The Jesse Tree for Families” (OSV, $24.95) and “Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children” (OSV, $18.95). She writes from Michigan.
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