September 2007                 Children's Faith Formation                               

TO MEMORIZE OR NOT TO MEMORIZE?? BASIC CATHOLIC PRAYERS

A few years ago, there was a lot of discussion as to whether or not we should require children to memorize prayers.

Here are a few good sound reasons why your child should learn their basic prayers.  First, prayers, more than abstract belief statements, provide an identity with a community, a religious tradition, a church.  Second, commonly known prayers allow children to pray with adults, as well as, other children in the community.  Third, the content of traditional prayers is central to the stories and beliefs of our faith that we hope children will not only learn but own.  "How people pray shows what they believe." Fourth, prayers that children have locked in their memories will provide a source of solace and comfort at times, courage at others, and connect them with a ray of hope when they need it most. 

Parents can assist their children in memorizing their prayers in the following ways: Pray the prayer several times during the week: at mealtime, bedtime, when you are alone in the car.  Put the prayer on your refrigerator, your child's bedpost, or another place it will frequently be seen.  Along with memorizing the prayer, help your child to grasp its meaning at their level of understanding.  (Adapted from AND THE CHILDREN PRAY, by Janaan Manternach with Carl Pfeifer, Ave Maria Press, 1989.)