SACRED  STORYTIME

"Learn the heart of God from the word of God."​
​Pope Saint Gregory
Watch Episode 3: Praying with Grace- Praying with Scripture 

Sacred Reading

Reading the Bible to your children teaches them about God. An Illustrated Children's Bible, books about the Saints, and other spiritual reading material kept among your other children's story books provides an opportunity to encounter God. Here is one way to help your child enter into sacred time and space using their imaginations.
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  1. Be comfortable. Take a few slow deep breaths. Experience quiet.
  2. Make the Sign of the Cross slowly and reverently. 
  3. Say, "Let's read a Bible story. While I read, you listen carefully. Together, we will find out what God is doing in this story." 
  4. Prayerfully read a short and simple, Bible story. 
  5. Say, "Let's imagine we are in the Bible story." Provide guidance.... "What do you see? What sounds do you hear? What can you feel? What is happening in the story? Why? What are the characters thinking, doing, saying? How is God acting in the story? Which character would you like to be in the story? Would you do anything different? What might you say to Jesus?"  
  6. "Let's be quite and listen to what Jesus wants to say to us inside our hearts." Try to be silent for 30 seconds. 
  7. "Did you hear God speaking to you?" If not, say, "Sometimes we need to listen more carefully and sometimes God just likes to sit with us quietly."  
  8. Bless your child by making a small cross on their forehead while saying, "May God guide, protect, and bless you, in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." Use Holy Water if available. 

Lectio Divina -Divine Reading

Lectio divina is Latin for "divine" reading. Enjoy encountering God's Word together as a family by spending time together listening deeply and intently to what God might be saying to you. 
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  1. Be comfortable. Take a few slow deep breaths. Experience quiet.
  2. Make the Sign of the Cross slowly and reverently.
  3. Say, "Let's read the Bible together. While I read, you listen carefully for any word, phrase, or image that stands out." 
  4. Prayerfully read one of the Bible Stories listed below or try Echoing a Psalm together (Psalm 118:24)  
  5. Say, "I invite each of you to share a word, phrase or image that spoke to your heart."
  6. Ask, "Why did that word, phrase, or image stand out?"  
  7. Read the story again. "Is God telling us anything important?... about our lives today?" Spend a few minutes sharing.
  8. Invite everyone to pray. "Thank you God for showing me what I need to do.," "God help me start...," "God, help me stop...,"  
  9. Sit in silence with God, "Rest in Him" for a few moments. Let your heart speak to God without words or thoughts or feelings. God may speak to you or may just be with you in silence..
  10. Show your love for God by praying..."God, help us to live your message in the Word we heard today."

 Bible Stories to Read with Your Children

"The Good Shepherd" (John 10: 3b-5, 10b-11, 14-16)
"The Found Sheep" (Luke 15: 4-6)
"The Vine and the Branches" (John 15: 5-7)
"Zacchaeus Changes His Life" (Luke 19:1-10)
"The Good Samaritan" Luke 10:29-37)
"The Mustard Seed" (Mark 4:30-32)
The Blind Man Sees" (Mark 10:46-52)
"Jesus Calms the Storm" (Mark 4:35-41)
"The Healing of the Lepers" (Luke 17:11-19)
"I am the Bread of Life" (John 6:35) 

Using Storybooks as a Springboard for Prayer