Family Life
“Mankind’s future rests in, and depends upon, the family more than any other society, institution, or environment.”
- Pope John Paul II
At Central Catholic High School, we firmly believe that faith formation is a partnership between the home and the school. We have developed this resource to help you in your home faith formation
Studies have shown that a child living in a faith filled home is:
- More likely to be healthier and live a longer life,
- Is less likely to be involved in crime,
- Is less likely to cause trouble at school,
- Is generally more satisfied with their life,
- Is more likely to be confident about their future
- Is more likely to become a leader in good organizations.
In an attempt to assist you as faith nurturers in the home, the Pastoral Department will regularly post articles/resources and prayers for the family that will, hopefully, offer you some ideas and support in fostering a strong faith life at home. Please know that we are always available to help you in this crucial ministry. We are keeping you in prayer and we ask that you do the same for us as we work to educate your child in the faith. We thank you for entrusting us with such a significant job.
God Bless!
Rachael Hunyor
Pastoral Director
Prayers for the Family
A Prayer for Grandparents
Dear God, please bless my grandparents.
Thank you for the life they gave my parents
and for the life they give to me.
For the ways they helped me and made me strong, I give thanks.
For the ways they love me no matter what, I rejoice.
For the ways they have paved the road
that leads me here, I am grateful.
Let them grow in wisdom and joy in life.
Let them find peace and rest from their work.
Let them be healed of every sickness and pain.
And let them see with their own eyes
the glory of your Son, Jesus,
in the love of their children and grandchildren.
Bless them always until they come to rest in you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for youth
God, our Father, we thank You for the gift of love and the gift of life. We thank you for the gift of our children. We ask You to send Your holy angels to protect and guide them each day so that they will walk the narrow path of purity, self-control and obedience, as was taught to us by Your own Son, Jesus Christ. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A child’s prayer for their Parents
Almighty God, you gave us the commandment to honor our father and mother. In your loving kindness hear my prayer for my parents. Give them long lives and keep them well in body and spirit. Bless their labors; keep them always in your care. Bless them generously for their loving care for me. Grant that, through your grace, I may always be their support and comfort, and that, after our life together on earth, we may experience the joy of together praising you forever.
Prayer for Vocations
0 Jesus, Good and Gentle Shepherd grant that the men and women in our faith community, may have the grace and the courage to hear and answer Your call to priesthood and religious life. Give them the wisdom to realize that life is a gift. Let them realize their life is part of YOUR plan. Call forth those You have chosen to spread the gospel message, and help them to freely respond to a life of service in the church. May the parents and families of our school community, support and encourage their sons and daughters to search for, follow and answer the call of God in their lives. AMEN
Prayer of Parents for their Children
O Lord, omnipotent Father, we give you thanks for having given us children. They are our joy, and we accept with serenity the worries, fears and labors, which bring us pain. Help us to love them sincerely. Through us you gave life to them; from eternity you knew them and loved them. Give us the wisdom to guide them, patience to teach them, vigilance to accustom them to the good through our example.
Support our love so that we may receive them back when they have strayed and make them good. It is often so difficult to understand them, to be as they would want us to be, to help them go on their way. Grant that they may always see our home as a haven in their time of need. Teach us and help us, O good Father, we ask this through your Son and our Lord. Amen.
A Catholic Mom’s New (School) Year’s Resolutions
I sit in the pre-dawn hours of the morning of the first day of another new school year, coffee and planner in hand, contemplating what lies ahead. The year is off to an auspicious start: I’ve set my alarm sufficiently early to allow for quiet devotional time and reflection before rousting my boys from their beds. Backpacks sit at the ready, filled to the overflowing with labeled school supplies. The number two pencils are sharpened to a deadly point with not a single eraser chewed off yet. School uniforms have been pre-laundered and ironed. We’re ready – at least for the first day of school.
In my quiet time, I contemplate how to make this the best school year ever for my children. With a sixth grader and one heading off to high school, I face the logistical dilemmas that confound so many other mothers – how to get everyone where they need to be, on time, with the things they need, all at the same time.
In my own life, I find great value in setting and actively pursuing resolutions, defined goals, to achieve desired results. I don’t wait for New Year’s to set resolutions – it can happen at the start of a new liturgical season, the beginning of a month, or even any day ending in the letter “y”. My goals for my sons’ new school year remain the same year after year. I hope this will be a year filled with spiritual and academic growth, fun times with their friends, and pursuit of new and favorite extracurricular activities.
Here are some of my specific resolutions to help make this school year the best ever for our family:
- Pray on the Way – Keeping prayer time central to our family life is important to all of us, but we sometimes let things slip around our house. This year, I commit to a time of prayer with each of my boys on our way to school in the morning. This is a tradition begun by my own mother and one that’s become reflexive in our family. As soon as the car is turned on prayer begins, setting the tone for the day and offering it to God as a sign of our love. A friend told me last year that she frequently asks her children, “What would you like for me to pray for?” This simple phrase has led to wonderful discussions and yet another way for me to support and encourage my children in their daily lives.
- Be Organized – I typically get off to a good start at the beginning of the school year, but somehow lose the “eye of the Tiger” on family organization just when it’s most needed. I will keep a family calendar, consulting it frequently and anticipating events in advance. I will communicate with my husband about times when he may be needed to “pinch hit” with rides, homework help, brownie baking and other facts of school year life. I will have a good sense of not only what each day holds, but also what the scope of the week looks like. Conflicts and surprises will occur, but not when I should have been planning for them and just dropped the ball.
- Family Dinner – I will make every effort to prepare and serve healthy meals for my family. This will involve being a better shopper, since a big part of my problem with cooking is not having the right things in the pantry. With our family members being busier than ever, our dinners together (whenever they are possible) will be a retreat and a chance for needed communication. I will not give in to the rat race and find myself “driving through” on the way home from Football practice because there’s nothing healthy to cook at home.
- Homework Helper – I will give my sons the tools they need to thrive academically. This will include a quiet environment in which to do homework, the supplies necessary to do the job, and a supportive attitude. I will encourage, not nag, and will try to help them to establish the good time management skills that will serve them in their future lives.
- Spread the Love – As frequently as possible, I will tell my sons how much I love them and how very proud I am of them. I will keep critical comments to myself and will encourage them positively to live up to their full potential. I will exalt in their happy moments and will lovingly support them through tough times without dwelling to much on the “I told you so” moments. I will remind my husband frequently of how much I value him as a partner, a co-parent and a friend. I will not let tiredness or frustration dictate the tone of my conversation with my family. I will collect as many hugs and kisses as I can get from growing boys!
I’m hoping to look back on my list of resolutions in the not-to-distant future and to be able to give myself a “check plus” on these few simple goals for our family. A Mom’s job is never done, but it’s great to take time along the way to refine and enhance our performance in what is surely our greatest responsibility – the raising of Godly and happy children.
By Lisa M. Hendey
Catholic Online
Resources for Family Life
To check the moral content of movies
http://www.decentfilms.com/
http://www.nccbuscc.org/movies/
To help your children choose music with clean lyrics
http://www.nextwavefaithful.com/positive_music1.asp
To enhance your prayer life
http://sacredspace.ie/
To create your own Advent Wreath
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=954
To make family meals faith-filled and fun
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1390&repos=3&subrepos=4&searchid=490774
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=958&repos=3&subrepos=4&searchid=490774
