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Here is the study for 6:30 am, Saturday morning, October 22nd, 2005 in the Hearth Room at Epiphany.

Family Prayer, A Way to Love One Another As God Loves Us

Sunday, October 23, 2005
Exodus 22:20-26
Psalm 18:2-4,47,51
1 Thessalonians 1:5-10
Matthew 22:34-40

Click here for the Readings  (For quick review only; bring your Bible)

When Jesus identified the command to love God with all our heart, he probably didn’t surprise anyone. This was a commonly accepted principle among the Jews of his day. However, Jesus probably raised a few eyebrows when he spoke the second command—to love one another as ourselves.

We all sense that the first place to put this new command into practice is in our families. If we cannot love one another in our homes, we will find it very difficult to love our neighbors around us. So what’s the best way to build this kind of love at home? Through family prayer.

Prayer is just as much an art as it is a specific set of prescriptions. It requires a degree of creativity, preparation, and practice—along with the flexibility that comes with a trial-and-error approach.

While the prospect of family prayer can seem quite intimidating, it doesn’t have to be too threatening. Simply setting aside ten minutes, either in the morning or after dinner, may be all you need to begin. Start with formal prayers, like the Our Father, and then ask someone to read aloud one of the Scripture passages from the daily liturgy. Then, have everyone take a minute or two to quietly ask the Holy Spirit to give them some insight into the passage. The responses may be slow in coming at first, but with time, patience, and a lot of affirmation, children will feel more comfortable. Then, ask everyone to offer one or two prayers of petition for family and friends as well as for the world at large.

Finally, be sure to express your love to your children. Tell them how much you appreciate them. Build up their good qualities with praise and affirmation. Tell them that each of them holds a special place in your heart and in God’s heart as well.

All of this may seem difficult at first, but through creative perseverance, it will yield beautiful results. Your family will grow in love for each other—just as Jesus commanded!

“Lord, teach us to pray and to love.”

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

  1. In the first reading, the Lord clearly identifies with the plight of the “alien,” “widow,” “orphan,” and “poor neighbors.” He goes on to say, “If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.” Why do you believe the Lord speaks of his harsh punishment towards any one who wrongs or extorts these needy groups of people? How does your attitude and actions towards the needy compare to the Lord’s compassion? How could it be more like the Lord’s?

     
  2. In the responsorial psalm, the Lord is called “my strength,” plus “my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,” and “my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” What do these mean to you? What examples in your own life can you give of any of these descriptions of the Lord?

     
  3. In the second reading, St. Paul tells the Thessalonians that they are a “model for all the believers.” What are some of the reasons for this that Paul gives? How would you rate yourself as a Christian “model” to others? What needs to happen in your life to make you an even better “model”?

     
  4. In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love God with everything. St. Paul says that our ability to love God is a response to his having loved us first. What can you do in your times of prayer to focus more on God’s love for you? At the end of your meeting, pray for one another to receive a deeper experience of God’s love.

     
  5. The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Can that honestly be said of you? Why or why not? What needs to change in the way you relate to your family or others, so that you can love them the way God wants you to love them?

     
  6. Today’s meditation talks about practical ways of starting a family prayer time? Do you have one within your family - with your wife, with your kids? If so, are their some ideas from the meditation you can use as well? If you don’t have family prayer, are you willing to start it? How can you use your men’s fellowship group to help encourage one another in this practice?

 

 

Come Holy Spirit!  ~  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and en kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, you taught the hearts of your faithful by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit. In that same spirit give us your right judgment and the joy of your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen


Prayer to St. Joseph  ~  Glorious St. Joseph, guide and protector of the Holy Family, we ask that you obtain for us from your son, Jesus, the strength and wisdom to lead our families to their Father in heaven. Most Chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we imitate your obedience to the will of God and be ever mindful of the vocation to which we have been called. Amen