{"id":31457,"date":"2013-01-03T08:00:49","date_gmt":"2013-01-03T14:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=31457"},"modified":"2013-01-03T08:46:20","modified_gmt":"2013-01-03T14:46:20","slug":"in-the-pursuit-of-holiness-there-is-no-finish-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/01\/in-the-pursuit-of-holiness-there-is-no-finish-line\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Ways to Pray as a Family in the New Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Despite what some feared might be our last few days on earth on the twenty-first of December, our Lord has\u00a0given us the gift of a fresh, new year of life, and all around us people are forming resolutions for self improvement.<\/p>\n

I myself have a modest list of resolutions this year, and at the very top is “more family prayer.”\u00a0Going through the seasons of the liturgical year as an adult has taught me a few things, and one of the more practical lessons that has remained with me has been how to set spiritual goals which are realistic and specific. It’s not that I don’t have a million things I should improve, but more that I realize I need to tackle the ones that matter the most, first.<\/p>\n

I find that I can be very impatient with myself. \u00a0It seems as though where prayer is concerned, some people are scaling mountains and slaying dragons while I feel like I keep lighting a small candle that the wind blows out several times a day. \u00a0It’s good to keep in mind that as we seek to grow closer to Jesus and the promises of heaven that we remember that\u00a0there is no finish line in the pursuit of holiness<\/i>. Everyone will be going at a different pace, and the path will not always be in an upward linear fashion. There is a lifetime to reach our goals and to discover the rich treasures which our Faith gives to us. We must not be afraid to make mistakes, \u00a0bounce back from set-backs and reflect on what we feel have been failures. These are all parts of our spiritual growth and journey. The important part is not giving up!<\/p>\n

In my searchings, I came across this article written by a Catholic author named Paul Thigpen<\/a> in 1995. I found his suggestions for family prayer to be very wise and thorough, and I asked him for permission to share them. If you too are looking for inspired ways to pray with your family, do not wait for the perfect “thing”to happen, or worry about what another family is doing that isn’t working for you. Just start with something small that fits with your family, and see where it leads. God will bless and multiply your efforts!<\/p>\n

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25 Ways to Pray as a Family<\/i><\/p>\n

1. Find a regular time for\u00a0daily family prayer\u00a0that fits everyone’s schedule, then make it a priority. A thousand distractions will try to keep you from establishing this discipline in your home, but persevere. No matter how much you pray alone, your family needs to pray together as well.<\/em><\/p>\n

Try setting aside ten minutes a day at first. Once you’ve formed the habit, you can expand the time without much difficulty. The important thing is to get started and stick with it.<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Teach your kids the\u00a0basic elements of prayer.\u00a0Making requests is only one aspect of talking to God. To remember the other important elements, think of the letters of the word “ACTS”:<\/em><\/p>\n