I am Lisa Price, a homeschooling mom of 4 beautiful children. As the primary educator of my kids, one of my most important goals is to instruct my children in the Catholic faith. I am extremely grateful to my mother and father who faithfully dedicated their lives to passing on their faith to me. It has been a true gift, and I deeply desired the same for my own kids.

The COVID pandemic also created a new challenge for us. We had lost the ability to directly experience and encounter the Mass in person. I began to see this effect in my kids. Thank God, through the sacrifice of our priests in rising to this occasion, we could still participate through online Mass. But this also presented a new challenge to my husband Dominic and I, to help our kids to engage with this new format. Whilst we as adults could make this shift, it was not so easy for our kids, who seemed to feel more like spectators, easily distracted and unable to engage.

Our deepest desire for our children as their parents, and the heart of the prayers that we say for them, is for a deep encounter and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We had to dig deep and we knew after some time of searching and questioning, that the answer or remedy lay in the words of Scripture, particularly the Gospels. It is there that we find Jesus, fully God and fully Man. It was through the Word that we would introduce our children to Him. And so we faithfully began.

We embarked on a practice of studying the Gospel for the coming Sunday, throughout the week prior. Each day was devoted to a different element of the practice of Lectio Divina: Read, Reflect, Respond, Rest. And we added to this the practice of Resolve. Now that we had spent time with the same reading, 15 minutes a day, listening, digesting, praying, and resting in the Word, how did we resolve to change our lives because of it? What action could we work on in the week ahead.

The feedback and discussion that these sessions generated in my children blew my mind. I knew that there was a power at work that was greater than me. All we needed to do as parents was to be obedient, to show up, and to act in the best way possible, with the seemingly limited resources at our disposal.

Having this experience with my young son got me really excited. I could not deny the transformation that was going on in me as well. I had always lamented the fact that I was not as familiar with Scripture as I would have liked to be. Yet I didn’t know how to go about incorporating this into my life. Now it felt like the Holy Spirit was doing it for me, inspiring me, and guiding me, through the many experiences leading up to this point, and through my children.

Their prayers also started to take on a depth that was undeniable, especially in my daughter, my eldest. I began to see a spiritual maturity unfolding and a depth of love for God, something I had wished and prayed for her from the moment she came into being. So I began to record some of these sessions in writing and fondly look back on the prayers and discussions we have had. It has become a keepsake of sorts and a prayer book which we can refer to when needed.

Hopefully, if my story resonates with you, Encountering Jesus - Sunday Gospel Meditations for Families will help you to introduce your children to Jesus Christ through the study of the Gospels. I am excited for you to share in our journey and I look forward to your feedback. Blessings.

I am Lisa Price, a devoted wife, and homeschooling mom of 4 beautiful children. As the primary educator of my kids, one of my most important goals is to instruct my children in the Catholic faith. I am extremely grateful to my mother and father, Margaret and Ronald, who faithfully dedicated their lives to passing on their faith to me. It has been a true gift, and I deeply desired the same for my own kids.

As we began homeschooling, I enthusiastically embarked on teaching the rubrics of the faith to them, according to my own experience and learning style. But I did not anticipate the reality of coming face to face with my kids’ learning challenges, particularly ASD, ADHD, among others.

The COVID pandemic also created a new challenge for us. We had lost the ability to directly experience and encounter the Mass in person. I began to see this effect in my kids. Thank God, through the sacrifice of our priests who rose to the occasion in some very difficult circumstances, we could still participate through viewing the Mass online, anywhere in the world. But this also presented a new challenge to my husband, Dominic, and I, to help our kids to engage with this new format. Whilst we as adults could make this shift, it was not so easy for our younger kids, who seemed to feel more like spectators, easily distracted and unable to engage.

With every challenge comes opportunity. Dominic and I knew that we were being called to stand in the gap for our children. To create a bridge before them and God.

There’s a plaque that hangs on the wall of my living room with the simple words, ‘Ecclesia Domestica’, Latin for the Domestic Church. Whilst I had it in storage for some time after purchasing it at a Life Restoration Women’s Retreat, I had only recently put it up in my home, which in hindsight, coincided almost precisely with the start of the lockdown. It was then, more than ever, that these words rang true to our vocation. We are the Domestic Church!

