If raising your children in the Catholic Faith is your goal, then living a liturgical life could help you achieve that in a simple and fun way. Ginny and Mary Ellen are your guides for the journey that might change your approach to family Faith Formation.
Their Faith-enriched immersive step-by-step approach makes it easy as they show you how to take your family’s activities to a supernaturally enhanced higher level. Stay tuned for an episode that could save a generation.
Living the Life Liturgical
What does living a liturgical life mean?
It simply means keeping my life and that of my family focused on Christ by following the liturgical seasons of the church. By “flavoring” our family’s activities to the liturgical seasons, we piggyback on the masterful design of the Church year to form and enrich our children’s Catholic Faith. Simple and brilliant.
The Church year consists of six liturgical seasons:
*Advent
*Christmas
*Ordinary Time after Epiphany
*Lent
*Easter
*Ordinary Time after Pentecost (the long one).
How do I do it?
1. Begin with the sacraments.
Grace comes to us through the sacraments; when the kids are young, it is easy to bring joy to the celebration of a sacrament. Celebrate their Baptism Day and bring out their candle. Help them make a communion notebook, make wedding cards for newly married couples
2. Choose one or two liturgical celebrations per month to focus on.
3. Read the Mass readings a few days ahead and highlight things to listen for.
Magnifikids, Catholicmom.com, the USCCB website…
4. Research feast days important to your heritage.
5. Learn the Litany of Loreto (link below)
Spend some time with Our Lady.
Research one or two of her titles of Our Lady each year to teach your children.
6. Build a liturgical celebration library. Many books and videos are available for help.
7. Grace before meals is the prayer we have always said together, even the adult kids.
As simple as it is, Grace is a prayer that binds us to our family, is a witness to our Faith, and a prayer, may it please God, that our children will teach their children.
Add seasonal prayers to Grace before meals:
In June, you can add the aspiration, “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us,” as it is the month of the Sacred Heart.
Maybe in August, the month we celebrate the Assumption, say, “Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
During November, the month of the poor souls, we always added, “May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.”
December, is the month of the Immaculate Conception but also the time to bring out your Advent candles and Advent prayers.
8. Mini-pilgrimages can be fun.
May - Find a shrine to the Blessed Mother (outside a church or on a Catholic college campus) and make a pilgrimage.
Lent - Try to find some outside Stations of the Cross for Lent.
Holy Thursday - Although this is easier in a city, there is a lovely tradition of visiting the Blessed Sacrament at seven churches after Mass.
Patronal holy day - there are indulgences attached to attending Mass at a church on its patronal holy day. For example, go to Mass at St Joseph Parish on March 19.
Resources:
Ultimate List of Catholic Shrines in the US
Brigid's Cloak, An Ancient Irish Story
