Blog – Page 5 – Joy of the Family

You Belong!

Author: Beth Zanotelli, Diocese of Palm Beach Coordinator of Family Life

What is it that makes you feel like you belong? When you walk into a store, is there a sense that you belong? Probably not. At your home when you walk through the door, do you experience belonging there? What about belonging at school or at work? Each of us has an innate desire to belong. We long to be wanted; we long to be loved.

While this topic could go in many directions, this blog is meant to focus on belonging in a church family. When we stop by on Sunday to worship God in our community called “Church”, what makes us feel like we belong? Surely the presence of our loving God, and the open doors of our church, but what calls us? We have a deep longing to be recognized and feel we belong to the “Body of Christ”. We long to have someone make eye contact and give a genuine “hello” or even a “how are you today?”. It goes even deeper than that. Belonging happens when we are invited to sit near someone. Belonging happens when someone asks for our opinion or advice. Belonging happens when someone invites us to join a group (even if we choose not to join). Belonging happens when someone compliments us or takes an interest in our life. These gestures of love hint at a relationship. What causes us to belong is when we are recognized, when our presence is acknowledged, when we are included just as we are, and when we are accompanied on our journey. These gestures let us know we are appreciated and not judged.

We are experiencing a tough time in our world. Remember to see each other and help each other feel the love of the Body of Christ. Take time today, this week and going forward to authentically see someone! Maybe a smile will help them feel they belong. Perhaps kindness will help them in their personal struggle of the day. “So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us…” (Ephesians 5:1)

Here is what the scriptures have to say…

Ephesians 5:1-3 – So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

1 Peter 2: 9-10 – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were “no people” but now you are God’s people; you “had not received mercy” but now you have received mercy.

Acts 10: 34-35 – Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.

Colossians 3:14 -And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.

Your Body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit

There are countless scriptures telling us that our body is good, that God created us, male and female. God proclaims we are very good, and that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians, Paul teaches each of us to avoid sin against our body. In verses 19 – 20 he says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.” God tells us through His Word how much He loves us. He knew us before we were born. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you…” (Jeremiah 1:5). We are not a mistake and God created each of us out of love, for love! God does not make mistakes, and He certainly doesn’t make junk. When we alter, or harm our bodies, we reject the gift God has given us. Even when we reject the gift God has given us, He still loves us.

It is vital that we each reflect on God’s abundant love for us. Our body is to be respected in all ways. We should be cautious about what we put in our body, what we put on our body, and how we change our body. Anything we do to and with our body should honor God! In Romans 12:1, we learn in fact, our body is made to worship God.

When you are having a bad day, you may look in the mirror and see a distorted view of yourself, but in God’s eyes you are always beautiful, perfect, and good. Your view is distorted if you think that God somehow made a mistake. Always remember, “He formed you in your mother’s womb” (Psalm 139: 13). If you are seeking perpetual youth, has this become an idol in your life? If you are unhappy with certain parts of your body or unhappy you are made male or female, remember God created you perfect, without flaw. If you wake up in the morning and think God made a mistake…think again, He did not! He made you to reflect His glory in your own special way. Glorify God with your body because you are unique and beautiful! You are indispensable, irreplaceable, and unrepeatable! There is only one YOU.

Here is what the scriptures and our catholic faith have to say…

Psalm 139: 14-15 – I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret…

1 Corinthians 10:31 – So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2288) Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others and the common good.

CCC 2293 – Basic scientific research, as well as applied research, is a significant expression of man’s dominion over creation. Science and technology are precious resources when placed at the service of man and promote his integral development for the benefit of all. By themselves however they cannot disclose the meaning of existence and of human progress. Science and technology are ordered to man, from whom they take their origin and development; hence they find in the person and in his moral values both evidence of their purpose and awareness of their limits.

Theology of the Body 19:4 – The central thesis of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, is that “the body, and it alone, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine.

Love One Another

Practice what you preach, or practice what you teach. In our world today, we are full of so much information. If we acted on it, some of that information could really make us different people, perhaps even better people. In Scripture, Jesus teaches us, actually, He commands us: “This I command you: love one another” John 15:17. This seems like a simple, practical, do-able command, and in our heads, we know it! We know it is what we must do! So how do we take it to our hearts and live this command? It is not an easy task to love one another, we really must set our own selfishness aside and appreciate each person for who God created them to be, without judgement, without trying to change them, without trying to control them. We are commanded to merely, “love one another”.