Our deepest desire for our children as their parents, and the heart of the prayers that we say for them, is for a deep encounter and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We had to dig deep and we knew after some time of searching and questioning, that the answer or remedy lay in the words of Scripture, particularly the Gospels. It is there that we find Jesus, fully God and fully Man. It was through the Word that we would introduce our children to Him. And so we faithfully began.

Many years prior, in my late teens, I was introduced to my now husband to a practice of studying and digesting the Word called ‘Lectio Divina’, Latin for ‘Divine Reading’. We were then both taught with a group how to practice this exercise by a faithful gentleman name Felix Edinborough. Throughout the following years I would practice it sporadically. Incidentally, at the same retreat where I purchased the Ecclesia Domestica plaque, I was introduced to this practice yet again through Michelle Benzinger and Fr. Josh Johnson. And it began to tug on my heart strings yet again. I began to truly encounter and enter fully into this practice, at the same time knowing in my heart that it held the key to my children's encounter with Jesus. I mention these names because I feel a great deal of gratitude to the many teachers who have inspired me over the course of my life, and sincerely thank them here.

Our deepest desire for our children as their parents, and the heart of the prayers that we say for them, is for a deep encounter and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We had to dig deep and we knew after some time of searching and questioning, that the answer and remedy lay in the words of scripture, particularly the Gospels. It is there that we find Jesus, fully God and fully man. It was through the Word that we would, yet again, introduce our children to Him. And so, we faithfully began.

We embarked on a practice of studying the Gospel for the coming Sunday, throughout the week prior. Though typically done in one sitting, each day was devoted to a different element of the practice of Lectio Divina: Read, Reflect, Respond, Rest. And we added to this the practice of Resolve. Now that we had spent time with the same reading, 15 minutes a day, listening, digesting, praying, and resting in the Word, how did we resolve to change our lives because of it? What action could we work on in the week ahead?

It was not easy at first. As I expected, my children struggled to sit still and listen, or so I thought. It didn’t look the way I wanted it to. At times I thought that I was wasting my time. Yet I kept hearing the Holy Spirit whispering to me, to be patient, and respond in love. We began to find tools to help them to relax, sit still, engage, listen, and discuss the stories.

The feedback and discussion that these sessions generated in my children blew my mind. I knew that there was a power at work that was greater than me. All we needed to do as parents was to be obedient, to show up, and to act in the best way possible, with the seemingly limited resources at our disposal.

In a moment of weakness when I was about to give up and throw in the towel, the Lord demonstrated His power and His might. My little five-year old son, who had the greatest challenge of engaging, or so I thought, approached me, and said, “Mummy I have something I want to tell you...” He began to recite a memory verse that we had learned weeks before, word for word, line by line. He was beaming! I was, quite frankly, shocked and surprised, and my heart was bursting with joy! In my human frailty, I could not see the potential for any of what we were doing. Yet here it was on full display through the action of the Holy Spirit.

I could not deny the transformation that was going on in me as well. I had always lamented the fact that I was not as familiar with Scripture as I would have liked to be. Yet I didn’t know how to go about incorporating this into my life. Now it felt like the Holy Spirit was doing it for me, inspiring me, and guiding me, through the many experiences leading up to this point, and through my children.

They were all being inspired in different ways, from the youngest to the oldest. Their critical thinking also began to develop as we discussed the stories and sometimes complex interactions between Jesus, his disciples, and his detractors. We discussed how this translated into our own lives and how we ought to model Jesus’ response to every person that he met and interacted with.

Their prayers also started to take on a depth that was undeniable, especially in my daughter, my eldest. I began to see a spiritual maturity unfolding and a depth of love for God, something I had wished and prayed for her from the moment she came into being. So I began to record some of these sessions in writing and fondly look back on the prayers and discussions we have had. It has become a keepsake of sorts and a prayer book which we can refer to when needed.

After this experience and seeing the fruits of our newfound encounter with Christ, I felt a deep desire to share this with other parents. I knew that there were others who desired a personal encounter with Jesus for their kids, and who were also dealing with similar challenges as we were. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” I share my story in the hopes that I may also share in your burdens and help you in carrying the weight of your vocation of parent and primary educator of your kids.

Hopefully, if my story resonates with you, Encountering Jesus - Sunday Gospel Meditations for Families will help you to re-introduce your children to Jesus Christ through the study of the Gospels. I am excited for you to share in our journey, and I look forward to your feedback. Blessings.