Joy of Devout Kids!

[FightingFat]

I just wanted to share a lovely thing that happened to me last night.

I have four wonderful children, the two oldest are 10 and 8 (9 in July).

We always say our prayers together which I love. We go to Saturday Mass occassionally- Saturdays are always frenetic affairs with Football training, piano lessons, dancing, gym all kinds of fun and games, but if we can we go to Mass and Saturday Mass means the Rosary and confession. I love the Rosary, I suppose because of my family. My Mother & Grandmother have always been advocates of the Rosary and my Mum still prays it daily.

With all the chat on here recently about Fatima (maybe there’s no more than usual, but it seemed to jump out at me anyway) I’ve been reading up on what happened. I spent a lot of time in Lourdes when I was a young adult, but didn’t know much about Fatima. Anyway-- Will (my oldest son) started asking me about it and I read the whole story to him. You know when you’re talking religion to your child and they switch off, let out a big sigh and wish they were somewhere else? Well I caught the sigh and said “anyway” and tried to change the subject, at which point Will said to me “please read some more dad!” So I obliged of course!!! Later we prayed the rosary together-- which was lovely and then last night, as I put them to bed-- they ASKED ME if we could pray the Rosary again together! Wow! I was so proud of the little fellas!

I just thought I would share my joy with you all!

 

[jazzbaby1]

Aw, how sweet is that? I love those little moments when there’s a little payback for all the faithful training.

 

[Eliza10]

Thanks for sharing that! Yes, this is a great joy! Its a simple pleasure and a deepest one. My son’s evidences of devotion are a great, great joy to me. So I know just how you feel!

My son prays the rosary with me too. I remember teaching him, thinking: he will never do this with me. But he does! He is always willing. What a grace this is!

Perhaps it helps that I started with him not wanting to fall asleep in his own bed. He started his own bed rather later than many. In order to appease his aversion to falling asleep alone, I’d lie with him till he fell asleep. But he’d be restless, and he’d purposely keep himself awake so he could wakefully call me back in when I tried to leave!

So, my solution, both to occupy myself while I waited for him to drop off, and also to “bore” him to sleep, was to use the time to pray the rosary! It worked! So I suspect that helped lay a foundation, and I reccommend this put-to-sleep method to every mother.

Another joy is that he is always willing to go to Daily Mass with me, when I can make it, and bring him too.

I don’t mean to brag. I just want to say, yes! I know, too - it is wonderful! And it is a grace.

I always pray to Our Lady after every Mass, and ask her to preserve my sons faith and to help it grow and to help me be the mother I should be. Every Mass. I know She hears me and prays for me. And, after time, evidences of the devotion growing within him is being revealed - to my joy and delight. I know it is all graces – abundant answer to my prayers.

 

[FightingFat]

A wonderful post Eliza- thank you! I agree about Our Lady; I always feel very drawn to her when I pray with my family all together.

I reccommend this put-to-sleep method to every mother.

That’s a great idea!

 

[dulcissima]

Thanks for sharing that! Yes, this is a great joy! Its a simple pleasure and a deepest one. My son’s evidences of devotion are a great, great joy to me. So I know just how you feel!

My son prays the rosary with me too. I remember teaching him, thinking: he will never do this with me. But he does! He is always willing. What a grace this is!

Perhaps it helps that I started with him not wanting to fall asleep in his own bed. He started his own bed rather later than many. In order to appease his aversion to falling asleep alone, I’d lie with him till he fell asleep. But he’d be restless, and he’d purposely keep himself awake so he could wakefully call me back in when I tried to leave!

So, my solution, both to occupy myself while I waited for him to drop off, and also to “bore” him to sleep, was to use the time to pray the rosary! It worked! So I suspect that helped lay a foundation, and I reccommend this put-to-sleep method to every mother.

Another joy is that he is always willing to go to Daily Mass with me, when I can make it, and bring him too.

I don’t mean to brag. I just want to say, yes! I know, too - it is wonderful! And it is a grace.

I always pray to Our Lady after every Mass, and ask her to preserve my sons faith and to help it grow and to help me be the mother I should be. Every Mass. I know She hears me and prays for me. And, after time, evidences of the devotion growing within him is being revealed - to my joy and delight. I know it is all graces – abundant answer to my prayers.

Bedtime is when I am able to connect with my oldest son too. He is just about to turn 13 and has been somewhat angry and defiant about his dad and I getting a divorce. So, it is so nice that while he can be angry with me during the day, at least at night he is wanting to pray the rosary or have me read books on spiritualuty to him.

He actually learned to love the rosary after a Boy Scout Catholic retreat where they prayed all the mysteries of the rosary together.

 

[aboverubies]

I always pray to Our Lady after every Mass, and ask her to preserve my sons faith and to help it grow and to help me be the mother I should be. Every Mass. I know She hears me and prays for me. And, after time, evidences of the devotion growing within him is being revealed - to my joy and delight. I know it is all graces – abundant answer to my prayers.

Wow! So inspiring - mind if I copy?!

Lovely to hear in this thread how parents are developing the faith of their boys. We have three boys and we really want to make sure that they grow up with a correct view of the Faith; that it’s not “girly” to pray the rosary, have a devotion to Mary and the Saints etc. These examples have been very encouraging, thanks!

 

[Lil_M]

That is so cute! Congratulations on raising such great kids