PRAYER for ONE'S FAMILY


Father,
sometimes the family
gets me down.

the children are noisy
and bills pile up.
Relatives and friends make demands
on my time and attention.

I try to keep first things first
and create an atmosphere
where Your name is honored,
Your word observed.

but I get tired
and a hard edge creeps into my voice.
Help me to cope with the daily strains
of living in a family.

Help me to sustain a climate
in which my partner
can grow in Your love,
to encourage my children to develop fully
the talents You have given them
and to make of my family
the community of love
that Your Son came to bring.

Amen.