The learning experience of Holy Week

This wonderful pastoral letter from the diocese of Newark gave me a lot of food for thought as we enter into Holy Week. Regardless of how the previous weeks of Lent has gone, this is the final act, the grand finale, the climax that can make those nerve endings in those little minds connect with awe and wonder of Jesus Christ.

I think the entire article can work as an examination of conscience for parents as we look over how we are forming the faith of our children while we prepare for Easter.

 

Ages 2-7

 

Do you take the time to teach your children to pray

 

Do you make time for prayer with your family? Family prayers at mealtime, upon rising and retiring, during special times set aside for this purpose, provide a moment of grace. Some families say the rosary as a nightly tradition. Other families set aside time each week to make a holy hour of adoration or reparation before the Blessed Eucharist. Even a few minutes of family prayer can go a long way toward showing the importance of God in your life.

 

Do you take time out for heart-to-heart talks with your children? Taking a walk or going on a drive can provide parents with an opportunity to talk with their children about life’s most important matters. Themes such as thankfulness, joy, or sorrow can serve as the basis for discussions about God and your faith.

 

Do you take advantage of teachable moments to instruct your children in the faith?

 

Do you take advantage of unexpected opportunities to instruct your children? Nearly every day we see people in real life or on television doing right and wrong. When you and your children see an action that has a moral dimension, it’s good to use the experience to teach a related aspect of the faith.

 

Do you make judicious use of the TV

 

Do you read Bible stories to your youngest children and provide similar reading materials to your older children? Children love stories. Good selections can supply basic background, provide role models for appropriate action, and prove to be a source of inspiration. Numerous children’s Bibles and Bible histories are available. Similarly, numerous short booklets dealing with the lives of the saints are also available. Check at your religious goods store for suitable audio and video tapes as well.

 

Do you, by word and example, attempt to instill in your children a spirit of generosity? Even the youngest of children can be taught the virtue of generosity, the fundamental ingredient of self-sacrifice

 

Do you take notice of the good that your children do? Catch your children being good.

 

Do you make regular use of sacramentals? Crucifixes, holy water, statues, holy cards, scapulars, religious paintings, and medals (to name a few) can help provide a stimulating atmosphere for your children’s spiritual development. Don’t forget your church as a source of inspiration. Stained glass windows, the Stations of the Cross, and symbols of the faith enrich each parish church. Set aside some time following Mass or take time on a Sunday afternoon to look at these things and share them with your children. Such practices can leave indelible impressions on the minds of the young

 

Do you give thought to establishing or carrying on family traditions?

 

 

Studies show that older children and young adults who lack an early emotional attachment to the faith will often break free from its practice as soon as opportunity permits.

 

 

Do you make regular use of the sacraments?

 

Do you take time to nurture the possibility of religious vocations?

Do you provide good examples to counter materialism?

 

Do you consciously attempt to instill a spirit of self sacrifice in your teens

 

Do you provide your teens with good examples? Actions speak louder than words, and teens have an acute sense of hypocrisy. Never tell your teen to do one thing while you do another. Be a good role model: attend Mass regularly, arrive early, never leave early, dress respectfully, receive the sacraments, be respectful of your priests, live the teachings of the Churc

 

Do you often reflect on the spiritual character of your teens? Parents should be concerned with their teens from the standpoint of religious character. Teens should exhibit a sense of moral responsibility, the virtues of chastity and modesty, and a spirit of self sacrifice. Some teens are ready to seriously consider a commitment to a religious vocation at this age, but all too frequently do not receive the call

 

Do you stress the role of a properly formed conscience in decision making? Conscience is more than just an inner feeling, and decisions must be based upon more than the hedonistic standard, “If it feels good, do it.” The word “conscience” comes from two Latin words, “cum” (with) and “scientia” (knowledge)

 

Do you provide your teens with clear guidelines regarding sexual ethics – telling them what is moral and immoral?

 

 

About Young Adults

 

Young adults – those between the ages of 18 and 23 – often lose their faith. Why is this so? Studies show that an inadequate job is done in preparing them as children for their lives as adults. (Today’s Teens, op. cit., p. 54) They did not possess a strong understanding of the faith or its significance as children and they don’t have it as adults

 

Once young adults encounter and explore self-centered life styles, they find hedonism all too appealing and the self-denial of Christianity quite unappealing. To millions of young adults God is unreal, spirituality is a mind game, church is not relevant, religion is tolerable, but certainly not helpful. If you want to keep your children Catholic, then you must work to establish within your children a spiritual relationship with God that can lead to changed hearts and lifestyles.

 

A Closing Word

 

If children are to grow and persevere in the faith as adults, they must be properly instructed in their faith as part of an on-going process. In order to do this, parents must know and nurture their own faith. Parents simply cannot share what they don’t have. Read an adult catechism, subscribe to religious periodicals, and study Vatican documents.