Praying through family activities

  • Craft related activities can be undertaken as a family e.g. making a Works of Mercy Tree, stringing your own Rosary Beads, making an Easter Cross, making an Advent Calendar wreath.
  • Have a saint’s calendar to encourage conversation about saints. Discuss favourite saints and why.

Tip: Monthly Saint’s Calendars can be
downloaded from

  • Have a special day per week where all the family come together.

Resources

  • More suggestions and ideas for praying as a family can be sourced from:
  • Further resources can be obtained from the CTS Bookstand at the back of the Church and the repository in the porch.

Prayers for the Family

O dear Jesus, I humbly implore You to grant Your special graces to our family. May our home be a place of peace, purity, love, labour and faith. I beg You, dear Jesus, to protect and bless all of us, absent and present, living and dead. Amen

O Mary, loving Mother of Jesus, and our Mother, pray toJesusfor our family, for all the families of the world, guard the new-born, bless us in ourschools and help us find our vocation. Amen

Blessed Saint Joseph, father of the Holy Family, assist us by your prayers in all the necessities of life. Keep our family united. Help each of us to serve Jesus as you served him. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name;

Thy kingdom come;

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death. Amen

Glory Be to the Father

Glory be to the Father and to the son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be,world with end. Amen

Praying as a Family

Praying as a family is a wonderful, rewarding activity. Finding the time and opportunity, however, is not always so easy. Below we’ve provided some guidance, tips, and prayer opportunities to help bring your family together in prayer.

Family Prayer in the liturgical Year

  • All Saints Day – Together as a family, name and tell the story of favourite saintsand discuss what they have in common (generosity, courage, prayerfulness, etc.)

Tip: Your saint can be found on

  • Advent – Make an Advent Calendar or Advent wreath to remind you to do something each day to share the meaning of the season.

Tip: More advent crafts can be found on
the website Easy Catholic Advent
Crafts for Kids

  • Christmas – Have a Nativity Scene in a prominent place.
  • Lent – Incorporate the traditions of prayer, fasting and abstinence into your daily life.
  • Easter – incorporate the tradition of Easter eggs into Easter egg Activities

Tip: Easter activities can be found on

Prayer at Family Meal Times

A shared meal is a great way to strengthen your family and to learn how to pray together. Here are a few different approaches to spicing up the prayer portion of your family meals.

  • Have family members take turns leading the prayer each day.
  • Ask each member to say one thing he or she is grateful for that day.
  • Read a poem or Scripture passage that gives thanks to God.
  • Thank God for the food and pray for those who do not have food.

Prayer before meals

  1. Thank you Lord, for this foodand for the work of those who prepared it.Bless us as we share your gifts. Amen
  2. Bless us, O Lord, and these Your gifts, which we are about to receive from Your bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen

Tip: More mealtime prayers can be found on

Blessings and Family Prayer

Incorporating prayers of blessing into your family’s daily routine is another way to express this desire for the very best for children.Display sacred objects e.g. crucifix, holy water, rosary beads in your home and make them focal points for your family prayer.

  • Bedtime Blessings - As part of bedtime prayers, invite your child to name the people he or she would like to pray for.

Sorry Prayer

O my God I am very sorry that I have sinned against you, but with the help of your grace I will not sin again. Amen

Prayer to your Guardian Angel

O angel of God my guardian dear,

to whom God’s love commits me here,

ever this day be at my side,

to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

Tip: More bedtime prayers can be found on

t-prayers.htm

  • Blessings at family celebrations – e.g. at birthdays, anniversaries, start of a new school year etc.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Thank you Lord for all your gifts to me.

Help me to use them in your service. Amen

  • Blessings in times of difficulties – e.g. exams, sickness, moving house etc.

Tip: Prayers for difficult times can be found
on

The Bible and Family Prayer

Just as we tell and retell family stories from year to year, so too we read and reread Sacred Scripture and pass on these stories from generation to generation. In Sacred Scripture, we hear God’s Living Word spoken again and anew.Encourage discussion about bible stories or what the homily was about at Sunday Mass.

Tip: Children’s bibles can be found in the
repository at the back of the Church or
St Pauls Book shop beside
Westminster Cathedral