Do you read religious bedtime stories to your kids? You can make those stories do double duty by weaving in practices from lectio divina, the ancient way of praying with sacred texts.
Make bedtime sacred story time with your kids
Help your kids encounter God in nature
The practice of reflecting on God using the natural world as a sort of “icon” for the divine has been neglected by many Christians who are put off by the secular practice of treating nature as the only way of encountering God, along with the tendency of New Age spirituality to divinize nature. But ignoring the ways that we can encounter the presence of God in the natural world cuts us off from an important part of our tradition, not to mention a way of experiencing God’s presence with a sense of awe, wonder, and joy. Dive deeper to find five ways of praying with nature.
Your home oratory: A little place for family prayer
Different families have different names for this kind of space: home altar, home shrine, celebration table, and so on. Whatever you call it, use the space as a physical reminder of God’s presence in your home, as well as your intention as a family to create “space” for God in your life.
Send your kids to school with a prayer
When you pray for God’s blessing on your kids’ school day, you’re equipping them with something far more valuable than a #2 pencil or textbook. Here are three simple ways to go.
Books on saints your family will love
Get to know and love the Church’s heavenly family with these books on saints. Young, old, modern and ancient, the saints featured in the compilations are sure to resonate with everyone in your family.
