For many families, fall is marked with a flurry of activity. Seasons change on the calendar, and also in the family and in the spiritual life. 

 

How can families harvest holiness?

 

Here are four ways to center your family in the Catholic faith this fall: 

 

 

1. Root Your Catholic Faith in Keeping the Sabbath Holy 

 

Does your family need to re-frame Sunday Mass this fall? Attending as a family is not just an obligation—it’s something families “get to do.” (Recall the pandemic when churches were closed, and persecuted Christians in our world today.)

Transform your fall Sabbath by:

Prioritizing Mass as a non-negotiable event. If away from home for a sporting event or trip, utilize https://masstimes.org/ to find Mass near you. 

Preparing materially to reduce stress. Lay out clothes the night before, plan breakfast, and consider a “make-ahead” or crockpot dinner for cozy fall Sundays.

Preparing spiritually. Read the Gospel with your children the day before Mass. Discuss unfamiliar terms or places. Draw parallels to people, situations, or circumstances your children know to increase understanding.

Read and discuss: 

— Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God”. 

— Exodus 20:8, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” 

— Mark 2:27, “And [Jesus] said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for 

man, not man for the sabbath’.” 

 

Sunday is not just about Mass, but a Sabbath rest that follows Jesus’ teachings as well as the Father’s rest after Creation. 

Shift from activity to renewal (fall edition):
Take a nap. Take a break from technology. Go for a family fall walk to notice the changing leaves. Enjoy a leisurely meal with music (check out our Gabriel 4 livestream).

Close the day with prayer, recognizing the gift of our days. If children are fussy or distracted (or distracting!), it’s okay.

 

2. Add Catholic Saints to Your Calendar This Fall 

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1) 

 

Your planner or calendar app may be full of places to go and people to see. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a new spiritual friend to accompany your family? 

 

• Using these lists of Catholic Saint feast days for September, October, and November, choose patrons of special causes, occupations, places, or people. Mark them on your family wall calendar, hanging chalkboard, or magnetic white board. 

 

• Talk about the Saint of the Day and discuss at dinner or even in the car. Learn about his or her life and ask for intercession. 

 

• Combine learning with eating! Dining with the Saints: The Sinner’s Guide to a Righteous Feast features over 200 saint stories with international recipes. 

 

• Look up modern saints or those newly canonized. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati (both canonized on September 7th, 2025) may be especially inspiring to today’s youth. 

 

• Remember that each Saint was an ordinary person who persevered to center his or her life on God. 

 

• Draw attention to Saints who achieved sanctity in the dailiness of marriage and family life. 

 

 

3. Create Catholic Sacred Space in Your Home 

 

With your family, tour your home. What photos, furniture, and decor reflect your family? Would those visiting recognize your devotion to God and His Church by what they see? 

 

Bring some (or more!) of your Catholic faith into your home with a holy corner or home altar: 

 

• Start with a shelf, small table, or even a counter placemat or cloth napkin with a crucifix or cross. Gather and arrange items such as statues, holy pictures, rosaries, medals, holy water, small prayer book, and Bible open to God’s Word. 

 

• You can also refresh an existing space with your family. For fall, use seasonal harvest symbols, autumn colors for candles, or a small container to hold medals or rosaries. 

 

• This sacred space is a visible sign that your family and home belong to God. Reflect on Joshua 24:15 with your family: “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” 

 

• Discuss why you have this sacred space and how to use it, not just what it is. Gather there daily for family prayer or spiritual reading. 

 

 

4. In the Tradition of the Catholic Church, Cultivate Gratitude 

 

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) 

 

Gratitude shifts attention from what is missing in our lives to what God is giving. It softens the heart and opens it to receive the Joy of the Holy Trinity. To help make that shift: 

 

• Take turns at dinner sharing one thing you’re thankful for. 

 

• Or write one thing on a slip of paper to tuck into a jar to read at the end of the liturgical year in late November, just before Advent begins. 

 

• Alternatively, keep a family gratitude journal. 

 

• Read a Psalm of gratitude together. 

 

• Encourage acts of kindness and works of mercy as an outpouring of thanks for what blessings God has given. 

 

 

Plant Your Spiritual Crop for the New Year and Water It 

 

New habits are achieved by making small changes. These are seeds that will grow over time with patience. 

 

Be sure to tend your soul and “water” your daily habits with Truth on Catholic radio. You can listen online to one of our five livestreams, find your local station, or download our free app for Apple and Android.