How to Grow in Holiness
in the Home
“The family is, so to speak, the domestic church. In it parents should, by their word and example, be the first preachers of the faith to their children; they should encourage them in the vocation which is proper to each of them, fostering with special care vocation to a sacred state.” – Lumen Gentium
The Home Is a Place of Prayer
The home is where the children first learn about love, about people skills, and about God. A home is a church in miniature, a community serving God and one another. It’s important to live the Faith on a daily basis. It’s not something just for Sundays.
Time for personal prayer and prayer with the whole family is crucial. Venerable Patrick Peyton famously said, “The family that prays together stays together.” Prayer unites us in the act of communicating with God. Parents, by going to Mass and living prayerfully, give an example to their kids that speaks volumes.
Parents Are Models of the Faith
A Swiss study conducted in 1994 shows evidence that a father’s church attendance, in particular, can sway the faith of his children. If Dad attends church irregularly and Mom goes regularly, the study says, only 3% of children will go on to be regulars themselves, and 59% will be irregulars. 38% will lose their faith altogether. In a scenario where Dad is not practicing at all, 2% of children will remain regular churchgoers. 37% will go irregularly. Over 60% will abandon their faith. Faith, when lived fully, is joyfully contagious. When parents don’t care deeply about their faith, their kids sense it.
Faith Is Fun
Believe it or not, growing (and keeping) a robust Catholic faith is more than going to church and praying at home. Children have to associate faith with fun. That means they should see their faith as a source of happiness and fulfillment outside of church. When children receive their Sacraments, like First Holy Communion or Confirmation, celebrations after Mass with family and friends will make it a day to remember and cherish. On Easter Sunday, after the fasting of Lent, it is a time to celebrate with good food! Church picnics, parties, festivals, and religious games all help reinforce the joy of a faith lived loudly and lovingly. Because “faith” corresponds to “fun,” and “holiness” to “happiness,” people have a deep personal appreciation of their faith.
Faith Is Attractive and Reasonable
The Catholic faith is also attractive. Just walk into a cathedral, and you encounter incarnate beauty! As parents, we need to show our kids this beauty. Picture books, poetry, novels, movies, and art experienced in the home display the beauty of God in creation, in the Sacraments, and in the lives of the saints. Once children are old enough to talk, they can begin to learn the reasoning behind their Catholic faith. Why do we pray grace before meals? How should I respond to someone who has upset me? What’s the point of kneeling at Mass? The answer to such questions can’t be “Because that’s the way it is” or “Because I say so.” With answers like that, faith ends up being a bunch of rules and falls terribly short of the relationship with God that it’s meant to be!
Looking for resources to help you share your faith with your family and deepen your prayer life together? We’ve gathered some great online resources to help you along the path toward family holiness!