One of the best things about being Catholic is all the beginnings. With all the different liturgical seasons, feast days, and months dedicated to devotions, we literally have so many opportunities to start doing something new throughout the year. This is a great blessing because it can be hard, especially for parents with tweens and teens, to begin doing something religious out of the blue.
When children are very young it’s pretty easy to just start saying a prayer at mealtime, reading from a children’s Bible before bed, or listening to Christian music in the car. Young children are very open to new things that are introduced with joy and love, and they are eager to participate. But try calling your teenagers into the living room on a random Tuesday night and tell them you want to pray the rosary together, and you’re bound to get some resistance. “What? Why? Do we have to? I’m not doing that!”
Thank God for Lent! It’s the perfect time for parents to take the lead with kids of any age and implement a new holy habit for the family, without having to take the heat personally. It could go something like this: “Since it’s Lent, I want to do something new, so when you leave every morning I’m going to trace the Sign of the Cross your forehead and bless you, and after you leave I will say a Hail Mary for you.” Maybe it will feel a little awkward at first, but there’s no doubt that this holy moment you share with your child will quickly become a highlight of both your days. Beginning small things like this during Lent are a path to holiness, to which every family is called.
“As the family goes, so goes the Church.” Perhaps you’ve heard this truthful phrase. Our Church and our world are in desperate need of holiness, and holiness is born in family life. So, this Lent, lead your family to take the first step.
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