Religion at Home
The Church is not the only place for the practice of religion. The home is also a sacred place in which God must be especially honored and where the faith of Christians must be planted and fostered. “Your home is your Church.” (St. Augustine.)
If religion is not taught and practiced at home, the church and school will scarcely be able to preserve it.
Let your home be Catholic by the presence of the crucifix and of other sacred images.
Have holy water in constant use.
Have the Bible in the principal room in an honored position, and have nothing else lying or placed on top of it. Have other Catholic books of edification and instruction, and have some Catholic papers and periodicals.
Keep out of your house trashy novels and sensational newspapers.
Do not permit your children, as a rule, to read novels and story-books which they borrow from other children, without your knowing anything about the character of such works. Let them read only such books as they obtain under Catholic auspices, as from a Catholic library or from experienced and strict Catholic people.
Keep out of your house pictures and representations of love-scenes and nudities, whether they be works of art, ornaments or mere advertisements.
Have all the religious articles necessary for sick-calls.
See Sick-Calls, Articles for the Sick-Room, page 35; and Blessings and Blessed Articles, page 76.
See that all the members of the household, especially the children, say their morning and night prayers. Attend to the children’s prayers personally. Do not merely ask them whether they say their prayers, but go and see for yourselves. If children attempt to come to the breakfast-table without having said their morning prayers, make them return to their rooms. Say the prayers frequently with them, especially the night prayers.
Always insist on all members of the family saying grace before and after meals, and on reciting the Angelus at the sound of the church-bell.
Have special devotions in common in the evening, especially during Lent, Advent, during the month of October, on Ember days, and at other times. Say the rosary, the litanies and other prayers according to time and circumstances.
Read from the Bible, especially from the Gospels and Epistles, or from the small Bible-History. Let only those passages be read to the family with which the parents are familiar. Read also from the Catechism, the Lives of the Saints, and from other books of instruction and edification.
Read these rules of “Catholic Practice” at stated times, so that all may become familiar with the practice of their holy religion.
Make sure that the children learn their Catechism, by hearing their lessons either before they retire at night, or before they go to school to recite them.
Accustom the children to works of charity and mercy by supplying them with alms and means for the relief of poor and suffering neighbors. Make them do chores for poor and aged neighbors.
Try every day, if possible, to have one member at least of the household attend Holy Mass, so that the family may always be represented at the Holy Sacrifice during the week.
Do not dishonor the Catholicity of your house by having un-Catholic and disedifying socials and drinking-parties in it, or even innocent amusements during Lent and other penitential times.
