HCFMEA
Teach children prayer
The family is the first place children learn how to pray. According to the catechism of the Catholic Church, the family serves as the domestic church, where God’s children are taught how to pray and persevere in prayer. It is also through family prayer that biblical teachings find life in children’s lives through the Holy Spirit. Meditating in the word of God in the time of prayer also helps children learn how to profess their faith and to grow spiritually.
Build a relationship with God
Praying together helps a catholic family to establish a stronger relationship with God. It lifts the minds and hearts of family members. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, without a life full of prayer, the faithful risk losing the life of grace, which is available first through baptism and later through other sacraments and prayer.
Teach compassion in a family
Catholic doctrines instruct the faithful not just to pray for themselves but also on behalf of those souls that are in purgatory(a state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners) and of those in need. Taking the time to pray for people in need as a family builds values such as compassion. It also makes the members of a family more aware and grateful of what they already have. For example, thinking about and praying for people in flood-hit areas enables the family to appreciate the value of a shelter and warm clothing.
Encourage family time:
Time spent in prayer to the total amount a family spends together. Also, the commitment of meeting at a special time or place to pray brings unity in a house hold.