Taking knowledge to our hearts requires help! We really cannot do it alone; we need the Lord’s assistance. We need to ask Him in prayer! “Lord, please accompany us through our trials. We desire to love one another as you have commanded.” Our prayers can be simple, “Lord, help me to appreciate each person I meet today, help me to see them as You do.” “Help me to treat each person I meet with Christ-like love”.

“Love one another” sounds easy, and with God’s help, we might get a little closer to moving what we know is an important command, from our head to our heart and our actions. Pray today for the Lord to show you ways you can “love one another”, pray for the courage not to judge, change, or control. Pray to have more influence on people by showing them your love!

Here is what the scriptures have to say…

1 Peter 4:8-10 – Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 – Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Philippians 2:3-4 – Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.

John 13:34-35 – I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

Let’s not give up on each other…

By Cathy Loh
Diocese of Palm Beach Director of Marriage, Family Life, Faith Formation and Youth Ministry

“It is not good for the man to be alone…” declared God in the Garden of Eden after he created Adam, the first man (Genesis 2:18). Why is this important? Because we are made for relationship, for friendship. We are made in the image and likeness of God who is a community, a trinity, three persons in one God. So, being made in God’s image means that we are made for relationship, with God and with each other.

Our innate need for relationship is why the isolation experienced during this past year of COVID-19 lockdowns, social distancing and masks has been harmful to so many. It is well documented that babies need regular physical touch for normal cognitive development and to learn to relate socially. It is not only newborns who need touch to thrive, adults also need contact for their physical and emotional wellbeing. Imagine the toll on the elderly and the sick, who have had to face so many days separated from loved ones, deprived of a hug or kiss or reassuring pat on the arm. Not to mention the impact on the spouses, children, or other relatives of those isolated from them. While technology can be a blessing and enable us to “see” our loved ones, it is a poor substitute for physical presence. Sometimes this virtual connection is not even possible.

Another experience of isolation or deprivation comes in the form of faces hidden behind masks. My heart aches for the little ones, toddlers, children who may not be deprived of physical touch, but are deprived of a smile or other facial expressions blocked by masks. What impact will these masks have on children’s social interactions and their ability to interpret facial expressions in the future? Time will tell.

While we navigate this uncharted territory of a worldwide pandemic, we need to consider the unintended but natural and not surprising consequences of our actions. We must prudently balance protection in the present with protection for a future. We must remember that God created us for relationship, for community. To deprive the healthy, let alone the young, frail, sick or elderly, of contact with their loved ones, is to deny our innate need for community and risk our spiritual and emotional wellbeing.

As we enter into this penitential season of Lent, let us remember how much we have already given up this past year. Let us consider our loved ones and how we might reach out to offer them consolation and fellowship. Let us consider how to prudently balance the spiritual and emotional needs of those we love with their physical safety needs. Let us not overlook our own need for connection and community. To continue to emphasize one need at the expense of the other may mean we are resting in a false sense of security rather than prayerfully trusting in the God who made us in His image for community.

Here is what the scriptures have to say…

Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 Where a lone man can be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

Have You Lost Your Wonder?

Recently someone reminded me of the process that occurs when we use the internet. I am neither a tech savvy person nor a tech ignorant person, I am probably somewhere in between. In my words: Internet makes the Web possible; it is a huge network of computers which communicate together, many call it an “information superhighway”. So, when we want to watch a funny cat video, or answer important questions like “what sound does a cardinal make” or “who was the lead singer of the Foundations”, you type your question, and that question enters the information superhighway. This superhighway includes a trip to space where it bounces off a satellite comes all the way back to earth and communicates with a network of computers, probably bounces off another satellite in a different part of outer space and then the information finds its way back to your computer. It is quite amazing when you think about it. Yet, as I was reminded, how many times do you get upset that your internet is too slow? Have you ever sat back and thought about the amazing process that happens each time you hit enter? I was also reminded of a time when we had to research or ask other people about our questions. Sometimes when we ask someone a question, a conversation begins and if you are fortunate this conversation will lead to a lasting friendship or a great discovery. There was a time when we looked in books or went outside to observe and listen, we talked to other people and continued to ask the questions until we found an answer. Sometimes it took a long time, but it allowed us to wonder, what is the answer? We learned how to search for knowledge and information, and we discovered amazing things.

