An important purpose of the prayer of the domestic Church is to serve as the natural introduction for the children to the liturgical prayer of the whole Church, both in the sense of preparing for it and of extending it into personal, family and social life.
Familiaris Consorstio 61
10 Minutes With Jesus was conceived during a glorious but brief season of Daily Mass attendance with the baby while the older children were at school. Each liturgy offered a bite-sized lesson to take home and give to the children at dinner time. We couldn’t all attend Mass together, but we could connect to the Universal Church and to each other through these manageable moments of grace.
The whole process seemed to be a small-scale example of the Church’s mission at large. Having been given our daily Bread at Mass, we returned to our homes to distribute what we received. On Sundays, our children were better prepared to connect their daily lives with the Mass and vice versa, since at no point during the week were they completely ignorant of the Universal Church’s prayer and action.
Eventually, Chris started transforming these lessons into activities. From the comfort of our home, we were able to present these morsels in a way that kids love—hands on, engaging, and multi-sensory. As adults, we were enriched by the opportunity to watch the Holy Spirit at work in their hearts and were blessed to see first-hand what it means to become like little children. Though most of the day was spent scattered about our separate realms, we knew that at the end of the day every day we would come together to have fun and pray.
Advent is a marvelous time to immerse your family in the liturgy. We hope these prayer activities help you prepare your domestic church for the birth of Jesus in your hearts and in the world.