Holy in Family

Explore

A Blessing for Your Children:

A member of your household begins by saying:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord Jesus, you called us to be like a child. Thank you for the gift of __________ and ____________. Please bless him/her (them), that he/she/they grow in unwavering faith and obedience to you, that he/she/they always follow your example and always experience your unending love. Protect him/her/them from all harm, and keep him/her/them safe. Lord we are your servants teach us to be open to support our him/her/them in their vocation in life. We ask this in your name. Amen.

A Blessing For Those Who Are Sick

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our sister/brother ______________ needs you, Lord. Bless him/her with your healing love. Help us understand the purpose of pain and suffering, Lord, as we ask you to comfort all who are ill. We are in awe of your Son's healing touch, and ask that you shower your grace upon ________________ this day. Give him/her the strength to do your will and endure this time of illness. Teach us patience, Lord, as we respond to the grace you send our way. We place our trust in you always, Lord.

Parenting Time When Priorities Are Rearranged

Have you experience that what mattered tons when you got married now matters less. And what you never even knew mattered at all is now more than a little important.

Suddenly the greatest desire of your heart is not intimacy with your beloved but sleep. You'd rather go to the grocery store alone-and at 8 p.m.-than wrestle your 2-year-old into her jammies. A clean house is a nice idea, but completing a puzzle with your little one somehow seems more satisfying. Everything is turned around. How does a Catholic couple respond to God's calling to parenting?

The Wares have their priorities straight.

In terms of following a call, Chris and Denise Ware have done exactly that in terms of raising a family that is truly a light of Christ and a top priority in their lives. The Ware family has seven children ranging from the ages of 4-19 (5 boys, 2 girls). After their youngest, Gabriel, was born, they answered a call they had felt since they were first married, by opening their home to another child. In 2003 they adopted a special needs child from Taiwan. When asked the question of "What do you see as your vocation?", Denise's response was clear and simple...a wife and a mother. From the moment she was pregnant with her first child, she and Chris were on the same page that she would stay at home.

Denise relates a story of when she and Chris had a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Mother Teresa who was visiting her Sisters of Charity in Jenkins, Kentucky. Chris & Denise were her escorts for the day. While in the backseat of a police cruiser, Mother Teresa asked Denise what she did for a living and Denise responded "I'm just a mom". Mother Teresa patted her on the knee and replied "That's the most important job of all". And that is how Denise feels. She has spent the last 19 years being at home and homeschooling her children.

Chris works as a news artist for the Lexington Herald-Leader. That's his second job. His first is being a husband and father. It is obvious that Chris displays the same humility as Denise- neither feeling they are doing anything extraordinary, but just doing what God asks of them. Chris attends mass when he can during the work week. He knows Denise's schedule may not allow it, due to homeschooling, but says what she is doing is "prayer in action". Chris has been greatly inspired by a British artist and author, Carol Houselander, who talks about "loving with a will". Houselander is determined to love like God wants us to. Although she is fully aware of her "dirtfulness" (her word for sinfulness) she sees herself as a conduit for God. Chris and Denise playfully look at each other and say they are fully aware of their own dirtfulness. Chris also lives by words from Mother Teresa that touched him: "Let Jesus use you without consulting you".

Together Chris and Denise pray with the family often saying the family rosary. Prayer has given them the strength to endure stress and setbacks they have experienced financially. But Chris' attitude is that he looks at a financial setback as an opportunity. He says "It is a waste of time to worry about money. You will never have enough. We have the forth and determination to find the funds and God is always there to open windows Their journey as a family has not always been easy. An example of this is when they were going through the process of adopting Leah. The cost for adoption was $20,000. They did not have the money but proceeded with the adoption knowing God would provide. With a combination of tax refund dollars, selling t-shirts and notecards designed by Chris himself, yard sales and accepting unsolicited donations, their needs were met. What helped achieve their goal was the generosity of the adoption agency writing off fees to help with the adoption. Chris' employer also contributed $2500 that paid for a cochlear implant for Leah, who is deaf. God always provided.

In the Ware family, nobody gets left behind and everyone helps. During Mother Teresa's visit to Kentucky, Chris remembers asking her if she needed to rest. Mother Teresa said "No, we can rest in heaven." And there is little rest in the Ware household when it comes to their faith. Chris and Denise continually pray that the kids will stay true to their faith. What they care most about is the souls of their children. Sounds like The Wares have their priorities straight.