23rd Sunday "The Family that Prays Together Stays Together"

 

The Family That Prays Together, Stays Together

In the Gospel today, Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, if two or you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

By these words of Jesus, it is very clear that Our Lord is present when at least two gathers together to pray. Do you want Jesus to be part of your family. Not just when you personally pray to Him, but when you gather as a family?

Praying as a family is not something that comes easily for everyone. In fact, a recent study of young families found that seventy-six percent of parents pray mostly as individuals rather than with family. This is particularly striking when paired with the finding from a similar report that found that eighty-five percent of parents are likely to watch television with their family while only fifteen percent are more likely to watch alone.

In short, families are far more likely to watch television together than they are to pray together. There is good reason to put in the effort when it comes to family prayer. Not only does a rich faith life lead to happiness, but God wants to richly bless your family.

Family prayer opens it to the great graces God has in store for you. Speaking on the importance of family prayer, Saint Pope John Paul II wrote: “The family celebrates the Gospel of life through daily prayer, both individual prayer and family prayer. The family prays in order to glorify and give thanks to God for the gift of life, and implores his light and strength in order to face times of difficulty and suffering without losing hope. But the celebration which gives meaning to every other form of prayer and worship is found in the family's actual daily life together, if it is a life of love and self-giving.”

In addition to attending church Sunday, praying at mealtime, and other forms of prayer, a family can pray simply by living charitably among one another.

Family prayer reminds us to forgive one another and ask God for forgiveness (although no one should confess their sins in front of family members). It helps us to remember; God is the center of our life and our family. When there are family problems, we will be more apt to seek God’s grace and help to endure struggles and overcome them. Prayer will protect the family from evil spirits who are constantly trying to sow anger, division, unforgiveness, and create problems. Daily family prayer need not be difficult. It's really not hard to pray as a family. Spontaneous prayer can make some feel uneasy. Some are good at it, others are not. We are not required to do spontaneous prayer, with family prayer. Here is an easy way, that can take less than 5 minutes. But, it should be done consistently, every day, perhaps before bed. Gather the family together, you can hold hands if you want, but don’t need to. Read a short paragraph from the bible (from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John preferred), then ask each person to mention something they want to pray for or what they are thankful for. Then once everyone has mentioned their prayer intention, close with the Lord’s Prayer and three Hail Marys (together).

We can add a decade of the Rosary or maybe even the full Rosary. St. Louis de Montfort said, “Somebody who says his Rosary alone only gains the merit of one Rosary, but if he says it together with thirty other people, he gains the merit of thirty Rosaries. This is the law of public prayer. How profitable, how advantageous this is!” So, if you four people in your home pray the Rosary together, each person receives the same graces as though each person prayed four rosaries.

God wants us to pray as a family publicly too. We are to keep the Sabbath holy by attending church regularly to worship God, which we are required to do, since He created us. In addition to Sunday church, we can also pray as a family during the week at church (for Catholics at Mass). And we can bring the family any time before the presence of Jesus in church and sit and listen to Him speak to our heart.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and rest with me.” Our Lord also said, “Let the little children come to me. Do not hinder them.” and therefore, our Lord wants all members of the family to be with Him. By bringing the family together to church on Sunday and pray together every day at home, or come together as a family during Eucharistic Adoration, it will give the family enumerable graces.

If we pray together as a family, we allow Him to be the Lord of our family. We will allow God to strengthen the family and protect it, as Fr. Peyton once said, “The family that prays together, stays together.”

I would like to close with a prayer for families by Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Heavenly Father, you have given us a model of life in the Holy Family of Nazareth.

Help us, O Loving Father, to make our family another Nazareth where love, peace and joy reign.

May it be deeply contemplative, intensely Eucharistic 
and vibrant with joy.

Help us to stay together in joy and sorrow through family prayer.

Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our family,
especially in their distressing disguise.

May the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus make our hearts meek and humble like His, and help us to carry out our family duties in a holy way.

May we love one another as God loves each one of us,
more and more each day, and forgive each others faults
as you forgive our sins.

Help us, O Loving Father,
to take whatever you give
and to give whatever you take,
with a big smile.

Help us, O Holy Father, to make our families one heart, full of love, in the Heart of Jesus through Mary.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, cause of our joy, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels,
be always with us,
guide and protect us.
Amen.

-- St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta