Living in this highly competitive society, there is a constant challenge with regard to living my family life in line with our faith. I am guilty at times for channeling efforts towards worldly pursuits.
So we continually trust God and pray for His guidance. For instilling faith in our daily lives, we have taken various baby steps throughout the years.
It is said that many drops make a bucket (Percy Ross) and so it goes with faith too. We have tried as best as we can to stick to our daily night prayer routine. Usually, we go around the table and offer our personal prayers. We also set aside Wednesdays to pray 1 decade of the rosary. We use a card to help us track which mystery should be prayed for that week. During night prayers, a blessed candle is lit to remind us of God’s presence among us. There was a period the kids were so excited about candle care. Saturday prayer slot is scheduled for reflecting on Sunday’s Gospel reading. This has proven to be tough and we are still trying to make this a habit. Grace before meals has been adhered to pretty well, but grace after meals is still a work in progress. When we drop the kids off at school or train station, we say,” goodbye and may God bless you.”
Candles lit during Family prayer time
We also listen to hymns on Spotify during car rides. In addition, we usually attend penitential services together. Some services have proven to be unforgettable and impactful. We still talk about them sometimes.
Amazingly, spontaneous conversations have proven to be the most Praise-the-Lord moments. There was one incident, we were discussing about arrangement of sacrament of reconciliation at school, and our neighbour, a 9 year old boy was in the car. We started chatting more about God as he was curious. In the midst, my young son actually shared from experience that he actually felt good after confessing his sins to the priest. Another time during bedtime, the elder son blurted that God is mysterious. We then shared about God’s ways.
God’s presence is indeed sprinkled throughout the day. To add on, I have on countless occurrence caught kids singing hymns and praise songs in the shower! It is in moments like these that I catch myself offering thanks and blessings to God.
To share, Deuteronomy 6:5-7
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.”
The duties as parents loom in front of us.
I constantly pray that God will find our works with the children pleasing to Him.
Pope Francis once said,” All families need God. We need His help, His strength, His blessing, His mercy and his forgiveness. ”
Let us encourage one another to lead our family lives in faith.
Trust in the Lord,
Lilian Lee