FAMILY CHALLENGE
A WEEK OF PRAYING WITH THE SAINTS Children naturally long for heroes. Whether it’s a knight in shining armor, a superhero with a cape or a noble princess, our children are always seeking individuals of exemplary virtue, character and bravery to hold up as models. As adults, we’re not entirely different. Look at our society and you will see individuals in entertainment, music and politics who have been lifted up as “heroes,” then knocked off their thrones by sin and corruption. We long for a good example to follow. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, “The home is the first school of Christian life and ‘a school for human enrichment.’” So, basically, we as parents are the professors of the Christian life. We are delegated with the formation of the souls that God has placed in our families. Talk about a big responsibility! About five years ago, my husband, Ben, and I were Catholics who went to Mass most of the time but to confession rarely, and we lived our personal lives largely based on secular values. We were in the midst of our own “dark night of the soul” when we felt called to repentance and conversion. We longed for the beauty, truth and goodness in the Catholic Church. We returned to the sacraments, received the Eucharist for sustenance and found Catholic friends who would model a life of fidelity. However, after years of living a life around a very self-serving model of faith, we still had so many questions. How should we pray? How should we raise our children? How should we live? We needed exemplars — heroes, if you will — to show us how to live a life of holiness. The good news is, the Church had our backs. As Catholics, we have our own “superheroes” who show us the path to holiness through their unique lives: the saints. This week, I would love for you and your family to join me in reflection and fun activities based on the lives of some great saints. Set aside a few minutes each evening to learn about one of our friends in heaven and see how we can learn to lead virtuous and holy lives through their examples. The following reflections and activities have been written specifically to be read aloud and completed with your children. Each day’s reflection concludes with a prayer written by or for that day’s saint, which I hope you will consider adding to your family’s collection of prayers. Wishing you a blessed week! ADELE PAZ COLLINS is a freelance writer based in Falls Church, Va., and a graduate of Harvard Divinity School.
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A R C HDIOCE SE OF DET ROI T
Adele with her husband and children.
MONDAY ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL Each one of us has days when it feels like everything is going wrong. Maybe we are overwhelmed with a feeling of anger toward a family member or we feel frustrated with every little thing. Thankfully, we have a great and powerful friend in heaven whose job is to defend us against bad things. He is stronger than the most powerful superhero and he fights fiercely for us against all of God’s enemies. St. Michael has a whole army of angels powerful enough to throw Satan into hell, so surely he is strong enough to help us when we feel overwhelmed. ACTIVITY: Print and cut out one set of angel wings for each member of your family. Have each person decorate the wings with the words “Defend me in battle.” Feel free to add your own illustration of St. Michael. Hang the wings near your bed to remind you that St. Michael is always protecting you. PRAYER: St. Michael the archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. — Traditional Catholic prayer