family prayer | The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands
Like many Catholics, I often felt guilty for not praying the Rosary as often as I ought. It was hard to fit in. Having lots of little children in a short time span made sitting down to pray a Rosary seem nearly impossible. Eventually, Catholic Guilt — a blessing, not a curse at all! — caught up with me, so my husband and I instituted a nightly decade with our six wiggly little people.
Learning in Their Own Little Ways
We each take turns saying the Hail Marys, and the kids manage it surprisingly well. They remember whose turn it is to lead as if it were a winning lottery combination. That does not mean that everyone sits nicely and listens prayerfully. Not even close. They squirm and flop and bother everyone frequently, but they still are praying and learning in their own little ways. Sitting nicely for prayer is a skill and we are working on it. Rome was not built in a day, after all. Neither is the family Rosary.
By praying a decade each night, and hopefully increasing as attention spans allow, we can model good behavior and they get to learn the basic prayers. Even the 3-year-old can pray the Hail Mary, Our Father, and Glory Be in his own way. When they hear those prayers in Mass, it gives them a way to participate like the big kids do.
A Work in Progress
The other mom hack I have found to help fit in a full Rosary is to do it in the car. A Rosary app is great for this, as it can be piped through the car's speakers and turned up or down as needed. I do not require that all little kids participate in the car, but they do have to be quiet. Prayer or quiet gets the job done, even if it is still a work in progress.
As much as I sometimes want nothing more than to listen to the news and mentally shut down, I never regret praying a Rosary. It is especially worthwhile on those tough days where the whining level is high and the peace low. The grace from praying at least a decade with our family and Our Lady is never wasted.
Venerable Patrick Peyton, known as "The Rosary Priest," devoted his priestly life to encouraging family prayer, especially the Rosary. This October, for the Month of the Holy Rosary, Family Rosary (an apostolate founded by Father Peyton) and Catholic Mom have teamed up for this daily series dedicated to the Rosary.
