Friendship with the Saints (#25)

Among the saints children will find friends of every personality, description and race - warriors, princesses, scholars, entertainers and much more. Some had amazing adventures and earned renown through the whole world, others lived quiet lives but handed down great works to future generations. And perhaps the greatest thing is that their help is available just for the asking.

Bishop Robert Finn said:

"Ask God to give you the fervor of St. Albert the Great for science, the joy of St. Cecilia in your music, the diligence of Jerome for translating, and the clarity of St. John in writing. Run and play with St. Don Bosco, debate and persuade with St. Catherine, and fish with Peter himself.

Holy Mary, who taught our Lord...in the school of Nazareth, accompany us on our new school year. St. Joseph, headmaster and guide for the boy Jesus, lead us on a sure and safe path to Him."

Prayer and Family Life (#16)

In his encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, the Holy Father says, "Faith, hope and charity go together. Hope is practiced through the virtue of patience, which continues to do good even in the face of apparent failure, and through the virtue of humility, which accepts God's mystery and trusts him even at times of darkness."

How do we cultivate humility and patience in ourselves and in our families? Through prayer. In an address to children and families, the Pope explains why this is an essential aspect of family life...

Please, also pray together at home: at meals, before going to sleep. Praying not only leads us to God but also to one another. It is a force of peace and of joy. Life within the family becomes more special and of greater importance when God is there and His presence is experienced, lived in prayer. (read the rest here)