Pastoral Message – June 23, 2024
From the Desk of Denise Quackenbush…
Creating an environment filled with faith in your home doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. It doesn’t mean you need to be the “best” Catholic family on the block either. It simply means that no matter where your family is today, there is always room for growth and improvement. There will always be new things that God wants to teach you as a family by bringing His love, light, and grace into your home.
Creating a Catholic home is not always easy. It involves lots of work, love, and sacrifice. But this is precisely what makes it so rewarding. A Catholic home is not only strengthened by the family who lives there, but also enriched by community life.
Make the Home a Place of Prayer
One of the most basic ways to bring up children in the faith and create a Catholic home is by praying together as a family. Whether it’s praying
before bedtime, saying the rosary, or just having spontaneous prayer in times of need or thanksgiving, making the home a place of prayer can help Catholic families create a faith-filled home and deepen their faith in Christ together.
Pray Together as a Family Before Meals
Praying together as a family before meals can help create a faith-filled home and deepen your faith in Christ. It’s an easy way to create a habit of praying together as a family, which will help bring Christ into your everyday life. Not only that, but it also models for your children how to pray – and shows them that prayer is an important part of daily life.
Celebrate Major Feasts with Special Foods or Desserts
It’s easy to get caught up in the “busyness” of the holiday season and forget what it’s all about. Celebrating major feasts with special foods or desserts can help us remember that Christ is at the center of our lives. We don’t have to be great cooks or host huge feasts to enjoy the blessings of food and cooking either. Celebrate the major feasts of the Church, such as Christmas or Easter, with simple foods or desserts.
