November

Introduction to Rituals:  
A ritual is something we always do together in the same way that has meaning to us. For example, at dinner each night, everyone shares one little thing that made them happy that day or one small thing that they are grateful for.  Rituals enable us to do things without having to think about them but they do more than that…they nourish our spirits and bind us together.  For children, rituals give a sense of predictability and order and something to look forward to.  It is said that if you want your day to be organized, develop a routine. If you want your day to be meaningful, create rituals.

Rituals That Strengthen Family Prayer:

• Morning Offering: every morning at breakfast say together: “Lord, I offer you this day. All I think or do or say.”   
• Grace Before Meals: “Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts which we have received from your goodness through Christ our Lord. Amen”
• Bath-time Examen: Every night at bath-time, review the day.  For the times throughout the day that we may have fallen short, pray: “God, wash away my sins; bathe me in your loving mercy.”
• Bedtime Prayers: Pray with your child “Now I lay me me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, angels watch me through the night and wake me in the morning light.” or “Angel of God my guardian dear, to whom God’s love entrusts me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light, and guard, to rule and guide.” 
• Make the sign of the cross on your children every night no matter how old they are (as a reminder of them being marked with  the sign of the cross at Baptism).
• Every Sunday, keep the Lord’s Day by practicing traditional prayers such as: the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, Glory Be to the Father, the Memorare. These traditional prayers are like a family heirloom passed down from one generation to another; they provide us with words to speak to God when we cannot find them ourselves.
• Praying for Others Ritual- We offer up prayers for others, especially at mass. During the offertory (gifts being brought up to the altar), we name all those we are praying for, then receive Communion...God takes care of the rest.

Other Rituals: 

• Do an act of service as a family each week such as making sandwiches for Casa Juan Diego and delivering to the church on Tuesday mornings by 8:30 am.
• Have a special meal or cake that you bake together for special occasions (birthdays, baptism anniversary, holidays, when you have special guests). Get the little ones involved in helping in small ways.  In this way the meal becomes a special part of who you are as a family. 
• Clean out your closets, toy chests and create a St. Martin Box for the poor.  St. Martin was a soldier who came upon a man on a cold day without a coat. Martin cut his own in half, giving it to the freezing man. That night in a dream he saw Jesus wearing the half-coat and devoted the rest of his life to serving the poor. Inspired by St. Martin keep a “St. Martin box” in a closet/garage and when its full we take it to a charity or shelter.
• Create an Advent wreath with an empty bed/manger for baby Jesus to be placed in on Christmas in the center. This empty bed symbolizes we are waiting/preparing for Jesus birth and each night your family can share act of service or kindness you did that day to help prepare a soft bed for baby Jesus. For each act of goodness shared place a piece of straw in the empty manger.