Mustard Seed Training

Materials for praying with children.


20 Resources to Plan Group Prayer for Catholic Retreats

This year, illness cancelled group meetings, interrupting my 13-year-old son’s confirmation preparation. So I designed a personal retreat to supplement the group meetings and deepen his experience of the sacrament of confirmation. Then I asked for feedback from parent and catechist reviewers in a variety of settings. We hope this retreat can be adapted for use with individuals or groups of any age who are preparing to receive the Holy Spirit!

You can download the Gifts of the Spirit Personal Retreat here, with artwork by Joan Bratt.

One portion of the retreat is planning group prayer. Our personal retreat had three participants–my son, his sponsor (my father-in-law), and myself–and we divided up the planning responsibilities. If you have a larger group, you can assign one individual or a planning team to make these decisions for group prayer.

Beforehand, I gave my son the following list of forms of prayer and asked which type he would like to use on his retreat:

  • Eucharistic Adoration (Holy Hour)
  • Rosary (Meditate on the Mysteries)
  • Liturgy of the Word
  • Angelus
  • Liturgy of the Hours
  • Pentecost Liturgy (CGS)

My son chose Liturgy of the Hours. Years ago we joined the monks of Genessee Abbey to chant the psalms before buying their delicious Monks’ Bread. Beyond that vague memory, he didn’t know much about it.

So I asked my son’s sponsor (my father-in-law) to plan this section for us. However, I recognize many families may not have as much experience in all of these devotions. The Catholic tradition is a vast treasure chest and one person can hardly explore it all in one lifetime!

Here are resources to learn more about some of these gems, and plan group prayer for your own retreat:

Eucharistic Adoration (Holy Hour)

Rosary (Meditate on the Mysteries)

Liturgy of the Word

You can find today’s readings (in English or Spanish) from the USCCB. 12-year-old Sean (now Confirmed! Woohoo!) explains how to pray the Liturgy of the Word with a family or small group (2020):

Angelus

“Angelus” by Jean-Francois Millet

Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office)

Pentecost Liturgy (CGS)

CGS stands for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This method offers a special way of reflecting on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit with children, which can also be used for teens and adults:

Please comment and add your own suggestions!

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About US

Mustard Seed Training is a team of faith-based artisan creating materials for praying with children. Our ministry is to share the love of God and neighbor.

Our group was founded in 2017 by CGS catechist and woodworker Meagen Farrell. Meagen is also an author, trainer, and PhD student in the fields of adult basic education and educational technology (that’s the “Training” part!).

Thank you for your patience & prayers!

Our goal is to provide you with quality materials and service. Please view our shipping policy and refund policy. We take a scheduled break every year from December 22 (or the last Friday before Christmas) to January 2 (or the first Monday).

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