Book excerpt: Winner of a third-place award for prayer books from the Association of Catholic Publishers. Bless Us, O Lord belongs on the shelf of every Catholic family that wants to pray together daily. You can introduce children to original and traditional blessings, the lives of the saints, the rhythm of the Church year, and the practice of daily prayer in a way that is both appealing to them and a means to unite your whole family. Praying together at the table helps families recognize the presence of Jesus in their midst and make connections between their meal and the celebration of the Eucharist. Author Robert M. Hamma brings his warm and gentle spirit to original prayers, which he combines with traditional blessings to offer an open-and-go resource for parents and caregivers. He provides the perfect words for every occasion—from observing saint feast days and liturgical seasons to celebrating a child's birthday and remembering the life of a loved one. Bless Us, O Lord will help you with fresh ideas and tools for living the liturgy in your home and nourishing the souls of your children with stories of the saints, including prayers for days of the week; Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter; saints’ feast days and holy days; national and cultural holidays; and special family celebrations to mark birthdays, anniversaries, and special achievements.