The following article is part of our ongoing series on the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life. To learn more, join our Facebook discussion group: CatholicHŌM (Households on Mission)–Family Discipleship. Family prayer isn’t supposed to be stressful. If that comes as a surprise, keep reading. Help is on the way. In my work with families, I find that the more concerned you are with “getting prayer right” (being in the “right” position, staying still for the “right” amount of time, saying... Read more
The following article is part of our ongoing series on the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life. To learn more, join our Facebook discussion group: CatholicHŌM (Households on Mission)–Family Discipleship. One of the most important practices in the Rite of Christian Relationships in the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life is what we call “discipleship discipline.” This loving-guidance approach to childrearing is largely inspired by St. John Bosco’s work with children. He wasn’t a parent, but he was a great Christian teacher... Read more
This article is part of a series on the “Liturgy of Domestic Church Life.” To discover ways to experience more grace at home, join our facebook discussion group, CatholicHŌM (Households on Mission)–Family Discipleship. Every parent has had that moment where our kids get under our skin and we react. We might find ourselves lashing out, or making threats we know we have no intention of following through on, or punishing too severely, or just giving up, or a million other... Read more
This article is part of a series on domestic church life. To learn more about creating a dynamic domestic church, join the conversation on our Facebook discussion group CatholicHŌM (Households on Mission)–Family Discipleship. A friend made me aware of this article in The Catholic Thing about the frustration the author, Randall Smith, felt about watching mass online. He writes… The danger for me is that I get spiritually numb. It’s easy to get busy with work and just skip it without a thought. ... Read more
This article is part of a series on the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life. Want more information on having a more dynamic at-home faith life? Join our Facebook discussion group: CatholicHŌM (Households on Mission)–Family Discipleship. The Liturgy of Domestic Church Life is a model of family spirituality that helps Catholic families “bring Jesus home” in more meaningful ways so that we can make the faith the source of the warmth in our home. “Liturgy” is a word that refers to the work God does... Read more
In the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life, the Rite of Relationship is concerned with modeling Christ’s love in everything we do in the home. How can we, as parents and kids, challenge ourselves to stop settling for the love that comes naturally to us, and intentionally use this moment to live more like Jesus. Gentle discipline is one of the four ways families can celebrate the Rite of Relationships (along with prioritizing family time, extravagant affection, and promptly, generously, and... Read more
A friend brought this article to my attention. I have been reflecting on it in light of our larger conversation about the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life. This is certainly a challenging time. Even the strongest families are feeling the strain, not only of being together 24/7 but also for the reasons we’re obliged to be together. But I do think there is at least one major false presumption the author makes which makes home life even more difficult than... Read more
In the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life, The Rite of Family Rituals asks families to create regular, daily times to work, play, talk, and pray together. Rituals like these enable families to practice the prophetic mission of their baptism by modeling Christian attitudes toward work, leisure, intimacy, and spirituality. Crafting is one great way families can model a healthy approach to fun, and religious crafts can give kids a concrete way to connect with spiritual concepts. That said, to loosely... Read more
To say that people are stressed in the face of global pandemic is an understatement. Beyond the very real concerns about our health and the health of our loved ones, the shelter-in-place orders combined with the loss of so many normal spiritual resources are making many people feel unmoored. Psychologists have coined the term Covid Stress Syndrome to describe the psychological effects of the pandemic, and the CDC has released recommendations for dealing with the emotional fallout from this crisis. How... Read more
By Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak Whatever else God might be doing at this time, it seems clear that he is calling us to discover the power and importance of the Domestic Church. With masses suspended and churches closed, we simply don’t have access to the spiritual resources we normally rely on. We are, quite literally, stuck at home with little choice but to figure out how to encounter God as we shelter-in-place. Despite the very real limitations we’re all laboring... Read more
Faith on the Couch
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