Creating a prayer space for our family has been so important, and has changed our family prayer time forever. It could be gathering in front of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your living room, or having a home altar in a bedroom. Meeting together for nightly prayer puts our focus on Jesus before rest and we can give thanks for the day.
Our family altar is in a transition spot in our house, a little like a hallway, and it is an area we always pass. During prayer time it becomes our little chapel. In this chapel we have a statue of the blessed mother that my grandfather painted, a holy water font that one of our godchildren’s parents gave us, and picture of the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. If we are blessed to house a special holy image or relic we place it in on the altar temporarily. On the opposite wall we have a shelf where we keep children’s bibles, saint books and other religious stories for some of the younger children to look at and read for inspiration during rosary. We light a candle one for each of our children and at the end of prayers it is their duty to snuff out their candle with reverence. Then my husband gives them a blessing, youngest to oldest, before going to bed.
Before having our little chapel area and before we prayed the Rosary together every night, bedtime used to be much more chaotic. My husband and I usually prayed separately throughout the day, but a good holy priest who said many things to change our lives, told me to pray the rosary every night as a family. We had aspired to do this but there was always something that would happen to stop it whether it was a toddler breakdown or too much clean up after dinner. However when we made it a priority, it changed our entire lives. Like a necessity that we had been lacking. Our dear Fr. Louis of San Diego was simply passing on the zeal and love that St. Louis de Montfort had for praying the Rosary. Montfort left many Catholics with their promise to pray the rosary daily and converted many skeptics with this powerful way to grow in ones faith in Jesus with the helpful prayers from His Mother in heaven. How grateful our family is for this gift of prayer and for the gift of Mother Mary. I hope this inspires you family prayer time. Blessings!
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