Praying for Family Faith

Sherry Hayes-Peirce offers concrete suggestions for parents and grandparents who want to enrich their family's faith.

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, asks us to pray for a specific special intention each month, and for this month it’s families. Like many of you I belong to a parish that has a school and the pandemic restrictions forced us to do things remotely. As we emerge from this time of mandated isolation, we are seeking ways to draw families back to in-person experiences. 

For some families that struggle to wrangle their kids at an indoor Mass, they love the outdoor experiences that allow for them to move around. Others opt out of in person to watch Mass online. In parish meetings on how to engage young families some have said, “Kids need to learn how to be in Mass,” while others have said, “We love to watch online as a family,” and of course our priests continue to preach, “You need to come to Mass for the Eucharist.”

The Family that prays together stays together. (Ven. Patrick Peyton)

Sadly, I am one of those families where my grandchildren don’t go to Mass. My husband’s daughter and her husband don’t see the value in taking the kids to church. My grandson asked me what my cross means, and I told him it lets people know that I love Jesus. He has books about Jesus and he sees me and his other grandmother pray too. His parents do have him pray at night before bed, and have created this cute ritual where they give a “kiss, hug, and a rub.” 

Praying for families is so timely a topic for me. My faith comes from my parents, grandparents, and other faithful people in my community modeling their faith. Seeing my grandmother and father praying the Rosary at times of difficulty instilled in me the sense that in times of trouble to grab the beads and fall to my knees. While my dad was a CEO (Christmas and Easter Only Attendance), he loved the saints and wore a St. Christopher medal to keep him safe. 

As Nonna to my grandchildren, I want to model my faith to them. When I visit many times they see me watching Mass online or their parents dropping me off at church. My precious grandson Cooper talks about his “Grandude” being in heaven all the time. 

Train the young in the way they should go; even when old they will not swerve from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

 One of my favorite saints is St. Monica, who prayed for the conversion of her son for nearly 20 years ... and her prayers were answered. In fact, her wayward son became one of the Doctors of the Church: the great St. Augustine. What a great role model for parents! This month is also dedicated to the “Sacred Heart of Jesus” and it’s a perfect time for you to begin a Novena with the intention of making our faith the center of family life. One of our contributors Emily Jaminet has written many stories about creating space in your home around the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Creating a space that is dedicated to the presence of our Lord is a wonderful way to model our faith. 

I am looking so forward to sharing my prayer table with my grandkids and giving them a tour of my church when they visit. There is a memorial wall along the Rosary walk that lines the exterior of the church and a plaque in memory of my husband is there; that will always draw them to the church. 

My father instilled a deep sense of reverence for being inside a church, modesty in appearance and respect for the power of the Eucharist. I am one of four and only two of us really go to church. It saddens me that so many don’t find the same peace that I do in living and practicing my faith. 

I will never forget reading about how Matthew Kelly grew his faith simply by sitting inside an empty church each day before school. One way that you might add a little spirituality to your child’s day is to play traditional and contemporary Catholic songs in the car. The Hallow app has a playlist that you can just plug into. 

It seems that many older kids who have been confirmed are now allowed to opt out of regular Mass attendance. So the desire to go wanes and how we re-engage them post-college continues to be a challenge. The Synod listening sessions with young people were illuminating, but sad too. The new generations have been raised to be constantly stimulated and they expect that in a church environment too. The creators of the Hallow App prayed for a way to engage young Catholics and it has been very successful. Pray for God to inspire conversations with young people in your family and community about how your faith helps you in daily life. 

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As Nonna to my grandchildren, I want to model my faith to them. #catholicmom

This month there are five things I am doing to get in extra prayers for my family and all families to grow in faith.

1. Request a special intention
2. Spend one day a week in Adoration
3. Attend an additional Mass each week
4. Pray the Rosary every Saturday
5. Buy some Catholic books and send them to my grandchildren

Here is a beautiful prayer from Loyola Press for parents to offer each day:

Loving God,
You are the giver of all we possess,
the source of all of our blessings.
We thank and praise you.
Thank you for the gift of our children.
Help us to set boundaries for them,
and yet encourage them to explore.
Give us the strength and courage to treat
each day as a fresh start.
May our children come to know you, the one true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

May your Holy Spirit help them to grow
in faith, hope, and love,
so they may know peace, truth, and goodness.

May their ears hear your voice.
May their eyes see your presence in all things.
May their lips proclaim your word.
May their hearts be your dwelling place.
May their hands do works of charity.
May their feet walk in the way of Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord.
Amen. (LoyolaPress.com)

Copyright 2022 Sherry Hayes-Peirce
Images: Canva