Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This post may contain affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Have you made a resolution to live out your faith more this year? Or are you wondering how to live a more Catholic lifestyle, but aren’t sure how to start? Perhaps you simply want to have a better prayer life.

Last year, Saint Benedict Press sent me a lovely hardcover edition of one of their new releases, A Short Guide to Praying as a Family. I love this book! Not only is it a beautiful book to look at, full of stained glass photographs, it’s one of those books that *feels* luxurious, too. It’s a wonderful choice for gift giving. If you are in need of a belated Christmas present or know a family who is going through RCIA, A Short Guide to to Praying as a Family, would be a fabulous choice! I wish I had this book when I started having kids.

short guide to praying as a family catholic book review

The content is divided into five sections–basic vocal prayers, making your home a sacred place, advancing in the life of prayer, the power of prayer, and making your life a prayer. The first phase has the big three Catholic prayers. These are the ones that even most non-practicing Catholics remember — the Sign of the Cross plus the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. I love that not only do the Sisters share the prayers themselves, but also their history and importance. Finally, they share “common” uses of each, such as praying the Hail Mary when you hear an ambulance.

In the second phase, the sisters cover 7 areas to help make your home a sacred place. We have been working on being a more Catholic home since our oldest was born almost 8 years ago. We had gotten through 4 of them on our own–sacred spaces, morning offering, grace at meals, and bedtime prayers. The other three are a monthly family meeting, a family rosary, and praying with your spouse.

While reading & reviewing this book, we began adding a monthly family meeting to our calendar. I can’t even tell you how awesome is has been. The first time, I was totally blown away by the thoughtfulness of my kids & people they wanted to pray for. I was also amazed at how much my crazy middle child was so generous with her honor for other members of the family. Sharing about our days & apologizing to each other has produced so much fruit. Not only that, but it has really shown me how God has taken my meager offerings of time & (not so great) example and multiplied it more than I could imagine. It’s really been a lovely time and even my husband has enjoyed it! This one practice has really been fabulous for our family.

When you have the 7 pieces in phase two and are looking to grow more, phases three through five, take you even deeper. They cover topics like outside prayers, sacraments, powerful prayer practices, and even living your life as a prayer.

A Short Guide to Praying as a Family is a fabulous resource for how to grow in your faith as a family. It really starts with the basics and would be a fabulous resource whether your kids are older or younger. It would make an awesome baptism gift for the parents or for parents where YOU are the Godparents. If I had to recommend one best book on having a Catholic home, this would be it! Every Catholic home should have a copy of A Short Guide to Catholic Prayer on their shelf. And a copy for each of their kids, too!

Did you have a practicing Catholic home growing up?

siggy

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *






CommentLuv badge