road trip | My Rosary Story | pray the rosary | catholic family life
When her family is trapped together for hours on end during road trips, Maria Riley uses the time to pray together.
We are a family of six with no family living in the same state as us, which means we are a road-tripping family! Every year, we take at least two road trips, and sometimes more, depending on holiday schedules. Visiting extended family is a priority, and driving is the most affordable way to do so. Each day we spend in the car traversing this beautiful country is not complete until we’ve prayed a Rosary.
Life is hectic, and we don’t regularly pray a Rosary together as a family. But during road trips, we never miss. Once we’ve finished lunch, it’s Rosary time. Sometimes we leave after breakfast, and sometimes we arrive before dinner, but we’re almost always eating lunch on the go. Having a designated time to pray rather than just hoping that we get to it has made it easy to remember and actually pray it. Since we’ve been so consistent with our Rosary schedule, at least half the time it’s my kids reminding me that it’s time for the Rosary!
Encountering Christ in the Rosary
We always take turns leading each decade, and this helps keep the kids actively participating while we pray. I also take a minute or two to explain the upcoming Mystery so they know what to meditate on while we pray. I’m not sure if they consistently think about the Mystery the whole time (honestly, even my mind wanders, and I have to bring it back to the Mystery of the decade consciously). Still, I believe an essential part of overcoming the objection that the Rosary is boring is by teaching my kids that the prayer is so much more than just saying the same thing over and over. It’s an encounter with the life of Christ.
For her first Communion, one of my daughters received a stuffed Saint Raphael. He’s the patron saint of travelers, so she graciously donated him to our minivan. He’s with us everywhere we travel, and while we pray the Rosary, the person who is leading the decade gets to hold Saint Raphael. Snuggling with Saint Raphael is another great way to keep the kids engaged and excited about praying.
I love our tradition of praying a Rosary in the car. Not only does it teach my kids a beautiful prayer, but it also helps pass the hours as we travel down this road called life.
Copyright 2024 Maria Riley
Images: Holy Cross Family Ministries