Praying the Family Rosary a Decade at a Time

Jena Muhr reviews a new book by Fr. Willy Raymond, C.S.C., that proposes a do-able solution for family prayer.

Growing up my mom always told me, “The family that prays together stays together.” This was usually when I had something that I would much rather be doing or when I thought that I was “too cool” for nightly family prayers or felt that there wasn’t enough time in the day to stop and pray. But, as I have found about most things my mom taught me, she is right. Praying as a family is so, so important. In my own life the families that are close to their faith and practice it together are so much more peaceful, stable, and content in their lives than those that don’t.

When I received a copy of the book The Family that Prays Together Stays Together: Discover the Promise and Power of the Rosary with Father Patrick Peyton edited by Father Willy Raymond, C.S.C., I knew that it would be something that would resonate with me—and I was not disappointed.

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The book is a monthly devotional that can be completed over and over again. In it, Fr. Willy breaks each of the four mysteries of the Rosary into the four weeks of the month. Families are encouraged to pray one decade a day during the week with a short devotional, and then the whole Rosary together on Saturday and setting intentions for Sunday Mass. I really enjoyed this breakdown because it is manageable for me. This is something my husband and I could do at night, with the kids on the way to school, or as a family after dinner.

In my first post at Catholic Mom, I shared that long devotionals and prayer times are difficult for me. It's a challenge to find the deep time to give the matter justice, so I prefer to say multitudes of short prayers all day long. I timed myself on a daily devotional and my time was five minutes and nineteen seconds, which is doable for me on a daily basis. And having a monthly commitment, rather than a full year, makes me much more comfortable with starting and maintaining a practice.

Through Father Patrick Peyton’s writings, the Rosary is attainable in small bites and applicable for families at all stages. I think this would be a great gift for loved ones who are starting their own families or those who are seeking to take an initial step in deepening their faith.

Use coupon code FRPEYTON to receive 20% off the cover price of The Family That Prays Together Stays Together when you purchase from the publisher, Ave Maria Press. This coupon code is good through December 31, 2024.

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