Try Prayer! It Works! Contest

Contest from Family Rosary Holy Cross Ministries

This year’s theme, “Prayer, My Pathway to Peace,” will help you and your family unite in a deeper way while praying for the Lord’s infinite peace for your family and all the world. Through praying as a family, especially the Holy Rosary, Mary will share her motherly love and help guide you to become vessels of her Son’s peace and love.

Our life can seem ordinary, and our day-to-day gets busy, but don’t forget that God has called you by name and has an extraordinary mission for your family.

OPEN WIDE THE DOORS OF YOUR HOME TO CHRIST

Inspired by our founder, Venerable Patrick Peyton, the Try Prayer! It Works! Contest focuses on Father Peyton’s message: “The family that prays together stays together.” To strengthen family prayer in your home, we’re sharing a family-faith experience that takes you and your family through a reflective, enriching journey.

We strive to bring the Church’s teachings to life around the dinner table, family time, or even your daily commute with discussion prompts, reflection questions, prayer ideas, and creativity. Together, welcome the Trinity along with the Blessed Virgin Mary into your family life and let them inspire you in writing, artwork, or video production.

FAMILY ACTIVITY

Dear family, we invite you to complete the following steps, contemplate the prompts, and end in prayer together. Time in prayer, especially as a family, is always a blessing.

STEP 1: LIGHT A CANDLE

Begin by choosing someone to light a candle for the center of the table. Turn off any devices that might be distracting you, such as cell phones, televisions, and computers. Enjoy a moment of silence with your family. Focus on the presence of God among you. Once the room is settled, continue to the next step.

STEP 2: OPENING PRAYER

Ask someone to open with a prayer through the intercession of our Blessed Mother. Use the prayer we provide below, or create your own.

Dear Jesus, thank You for gathering us together. May Your Holy Spirit guide our conversation. We thank You especially for sharing Mary, Your Mother, with us so that she can be our Mother, too. Blessed Mother Mary, please pray that we may always choose your Son above all else and that our family may become witnesses to His peace.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

STEP 3: FAMILY REFLECTION

Following the Opening Prayer, please choose a member of your family to read the following reflection on family life:

It seems so difficult to get a moment of peace and quiet in this world of constant distractions. There is always some noise drawing our family’s attention—notifications on our phones, the blaring of the TV, and the steady influx of news and information. When the world demands our attention, leaving our family members divided and distracted, how are we to respond?

The answer is quite simple—pray. Prayer is our pathway to peace. In the Gospels, Jesus often retreats into prayer when He needs a moment of rest and to prepare for whatever He needs to do next. When the vast crowds demanded His attention, His response was to step away in prayer with His Heavenly Father. When Jesus preached all day, the Gospel of Matthew says, “After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23). When each of us seems to be carried off by the distractions of the world, Jesus is showing us how we are to respond


Consider the example of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. What are some of the ways they fulfilled God’s mission for the family? How can be imitate them in our daily life?

STEP 4: FAMILY DISCUSSION

Consider how much God loves us and the many ways He shows us His love. Think about how God

created us and how Jesus died for us on the Cross. How can our family follow God’s example in how we treat each other?

In family life, we discover that God desires to be a Father and close friend to each of us. As in other relationships, we have to talk to God if our friendship with Him will become stronger. Prayer is a conversation with God that makes this possible. Do we take time to pray together as a family? How can we help each other make prayer a more central part of our life together?

Parents play important roles in revealing God’s love to their children. They do this, especially by loving in difficult times and in good ones. What does this teach us about God’s love? (Hint: Does

God love us in good times? Does He love us in difficult times, even when we make mistakes or sin?) The Sacraments are tangible ways God draws close to us to teach us who He is. Does our family receive the Sacraments—especially by attending Mass (and receiving the Eucharist) as well as going to Confession? How can we allow the Sacraments to transform our family more fully? (Hint: Do we remember that when we’ve received the Eucharist, we bring Jesus home with us? Do we reconcile with each other in addition to asking God’s forgiveness in Confession?)

Consider the example of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. What are some of the ways they fulfilled God’s mission for the family? How can be imitate them in our daily life?

STEP 5: GET CREATIVE

Time to create your Try Prayer! It Works! Contest entry. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Share your personal experience with prayer and how it brings you peace. You might want to discuss how you plan to pray after the family activity or reflect on a specific moment.

Interview a grandparent or someone else in your family about how faith and friendship with God got your family through a difficult time and gave them peace.

Create art that shows how your family grows in holiness by welcoming Jesus into your daily activities. What does a world at prayer look like to you?

For those in grades 9-12, you can create a short video demonstrating how prayer can be a pathway to peace in our hearts, homes, and/or world.

We encourage you and your family to brainstorm together as you design your project. For more information, please refer to the Contest Rules & Guidelines or visit FamilyRosary.org/TryPrayer.

Deadline: May 31, 2025

Author: Editor