One of our favorite verses is Matthew 19:14, in which Jesus says, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” This verse really connects with our mission as a married couple to teach our children “to pray and discern their vocations as children of God,” beginning in our children's “earliest years” (CCC 2226).
The Rosary is a simple yet profound prayer, capable of engaging young and old alike. By way of illustration, once a young man entered a train and sat down across from an elderly man who was praying the Rosary. They struck up a conversation, and the young man explained that he didn't need superstitious practices like the Rosary, because he was going to be a scientist. The elderly man looked up, puzzled and somewhat hurt. Eventually, the young man's stop came up, so he asked for the elderly man's card so he could tell him more about science. The next day, the young scientist pulled out the card, ready to further educate the old man. The card read, “Louis Pasteur, Professor and Dean of Faculty of Sciences, University of Paris.”
While brilliant men like Louis Pasteur have found inexhaustible riches in the Rosary, the prayer is not beyond the smallest children, who are naturally drawn to the rhythmic repetition of the prayers—not to mention the Rosary beads! The Rosary gets children involved, too. Our children frequently lead the different mysteries, which at times can make for some unusual Rosaries, especially when the children are not quite old enough to count or remember all the prayers.
Further, the Rosary encourages children to think outside themselves as we recall the many prayer intentions that have been entrusted to our family. Children have very good memories, and they tend to remember and bring up during family prayer many people and situations that we might otherwise have forgotten about.
In order to develop the contemplative aspect of the prayer, we have found it helpful to have picture books and sacred images for the younger children to look at during the prayer time. As they get older, we look for prayer books with a little more text. We're blessed in that our parish church has fifteen of the mysteries of the Rosary depicted in magnificent stained glass windows. These are Gospels that little kids (and adults!) can read. It's amazing how much gets soaked in through their consideration of the mysteries. This practice builds their religious imagination, too. Once one of our daughters told us that the Coronation of Mary (fifth Glorious Mystery) was her favorite mystery. This seemed odd in a sense, because the Coronation can be a little more difficult for even some adults. When asked why it was her favorite, she said, “Because when we pray this mystery, I think about what heaven must be like.”
The Rosary also provides a magnificent opportunity for biblical formation and family catechesis. The Popes have emphasized that the Rosary must not degenerate into a mere rattling of prayers. We noticed this once with one of our sons, who for a time prayed, “lead us now into temptation.” Unfortunately, it seemed that Our Lord was answering this wayward prayer! That's why it's so important to announce each mystery, perhaps adding a short biblical reading that draws everyone into the mystery. Pope John Paul II in Rosarium Virginis Mariae said
Messiah. They ask very good questions about how the Epiphany and the Flight into Egypt fit chronologically with the Presentation in the Temple. Sometimes, they ask questions that make us do a little homework, such as the time one daughter asked how the apostles present at the Transfiguration knew that the two people with Our Lord were Moses and Elijah.
We try to see the Rosary and indeed all family prayer as an integral part of the daily rhythm of our lives, along with chores, schoolwork, reading, and other activities. It's not something to “squeeze in,” and it decidedly is not something foreign to or disconnected from the rest of our family time. In this regard, we place special emphasis on the family dinner, which is a cherished time in which we pray together, eat together, and enjoy one another's company on a daily basis. One thing we do is go around the table thanking the Lord for a blessing received that day. It's one small way that we try to foster in all of us, including the youngest children, a spirit of prayer and gratitude.
When it comes to incorporating the Rosary or other pious devotions or practices into the family's routine, we think of Leon's battle through the years with his weight. He has been on many diets, and has lost hundreds of pounds. However, when those diets haven't brought about a sustainable change in lifestyle, the weight inevitably comes back when the enthusiasm dies down. So rather than make unreasonable, unsustainable goals, we recommend gradually incorporating practices that become second nature for the family. It's often said that the Church moves in centuries. Well, we can pray in decades—perhaps praying a decade of the Rosary while making a short trip to the store or waiting at the doctor's office. What's important is that we take advantage of opportunities in the present moment, so that not only our bodies, but also, in a real sense, our homes may be temples of the Holy Spirit.