How to Build a Household on a Mission
Dr. Greg Popcak is a SENT Fellow and the President of CatholicCounselors.com.
He recently gave a workshop for SENT members entitled “Building a Catholic Household on a Mission: The 3 R's of Building A More Loving, Connected, Caring Family Life.”
In his workshop, Popcak revealed what he calls "The three rites of the liturgy of the Domestic Church.”
The traditional definition of a rite is “the manner and form of a religious function,” or the words and actions within it.
Dr. Popcak’s three rites focus on three ways in which families can foster affirmation, connection and service. So, what are the three rites?
Rite of Christian Relationship. This rite consists of prioritizing family time over other activities and creating an environment of affection and affirmation.
Rite of Family Rituals. Popcak encourages families to take a look at how they pray, communicate, play and work and take intentional steps to accomplish these things in a manner that promotes genuine connection.
Rite of Reaching Out. This rite includes any form of service, first within the family, then outside the family—together. By doing this, families create a more caring environment within their domestic churches and overflow this aspect into the world.
“When families have strong family rituals for working, playing, talking, and praying together, they unconsciously communicate a Christian worldview toward everything that people do.” - Dr. Greg Popcak
According to Dr. Popcak, family rituals fulfill the prophetic mission of baptized Catholics by encouraging others and calling them to higher things through the way we live our daily lives.
When we consistently fail to prioritize family time, love, connection and care fall by the wayside. Contemplating family life in light of these rites can set a new tone for the coming year, especially when it comes to managing time.
As founders and business leaders, we like to think big about future possibilities for our business.
But we can’t be afraid to look at the areas in need of growth that are a little closer to home.
Do you and your family have prayer rituals? What about rituals for play, work, and communication? Take some time this month to contemplate Dr. Popcak’s Three Rites.
You can learn more about living the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life by downloading the CatholicHOM app (available for both IOS and Android) or visiting CatholicHOM.com.
