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Tips for Praying the Rosary with Children
Come, Worship the King of Kings!
Dear Friends,
It is October, the month of the Most Holy Rosary, and in just five days the Great Pilgrimage at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. will be occurring.
I am reminded of Pope Benedict XVI's words, "...the Rosary is experiencing a new Springtime. Without a doubt, this is one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and his Mother, Mary."
This new Springtime is evident in the Philippines, where the Family Rosary Crusade has begun a "Million Roses for the World" campaign. Their goal is 1 million rosaries over 200 days for global peace and each day, Filipinos are being asked to pray a rosary for a different country of the world.
In the Arlington Diocese, this new Springtime is revealing itself with commitments of 6,000 rosaries a day, and this commitment is growing. If done over 200 days, this is 1.2 million rosaries!
Let us unite ourselves spiritually with Family Rosary Crusade of the Philippines out of love for Our Lady and the Church established by the Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ.
Fr. James Kelleher, SOLT
on behalf of the Eucharistic Family Rosary Crusade
Join us! Saturday, October 8 at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C., with LIVE EWTN coverage.
How to Start, and Perservere, with the Habit of Praying the Rosary with Children
First, remember why we say the rosary. When praying the rosary, we relive the most poignant moments in salvation history because it centers on the entire life of Jesus Christ; His passion, death, resurrection and glory. Yet it also honors his Mother, Mary, who bore the Son of the Most High.
The habit of the daily family rosary can be challenging since every family has its own unique habits and is filled with its own personalities. Some families also have a wide age range of children, and very young children have a difficult time sitting still for too long. Take heart that over time, the prayers and mysteries will become second nature to even youngest and most mischievous of children!
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Gather the whole family at a set time each day. If you have young children, just do one decade and mystery a day together, so that their attention span is not challenged. When you have completed one decade, let the young children quietly go off and play, or if you need to put them to bed do so, and come back together to complete the rest of your rosary. As you feel comfortable, move up to completing the entire rosary together.
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Let the children know this is a prayful time, and have a statue of the Blessed Virgin as a focal point, along with a candle. An older child could light the candle, and when finished, a younger child could blow it out.
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To help set the tone, you could begin the rosary with a hymn or the daily Gospel reading that could be read by one of the children. Don't be surprised if your children start to ask a lot of questions about the Gospel, and what it means. Isn't THAT going to be wonderful?
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Include pictures of the mysteries of the rosary, which will help the whole family understand what they could be meditating on for each mystery. You could create a book with classic images of each mystery and keep it in a prominent spot for viewing throughout the day. An excellent resource is Under Her Starry Mantle, which has magnificent prints available for you to download, like the one shown on the Annunciation.
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Take a step further and springboard each mystery into teaching about virtues, such as humility with the Annunciation, and patience with carrying the cross.
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Younger children love the large wooden rosary beads, like the ones shown. Having a rosary of their own will really help them to feel special. This could springboard into getting the children engaged in making rosaries, which in turn helps them to develop concentration skills, and fine motor skills. They will also be proud that they are using something they made themselves, plus they have learned how to make something they could give to others.
Our Lady has so much beauty in mind for your family through the rosary!
Join us! Saturday, October 8 at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C., with LIVE EWTN coverage.