Domestic Church – Iglesia Domestica

Prayer together as a family is a vital part of developing faith in ourselves, in our spouses, and in our children.  Prayer is an opportunity for God to reveal Himself to us in new ways.  There are many different forms of prayer and devotions that we can do together as a family.  It is through constant dialogue with our Lord that we become more acquainted with Him and in doing so, become stronger in our faith and trust that He will give us all we need to have life within us.

We are asking all families to commit to engaging in prayer together as a family for at least 15 minutes per day.  Include friends and family who may be alone by using all the technology that is available to us these days, either by phone or any of the many options to connect by video or, when possible, by inviting them over during this time.  The important thing is that as a family, you are able to commit to 15 minutes of leaving the world behind and focusing on your relationship with each other and with our Lord in the home, the domestic Church.

La oración juntos como familia es una parte vital del desarrollo de la fe en nosotros mismos, en nuestros cónyuges y en nuestros hijos. La oración es una oportunidad para que Dios se revele a nosotros de nuevas maneras. Hay muchas formas diferentes de oración y devociones que podemos hacer juntos como familia. Es a través del diálogo constante con nuestro Señor que nos familiarizamos más con Él y, al hacerlo, nos volvemos más fuertes en nuestra fe y confianza en que Él nos dará todo lo que necesitamos para tener vida dentro de nosotros.

Estamos pidiendo a todas las familias que se comprometan a orar juntos como familia durante al menos 15 minutos por día. Incluya a amigos y familiares que puedan estar solos utilizando toda la tecnología que tenemos disponible en estos días, ya sea por teléfono o cualquiera de las muchas opciones para conectarse por video o, cuando sea posible, invitándolos durante este tiempo. Lo importante es que como familia, puedan comprometerse a 15 minutos de dejar el mundo atrás y enfocarse en su relación entre ustedes y con nuestro Señor en el hogar, la Iglesia doméstica.

The following are some examples of ways you can pray together.

Tools for Building a Domestic Church –  The USCCB has provided a list of ways to get started with your family.  Click here for this resource

Simple Family Prayer – You can pray this prayer together and ask that each family member include their own petitions, prayers for others into the prayer.  For young children, you may also take this time to practice the prayers we pray regularly as Catholics.  Click here for scripts of these prayers that can also be printed out.

Pray the Rosary / El Rosario – Click here for instructions (para instrucciones en Español) and a link to many more resources to develop your faith.  Here is another link to a Scriptural Rosary from the Knights of Columbus.  For younger children, you might print out Catholic religious coloring sheets for them to color while you pray.  Here is one specifically on the Rosary.

Giving Thanks – Spend time sharing of the many small blessings each family member has received that day:  A kind gesture someone made to you.  An opportunity to play with a friend.  An accomplishment at work or school.  A beautiful day outside.  Something nice you were able to do for another are just a few examples.  This is an opportunity to give thanks to God and teach us to recognize these in the moment so that when they occur, we can be reminded of God’s presence in our daily moments.

Dar Gracias – Dedicar tiempo a compartir las muchas pequeñas bendiciones que cada miembro de la familia recibió ese día: un gesto amable que alguien le hizo. Una oportunidad para jugar con un amigo. Un logro en el trabajo o la escuela. Un hermoso día afuera. Algo bueno que pudiste hacer por otra persona son solo algunos ejemplos. Esta es una oportunidad para dar gracias a Dios y enseñarnos a reconocerlos en el momento para que cuando ocurran podamos recordar la presencia de Dios en nuestros momentos diarios.

The Saint of the Day / Santo del Dia – Haga clic aquí para Español Learn about these amazing men and women who have lived before us and who today, provide us with powerful examples of faith, charity, humility and sacrifice among other incredible qualities that we can strive to emulate.  To learn about the Communion of Saints and how we are in communion with them, click here.

Read today’s Scripture – Reading the Scripture of the day and reflecting together as a family can be rewarding in so many ways as it gives the entire family the opportunity for new revelations from our Lord.  It allows our children to ask questions they might have about so many things in their lives as the Scriptures, though they account for events thousands of years ago, can be applied to our everyday lives.  Click here for the Scripture for today.  Haga clic aquí para Español.

For adults or Families with Teens, there are some more advanced options available below.  Para adultos o familias con adolescentes, hay algunas opciones más avanzadas disponibles a continuación.

Liturgy of the Hours / Liturgia de las Horas – Haga clic aquí para Español  Also known as the Divine Office or the Work of God (Opus Dei), is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer. USCCB.org  Praying these prayers brings one into communion with our world Church as these prayers are prayed by millions of Catholics each day.

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