Monday, September 20, 2010

The Family Rosary: Back to Stay!

"The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors."

-Pope Pius XI

"No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary"

-Bishop Hugh Doyle

Tonight we reinstated the family rosary in our home.

We really had never planned to stop praying each night as a family before bedtime. But when Maggie came along it often just seemed easier to split Maggie and Sadie up at bedtime and have one of us take Maggie downstairs while the other stayed upstairs with Sadie. And since I was usually upstairs in the dark bedroom with Sadie (and that is Sadie's special cuddle time each day!) it was just too easy to fall asleep while praying. Thus would begin the rounds of waking and praying and falling back to sleep only to wake up again and give it another try...

The other factor that played a role in the elimination of our family prayer time was the fact that Paul was being scheduled for the evening shift pretty frequently lately, and so he wasn't home at bed time. We could have tried mornings, but I never really gave mornings much consideration because we're usually hurrying so much as it is.

Paul's schedule seems to be changing though. We found out yesterday that he works mornings this week (for the most part anyways!). While we hadn't talked about it much, it was a part of our day that we both really missed.

And so it is back and I am committed to making sure it remains, the prayer at the center of our everyday lives, regardless of busy schedules and schedule changes.

3 comments:

  1. neato, let us know how it goes! we never had family rosary at my house, though Dad did always say bedtime prayers with us. I always treasured that.

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  2. I am very proud of your commitment to the praying the Rosary with your family. It's especially wonderful that you are starting so young. I can remember growing up whenever my mom would try to read the Bible or pray the Rosary, my 3 siblings and I would fall into fits of giggles and otherwise not take it very seriously. I know now how frustrated my mother must have been with us. Family prayer time is very important, and what better prayer than the Rosary. I must do better in this area myself.

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  3. What a beautiful photo! Love the quotes, too.

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