Sharing from Sr. Carol Garcia Murillo, Madrid, Spain
I keep thinking how essential prayer is in our lives.
And I have seen in the parish that the families of the children and young people who are part of my community, are not used to this important moment of the day. I found a small image of the Holy Family: Joseph, Mary and Jesus, in a tender representation. I proposed that a child take this figure home for a week. I asked him, with his parents and siblings, to get together to ask or give thanks to God, all together, for something they wanted.
Then, during the Sunday Eucharist, after all the people who wish to have received Holy Communion, this child shares in front of the whole parish community what he prayed or thanked God for with his family. Then, when he finishes, he hands the image of the Holy Family to another youth or child and passes the baton. And so on and so forth, so that they can have this experience in many, many homes….
You cannot imagine how endearing this moment, which is a fruit of the Spirit of the Lord, is turning out to be!
The families look forward to it and if it makes it possible that at least for a while during the week, all together and having God as the center of everything, they gather to pray, it has been worth trying it.
I will continue to accompany these young people: our future and our hope!