In English
Importance of prayer at home and school
They may be encouraged to go to bed regularly every day at 9 p.m. and wake up at 5 a.m. After washing the face and cleaning the eyes and teeth, they may be induced to pray or even to meditate. Do not think that there is a time enough for prayer later on in life, during old age perhaps. The time to lay the foundation for the habit is now. At school too, the day’s work should start with prayer for five minutes, which should be taken seriously by one and all and not reduced to the mere formality or farce that it has become in most schools. The slightest sign of neglect shown by the school while arranging the prayer sessions will react on the minds of the children, and they will see through the humbug quickly. So treat the prayer as the very foundation of the entire edifice of schooling. When the last bell of the day is rung, make the pupils stand up in the class quietly and let them observe silence for a minute or two and then disperse. There is nothing like silence to still the waves of your heart. The teachers must tell the children inspiring tales of our saints and heroes and plant the love for spiritual literature. If this school grows up along these lines, then the money so generously offered and so gladly devoted to the establishment of the school is well spent, and I am sure this school will develop into a very useful institution in a short time.