We are living in a fast-paced world. We expect things to happen immediately, and we get upset when they do not. Many of us cannot even wait in a line anymore. We have forgotten what Wonder is! Take a moment to look around you, pause from the information superhighway and physically survey all the amazing things you come across in a day. Use your senses! God created the world, and it is filled with so much more than we take the time to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Have you ever been driving, when the sun is rising, and it gets in your eyes? Do you take time to stop and see the beauty of the sunrise, or do you complain about its brightness? God created that amazing light and it gives us warmth, colors, and life. The person next to you could be making you happy, sad, angry, or just sitting there. God created that person to be unique, unrepeatable! God created each of us in His divine image, male and female He created us. Embrace the thought that God loves you so much that even before you were born, he was in love with you! Embrace the beauty in your masculinity or femininity and that God created you perfect! We have been inside too long; we have been fixated on our phones and computers too often. Praise God by going outside and looking at the beauty of all creation! Thank God for each day and for all the goodness that surrounds us!

Here is what the scriptures have to say…

Luke 5:26 Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

Psalm 96:11-12 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them. Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice before the Lord who comes…!

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1299 At the Sacrament of Confirmation – In the Roman Rite the bishop extends his hands over the whole group of the confirmands. Since the time of the apostles this gesture has signified the gift of the Spirit. The bishop invokes the outpouring of the Spirit in these words: All powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their help and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Matthew 6:25-29 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your lifespan? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wildflowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ Or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

Offer It Up!

These days the phrase “offer it up” refers to selling something online. You can sell or buy almost anything. You can replace things that are not even worn in or worn out yet. Perhaps in 2021…you could give that phrase an entirely new meaning. It could potentially be the beginning of the best New Year’s resolution, one that leads you closer to an encounter with Christ; one that leads closer to eternity; to holiness; to heaven.

In this New Year, consider surrendering everything to the Lord. Offer up your life for God’s Glory. Allow Him to form you and mold you and walk beside you. Allow Him to hold every thought, and action, offer them up! Surrender all your pain and suffering, all your joy and happiness. Offer up your family and all your relationships, relationships with people you love and get along with and relationships with people who annoy you and you struggle to be nearby. You could offer time: the year 2021, the month of January, this day. Pray, “Lord, I give you this year, the good, the bad, the ugly that will happen. I offer it up to you to do with it as you desire. Please use me, as your hands, your feet, your eyes, your ears, and your mouth. Help me to conform to your will, not mine or the world’s. Open my lips, Lord and my mouth shall declare your praise. Walk with me, and I will give it all to you!”

You could offer up your employment, or your lack of employment to Him…. give it to him to deal with however he chooses. “Lord, please stand with me in my work (or my search for work) today. Use me as your instrument as I provide for myself and my family this day. Lord, help me to reflect You in everything I do.”

Offer up your health, good or bad. Give it to Him to deal with. Allow the Lord to be in control, surrender to him your fears and anxieties. Remember the absence of fear is FAITH! Ask Him to be Lord over all your life…resolve to radically trust the Lord in 2021!

Here is what the Scriptures have to say…..

Luke 12: 25-28 Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your lifespan? If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest? Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin.

Psalm 131: 1-3 Lord, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty. I do not busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me. Rather, I have stilled my soul, hushed it like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me. Israel, hope in the Lord, now and forever.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.

Perspective

Author: Beth Zanotelli, Diocese of Palm Beach Family Life Coordinator

Happy New Year! November 29 marks the beginning of a new Liturgical Year. We begin Advent with Liturgical Cycle B and similar to the beginning of a new calendar year, it is a great time to reflect on this past year’s spiritual journey. When I look back, I realize this year was different and I need a different perspective. It has been a year of spiritual turmoil…but also, a year of great spiritual growth. There have been many moments of desolation but there are so many moments and blessings for which to be thankful. In 2020 we have had to find new ways to relate to others and new ways to minister to others. What is God trying to show us in all these changes?

I was reflecting on the many great homilies I heard over the past year. It is crazy to think that many of them were online or on TV in my living room with my family gathered around our makeshift altar. It was not the best way to worship, it was certainly different, but by the grace of God and technology, we could still praise Him in our community, our domestic church. While we did receive spiritual communion, “at home Mass” brought a longing for the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and what a great lesson we learned from this…perspective. In several homilies I heard about the times of religious persecution, times when people had to hide in caves, forests, or even basements to give praise to God. Today, some people must still hide to praise God and many communities wait for a priest to visit before they can attend Mass…perspective. One of my favorite homilies stressed the privilege of voting for a candidate who will lead our nation. Whether our preferred candidate is elected or not, life goes on. Christ is still and will always be King of Heaven and Earth. We praise Him morning, noon, and night. We thank Him for the graces we receive and the blessings of creation. We pray for our daily bread, for mercy and forgiveness. We are loved by Him who made us in His image and likeness…perspective.

