Synod Implementation 2025-2026

 Sunday is a day which is at the very heart of the Christian life. Let us open our time to Christ, that he may cast light upon it and give it direction. He is the One who knows the secret of time and the secret of eternity, and he gives us “his day” as an ever new gift of his love. The rediscovery of this day is a grace which we must implore, not only so that we may live the demands of faith to the full, but also so that we may respond concretely to the deepest human yearnings. Time given to Christ is never time lost, but is rather time gained, so that our relationships and indeed our whole life may become more profoundly human.
(Pope St. John Paul II, Dies Domini, 7)

As we give focus to “Reclaiming Sundays,” we start with the importance of participating in Sunday Mass. Jesus Christ died so that we may have eternal life; God asks us to worship Him every Sunday (and Holy Day of Obligation) so that we can become the saints that He wants us to be.

December – Music and Prayer
As we continue our “Reclaiming Sundays” initiative for the year, the theme for December is “Music and Prayer.” The Church season leading up to Christmas is Advent, so pray with an Advent wreath. If daily seems like too much, aim for each Sunday of Advent. Light a candle (or the number of candles representing which week of Advent we are in) and pray as a family. Start with the sign of the Cross, ask God to prepare your households’ hearts for Christmas, pray a prayer or two that everyone knows (e.g. Our Father, Hail Mary), and sing a song such as “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

November – Beauty and Prayer
“God looked at everything he had made and found it very good.” Genesis 1:31
On Sunday we are called to participate in appreciating the beauty that is all around us and participate in it. Beauty can evoke in us an appreciation for what God has created in our life and lead us to participate in that creation through the materials around us. We are called to find and assist in creating beauty through the ordinariness of family life.

As we continue our “Reclaiming Sundays” initiative for the year, we turn to the theme of “Beauty and Prayer.” Near the beginning of the month (November 2nd is All Souls Day), visit a gravesite(especially of a family member). If you are connected to the deceased, make the grave neat and bring flowers (if permitted by the cemetery). Pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased person. Pass on family stories about this person to your children.

During November, the theme for the “Reclaiming Sundays” initiative is “Beauty and Prayer.” To that end, identify a suitable location in your home andcreate a small sacred space (prayer table/family altar). Enlist contributions from everyone in your family to make it beautiful (flowers in a small vase, draw pictures for Jesus, etc.).

October – Rest, Recreation, and Prayer

We are called to rest on Sunday as the Lord rested (cf. Genesis 2:2). It isn’t an idleness or simply a time for entertainment but rather a restorative experience of reveling in the fullness of what has been and gratitude for God’s providence–a time to take delight in the gift of life.

As we continue our “Reclaiming Sundays” initiative for the year,  we turn to the theme of Sundays being days of “Rest, Recreation, and Prayer.” God gives us the model for treating Sundays as a day of rest when He rested on the Seventh Day of Creation (cf. Genesis 2:2). Christians’ Sundays are marked differently than Jews’ Sabbath (Saturdays), but both focus on the importance of resting on that one day a week. As Dr. Naughton of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas likes to state, “If we don’t get Sundays right, we won’t get Mondays right.”

Action for October: As a family, choose activities focused on recreation, leisure, and rest. Some examples of activities that help us to recreate (literally, “re-create”) well include reading a good (especially Catholic) book or newspaper (like The Catholic Spirit), going for a long walk or playing outside, playing a game (especially as a family), or doing a puzzle. It does not matter too much what the activity is, although there are limits to fruitfulness with screens (note: the focus in February will be about making Sundays low-tech).

Actions for September:
As a family, attend Mass every Sunday this month. Sometimes just showing up (especially as your family settles into the new routine of the school year) is the first small step that is most pleasing to God.
Saying grace before a meal (note: there is also a prayer for after a meal) is a valuable way to connect with God and express gratitude for the food received. The meal prayer can be recited as a family or even silently by oneself. It can be a great witness to others of our faith when we are at a restaurant or eating in the midst of others. The traditional Catholic meal prayer goes (feel free to use modern language):
“Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.”