We are all part of a family. As the family expands and grows in numbers, our role in the family changes also. Little by little, we gain authority and, more importantly, become role models for the younger generation. Aside from our young siblings, we become role models to our nieces. Being involved in their growth and development strengthens the bond among family members. The bond between uncles/aunts to their nieces can be a unique kind of relationship. An uncle/aunt can choose any means to interact with their nieces. It has more freedom and flexibility, for it is less structured and interactive. An uncle/aunt can diversify their roles with their nieces. They can be their role model or a friend or can even serve as supplemental parents. The flowing dynamics that this kind of relationship can provide allow our nieces to have a safe space where they can be who they want to be.
We thank God for the blessing of nieces in our family. Although they have similar roles to our younger siblings, we continue to provide support for them as part of our extended family. Welcoming another member to the family is always an event of experiencing the warmth of God’s love for the whole of humanity. We make this prayer for our nieces as we remember them wherever they are. We ask God to grant us continuous inspiration to become role models for them, to excel in charity and obedience, and to mature in faith. When they become old enough, they can continue to cultivate the values and the faith which we have implanted in them. May we see our nieces bear fruitfully before God and before us.
Niece prayer
Our Father in Heaven,
You welcomed me to Your heavenly family to become one of Your heavenly children redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. You accepted me as part of Your extended family established here on earth. I look up to the saints whom You called to excel in faith and in good works as role models in forming my values and in the maturing of my faith. They also have become my help in times of trouble and difficulties. Through their constant intercession, they never failed to guide me through it all. They are my constant inspiration in striving to live a good Christian life.
I humbly offer this prayer for my wonderful niece. I pray that she may grow and mature in her personal identity and in her faith in You, our Father. Welcoming her into my extended family has become an experience of Your abounding love and gracious mercy. A life was entrusted into our care to provide, nurture, and lead towards closer to You, O God. I hope to be a better role model for her in showing as I strive to emulate the example of the saints in my life. May she see that each small step in doing good is a great stride towards holiness. I hope to be a reliable uncle or aunt for my niece. In my effort to provide anything within my ability, may she turn to me in confidence to aid in physical or spiritual needs. I hope to become an inspiration for my niece to strive to uphold the Cardinal Christian virtues of temperance, justice, prudence, and courage. Through Your providential grace, bless my niece and me so that we may continue to serve You and Your people and sing Your praises of gratitude and thanksgiving.
I offer this prayer through the most powerful name of Jesus Christ our Lord, together with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Short prayer for my niece
God our Father, bless my niece with the graces she needs every day. Bless her childhood, and help her so that she may mature in her faith. Amen.
The Word of God
“You shall be a beautiful crown in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.”
Isaiah 62:3 NRSVUE
Prayer to Saint Agnes of Rome for my niece
Saint Agnes of Rome, patron saint of young girls, hear my prayer for my niece. Inspire her with your formidable faith in God amidst temptations and challenges. Impart to her your beauty which you entirely dedicated and offered before God. Grant her a share of your purity and innocence so that my niece may live in righteousness under God’s light. Through the example of your life, may she strive to live and continue to praise God in thanksgiving as a worthy daughter of God.
O Saint Agnes of Rome, at a tender young age, you became aware of your vocation as a pure and chaste offering before God. God donned you with a beauty that reflected the magnanimous beauty of heaven. Suitors would flock before you, only to retreat in desperation, for you would courageously declare that you would offer yourself to God and to Him alone. A fact unacceptable to some, the public declaration of your faith displeased them, and they resorted to violence in response to your rejection. Because of your faith, they were perplexed about how you remained pure and faithful to God. Until the final moment of your execution, you remained a meek and humble lamb which even startled your executioner. Your blood became the seed of faith for the Church. Your life was a lifetime of inspiration for us Christians today.
Through my thoughtful prayers and supplication for my niece, O Saint Agnes of Rome, advance in her the maturity of the faith and the formation of foundational human morals and values. May you keep her from sin and aid her in times of temptation. With your constant help, may she walk faithfully under God’s guiding light.
Saint Agnes of Rome, patron of young girls, pray for my niece. Amen.
Further reflection
Uncles and aunts can enjoy a dynamic and multifaceted relationship with our nieces. Primarily, we can become role models for them. Like young children, they tend to imitate and emulate what they see, hear or learn from the older members of the family. We can become a shining example to our nieces, especially in living out our faith as practicing Catholics. Joining and inviting them to prayer creates a sense of belonging where we can create a precious memory with them.
We can also be their friends. Spending our time with them during playtime forms a bond founded in trust. Or if our nieces are old enough, we can share with them the lessons we learned from our life. Imparting the wisdom we gain as we grow older can be a helpful signpost for them for what awaits them ahead. Our wisdom makes us more special than friends, for we also keep in mind their welfare and growth.
Lastly, we can serve as supplemental parents to them. A kind of outside counsel who can provide unbiased and informed decisions when faced with problems among her friends or within her family. As much as we want not to meddle or delve too much into her personal problems, we can offer a safe space by allowing her to open up to people whom her parents trust also.
Our relationship with our nieces is very special and must be handled with care. It is a relationship that is fragile: once trust is broken or boundaries are crossed, our relationship with them can never be the same again. May we continue to develop a healthy relationship with our nieces by providing them with the guidance they need, the companionship they deserve, and the example they can follow. Let this prayer be the beginning of cultivating a wonderful and faith-filled relationship.