Let this Advent be a time to adjust your perspective. We have so much to be thankful for, it is right in front of us! “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Perspective!

Here is what the Church and Scripture have to say…

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.

Prayer for Spiritual Communion: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.

Romans 8: 37-39 – In all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 5: 1-16 – When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

The Nature of Sacrifice

Guest Author: Javier, a 15-year-old from the Diocese of Palm Beach

This was sent to the Office of Family Life. There is such maturity and beauty in Javier’s words. As you read, remember the Mass is a participation in the Last Supper, the One, never-ending sacrifice….

The Last Supper, the Sacrifice of the Cross, and the Sacrifice of the Mass are all connected and inseparable. Each share the essential elements of a sacrifice, but their timelines meet outside of space and time. They come together as the perfect sacrifice, wholly pleasing to God.

The nature of a sacrifice requires several elements. The first element of a sacrifice is a visible gift. The gift must be offered as a victim for God alone. Only a proper, authorized person is permitted to make this oblation. The purpose of the sacrifice is to give homage, adoration, and thanksgiving to God and to atone for man’s sins. Lastly, the offering must be pleasing and acceptable to God.

Each of these elements of a sacrifice are present on the Cross. The visible gift is Jesus. He offered himself to God as a complete victim. He is slain and immolated for the sins of man. By His death, He merited salvation for humanity. Jesus, as the High Priest, was authorized to perform this sacrifice. Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross was acceptable to the Eternal Father.

In the Mass, Jesus is the perpetual victim as the visible gift in the bread and wine. Through transubstantiation, the bread and wine changes into Jesus’s Body and Blood. Antagonists may argue that the sacrifice is not valid since Jesus has been offered as a victim once before. However, when Christ is present on the altar at the consecration of the Mass, He is truly present anew as the victim of our salvation. Man’s sins have offended God greatly. Jesus’s suffering and death alone can satisfy God’s justice. Through the Sacrifice of the Mass, God is adored reverently and perfectly. This special oblation can only be offered by the authority of a Catholic priest. The Sacrifice of the Mass is identical to the Sacrifice on the Cross, only in an unbloody manner.

At the last supper, Christ commanded the Apostles, “Do this for commemoration of Me.” (56) Priests today, continue to offer Christ’s death in response to this command. At the Last Supper, Christ instituted Holy Orders. At that table, He gave His Apostles and their successors the power and authority to offer His forthcoming Sacrifice on the Cross anew in all future Masses.

The Last Supper, the Sacrifice of the Cross, and the Sacrifice of the Mass are the same sacrifice. They are all connected and cannot be separated. At the Last Supper, Jesus points to His future Sacrifice on the Cross. The Sacrifice of the Cross is commemorated at the Mass. The Sacrifice of the Mass remembers and commemorates the Sacrifice of the Cross. The sacrifices of the old, meet in the present moment and await the future.

Bibliography: Laux, John. MASS AND THE SACRAMENTS. New York: Benziger Brothers, 1934. Print

Here is what the Church and Scripture have to say…

CCC #1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: “The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.” “And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner…this sacrifice is truly propitiatory.”

1 John 2: 2 He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

1 Peter 2:5…and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a hold priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:10 By this “will”, we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The Grace of My First Rosary

Author: Beth Zanotelli, Diocese of Palm Beach Coordinator of Family Life

Do you remember the first time you prayed the Rosary? My first Rosary wasn’t until my 30’s. It’s hard to believe that a cradle Catholic who is the product of a lifetime of Catholic School does not remember praying the Rosary. There are many of us out there, perhaps we could form a club, the “Forgotten children of the 70’s and 80’s”. Well the good news is that there is still hope for this group. Because finding the Rosary, however we find it, brings a rich devotion that binds us to the life of Christ and teaches us how to imitate Mary on our journey.

Here is how it started… I was dropping my daughter off at school, and a few of the moms asked if I could join them for “Parents in Prayer”. I had no prepared excuse and nowhere else to be, how lovely to go into my daughter’s school and pray with some of the parents for our school and our children. As I entered the room, they were all arranged in a circle…holding rosaries! It is the truth, I panicked…I knew how to pray, and I love Jesus, but the Rosary…I was intimidated. How hard could it be, an Our Father and ten Hail Mary’s, right? I will never forget how loving the parents in the circle were, they did not judge me, they met me right where I was and gently taught me how to pray the Rosary. That circle of parents changed my life in so many ways.

