The family that prays together stays together

Britain is the third worst place for a family to live in Europe, according to a new index published by the Relationships Foundation. The think tank’s new family pressure gauge compares the pressures on families in 27 European countries and finds that families in Britain are struggling more than their European counterparts under the weight of money worries, long working hours and high living costs. Only families in Romania and Bulgaria are more pressured. The study found that while Britons work the longest hours per week in Europe – 43 on average – they are also paying dearly for it, with nearly a quarter of the family income (23.5%) being spent on childcare. That amounts to twice the amount paid by families in France, three times that paid by German families, and four times the cost of childcare in Sweden. Around one in five British families with dependent children (20.9%) is experiencing “difficulty” or “great difficulty” in making ends meet.

No wonder we need to have a National Family Week, here in the UK this is the largest annual celebration of families and family life in the UK and it is taking place right now this week. National Family Week is unique in that it provides an ideal opportunity for brands and not for profit organisations to engage with families, showcasing the work they all do to enhance family life. Its ambition is to encourage families to spend more time together and we work with our partners to provide opportunities, events, ideas and money saving offers to achieve this.

It was Al Scalpone  a copy writer for a Roman Catholic USA radio show from the 1940’s and 50’s who created the motto; “The family that prays together stays together.” And Mother Teresa who said, Be sure to teach the families to pray all together - father, mother and children. For the family that prays together stays together, and if they stay together they will love one another as Jesus loves each one of them...I will be praying that the Lord will bring peace into the world through the love of fathers for their families... I believe that the practise of praying together can really help a family come together to deal with the pressures they are facing, it helps to stand together against the pressures and nor to allow all the pressures and difficulties to come between the family and so fragment and potential separate and divide he family. A great time to pray together is when you as a family eat together, when I was a child at 6pm every evening we would all sit down together for the evening meal around the dinning table, maybe in this National Family Week why don’t you for 7 days eat togther and pray togther as a whole family!!