PrayTheRosary Apostolate

Your Home - A Church in Miniature

Here are several ways for families to provide a rich context for spiritual formation by building into their home life a number of family traditions that point to God and His loving involvement in daily living.

Visit our Family Altar HERE

Creating and maintaining a family altar is a simple activity, but one that will make a difference to your family's prayer life and to the atmosphere of the home.

The family altar should include a few items to show that it is a special place:

- a cloth covering, either embroidered or in lace

- a crucifix and small statues of favourite saints, along with votive lights or candlesticks - a Bible is an important addition, books of prayers or meditations could also be kept at the family altar

- holy pictures can be placed in stands or hung on the wall behind the family altar. Like the crucifix and statues, pictures give focus to our meditations and devotions

- flowers make a decorative offering, and it can be a favourite task of children to pick flowers and arrange them on the altar in honour of Our Lady or a particular Saint.

    - thanks to: communigate.co.uk

Daily Rosary

Among the rich variety of Catholic devotions, there is one that appeals to every Catholic heart-the Rosary. Wherever we find true Catholic piety, we find devotion to the Rosary.The Rosary, like the Church itself, is universal. It is found in all parts of the world, in the life of the priest and nun, in the homes of the rich and poor. It is first and foremost an act of love and devotion for Our Blessed Lady in veneration of her immense privilege of becoming the Mother of God.

The Family Rosary provides an easy yet effective means of combating the many evils which beset the home. The daily recitation of the Rosary in the home circle is important in teaching the members of the family to turn to God in prayer in the many occasions and circumstances which threaten the peace and security of life. It leads them to see God's hand in all that happens, to think of Him reverently, to look up to Him trustingly, to acquiesce lovingly in all that He sends or permits.

Here are the advantages of praying the Rosary:

- The Rosary teaches a knowledge and love of Jesus and Mary.

- It is an effective way to obtain graces from God.

- The Rosary is a summary of Catholic doctrine.It is a perfect catechism. One who prays the Rosary cannot forget the mysteries of Redemption.

- It is an invincible power to overcome the spirit of the world, the flesh and the devil. For many, the Rosary has been the key to heaven.

Celebrate namedays

In addition to celebrating birthdays, celebrate your family’s namedays — the day dedicated to each person’s patron saint, or baptismal Saint's name. This day can be celebrated with a cake and small gifts, like a birthday. In addition, it is good to read the life of the Saint being celebrated and if possible to go to Mass and receive Holy Communion on that day.

Blessing of the Home

A very commendable Catholic tradition is the blessing of the home by a priest. Below is the rite of blessing in both Latin and English taken from the traditional Roman Ritual:

Visita, quaesumus, Domine, habitationem istam, et omnes insidias inimici ab ea longe repelle: Angeli tui sancti habitent in ea, qui nos in pace custodiant; et benedictio tua sit super nos semper. Per Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Visit this house, we beg Thee, Lord, and banish from it the deadly power of the evil one. May Thy holy angels dwell here to keep us in peace, and may Thy blessings be always upon us. Through our Lord. Amen.

Use of Holy Water

EARLY USE

According to the Apostolic Constitutions a document dating back well over 15 centuries, the use of holy water is attributed to a recommendation issued by St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. The lives of the saints are packed with instances of heavenly protection and blessing secured through the reverent use of holy water.

The use of holy water can be traced back to the earliest centuries of Christianity and the faithful of all centuries continued the practice of sprinkling it on themselves, on those who were ill and on objects which were important to their lives. It became customary to affix a holy water font on the wall near the entrance to the house so that people coming and going could bless themselves with it.

BENEFITS OF HOLY WATER

The saints knew, as we know by faith, that holy water is sanctified by the blessing of the Church; that it benefits the faithful in the following ways:

- it brings us actual grace

- it remits venial sins

- it remits of temporal punishment

- it is a most effective aid in all conflicts with the powers of Hell

- it is a help to fend off temptations

- it reminds us of our Baptism

IN THE HOME

It is certainly in keeping with the spirit and intention of the Church if you will revive this ancient custom of having a holy water font in your home. Teach your children to use this sacramental with understanding and piety, especially when going out of the house. The custom is to dip the tips of one's fingers into the holy water and make the Sign of the Cross, praying silently: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Whenever we say the Sign of the Cross we are actually saying a prayer to the Blessed Trinity.

Enthronement of the Sacred Heart

The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic ceremony that grew out of a promise made by Christ in a vision to St Margaret Mary Alocoque: "I will bless every house in which an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honoured." It begins with the placing of a picture or statue of Jesus showing His Heart in a prominent place in your home.

But the "exposing" of the image of the Sacred Heart is only the first step. Our Lord also asked us to "honour" His Heart. So, the next step is to invite a priest into the house to perform the ceremony of prayers.

It is important to continue to venerate the image or statue by praying before it as an act of faith in God's merciful providence and loving concern in watching over your family. Devotion to the Sacred Heart should be more than veneration of an image; it should become a way of life. The Enthronement is the official, social recognition of the Kingship of the Heart of Jesus in the Christian family, of His loving influence and living Presence in the home.