We are all on a journey, and some of us find it easy to stay on the path God has set for us, some of us wander off the path, some are on a slow journey savoring each moment, some on a faster journey, maybe missing things along the way. What is important is that we are each open to opportunities to meet Jesus in different ways along that path. If I had let intimidation keep me from learning this devotion, I would have missed an opportunity for my life journey to be forever changed. The word “Rosary” means “Crown of Roses”. Each prayer is like giving Jesus and Mary heavenly flowers. When we pray, we receive graces for our life, for a peaceful death, and for glory in eternity. The mysteries of the Rosary help us to meditate on the Gospels, the events of Jesus’ life. We can use our prayers to help others by praying for them and for their intentions. Take the time to learn this devotion or better yet, learn it with someone else. I can only imagine the graces we receive when we teach someone else to pray this beautiful prayer. When we teach others to meditate on Jesus’ life, we are leading them to an encounter…an encounter with Christ!

Here is a link to the Diocese of Palm Beach Family Rosary, join them in prayer: https://vimeo.com/463441019

The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary (prayed on Sundays and Wednesdays)

The Resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Ascends into Heaven
The Descent of the Holy Spirit – Pentecost
Mary is Assumed into Heaven
Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth

The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary (prayed on Mondays and Saturdays)

The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Nativity
The Presentation of Jesus
The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary (prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays)

Jesus’ Agony in the Garden
Jesus is Scourged at the Pillar
Jesus is Crowned with Thorns
Jesus Carries the Cross
The Crucifixion

The Luminous Mysteries (prayed on Thursdays)

The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
The Wedding at Cana
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
The Transfiguration
The Institution of the Eucharist

The Domestic Church and Prayer

*Author: Cathy Loh, Diocese of Palm Beach Director of Marriage, Family Life, Faith Formation and Youth Ministry*

The Church teaches that the family is a privileged community and the original cell of social life (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2204, 2207) where we should learn how to love God and one another. The family is our initiation “into life in society” (CCC 2207) including our relationship with the Lord. In our family, we learn how to pray and nourish a loving relationship with God. We learn that we need to be humble before Him, as humility is the foundation of prayer (CCC 2558). That is why Jesus tells us in Luke 18:17 that only those who receive the kingdom of God like a child shall enter it.

However, as we grow older and our lives become more complicated, humility can get lost along the way. We may forget to ask God for help, thinking that everything depends on us. Conversely, our prayers can become more complicated and involved, filled with many petitions. In our busyness, we can forget to quiet ourselves so we can hear God and then respond. How can we recover the humility that is so foundational to our prayer life with God?

A simple way to return to that foundational humility is to observe or experience prayer with our children. We can rediscover the power of a child’s simple prayer, filled with wonder, awe and thanksgiving. Children often surprise us with periodic moments of silence. In these times of recollection, we discover our child’s ability to be content in the moment, resting in thoughts about God or a religious picture or a sacramental like a crucifix. Our children can remind us of our own simpler and humble prayers of the past.

But how will a child learn to pray if we do not lead the way? Creating a habit of prayer in the family must begin with us as the parents. We are the first witnesses to prayer and nurturing a relationship with God, our Father. A simple place to start is those moments where we routinely gather with our children, at mealtime and bedtime. We model patience and gratitude by offering Grace before enjoying our meal. We teach gratitude and humility by thanking God for all our blessings of each day before going to sleep. By tracing a small cross on our child’s forehead, we are reminded of our baptism into God’s family before we say goodnight or goodbye. Setting aside quiet time can become a catalyst for recollection and prayer. When we make a point of showing our children how to nourish their relationship with God through prayer, that effort may one day return to bless us in our own prayer life by reminding us of the beautiful simplicity and humility of a child’s prayer.

Here is what the Church and Scripture have to say…

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church 350 The Christian family is called the domestic church because the family manifests and lives out the communal and familial nature of the Church as the family of God. Each family member, in accord with their own role, exercises the baptismal priesthood and contributes toward making the family a community of grace and of prayer, a school of human and Christian virtue and the place where the faith is first proclaimed to children.

Deuteronomy 4:4-7a Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Matthew 19:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.