Thoughts on living liturgically at home and in the family
By Karin Middleton
Associate Director of Family Ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver
Nearly ten years ago, my family started celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday after our daughters burst home from Catholic school, announcing we needed to eat ice cream.
Growing up Protestant, my husband and I were perplexed yet intrigued to find out why. After investigating, we learned about St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, a prayer using rosary beads petitioning Jesus’ mercy to be poured out upon the whole world.
While eating ice cream sundaes, we shared stories of how Jesus demonstrated his mercy in our lives and upon the world around us. While ice cream is nice, the discussion it prompted allowed our family to celebrate Jesus’ amazing love for us in a new way that deepened our faith.
With so many solemnities, feasts and memorials, how do we keep liturgical living a joy rather than one more thing demanding attention?
Liturgical Living
It is commonly said that every Sunday is a mini-Easter. Liturgical living starts with celebrating every Sunday Mass and Holy Day of Obligation as small Resurrections, remembering that Our Lord is alive and present with us.
Building on this foundation, we can personalize the liturgical calendar by remembering each family member’s Baptism anniversary to celebrate our adoption by God and becoming part of the Church. Over time, we may consider adding activities connected with feasts and saints with whom our family resonates.
Infusing life at home with practices based on the liturgical calendar integrates faith into the ordinary, everyday parts of life. It provides practical opportunities for our families to place relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit at the center of our lives.
Who are we honoring, and why?
Talking about why we do what we do as a family increases our full, active and conscious participation.
Open-ended questions can stir wonder about the liturgical celebrations we highlight.
Discussing with children and grandchildren why liturgical practices matter and why we care about them creates opportunities to share testimonies of our encounters with God. For example, rather than only sharing biblical reasons for fasting, we can talk about how, in our own lives, giving up chocolate (to use a classic example) expresses that we love God more than satisfying ourselves. We could go on to share how we noticed a connection between turning to prayer rather than chocolate in times of trouble or joy deepens our sense of God’s presence with us.
Forming the habit of sharing mini testimonies helps children and youth notice moments of actual grace, thus revealing how God is real and present in our lives and theirs.
Deuteronomy charges us with instilling faith by talking with our children when we are at home and when we are away, when we lie down and when we rise (see Deuteronomy 6:7). In other words, acknowledging God in the ordinary parts of life enables our children and us to grow in relationship with God.
Bear in mind liturgical living should fit the family’s season of life and be updated as the family matures. For example, when praying the Stations of the Cross with young children, coloring guides may help them engage, while youth may take part by serving or reading. We grow by trying new ways of living the liturgical calendar that may stretch us. Yet, we are more likely to persevere by keeping our expectations reasonable.
Lent is Coming Soon!
As Lent approaches, consider engaging the season through both its activities and opportunities for conversation. For example:
Hide the word “Alleluia” in a box and discuss how fasting from this word of praise fills us with anticipation to celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter.
Stoke curiosity by asking questions like, “Why do you think we don’t sing the Gloria at Mass during Lent?”
Prompt discussion around Lent as preparation for Easter rather than becoming an end in itself by creating a countdown such as a paper chain.
However we choose to celebrate, don’t get overwhelmed by the calendar. Focus on why and how liturgical living draws us closer to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
