The words of St. Paul to his disciple, Timothy, were
very strange, when he told him, “ I call to
remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which
dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother
Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also” (2Tim.1:5).
Is faith inherited? The very genuine faith in the
heart of Timothy, the son, was the very same faith as
that living in the heart of his mother Eunice and in
his grandmother Lois. The faith that a family passes
on to its children is a sacred inheritance. Faith
cannot be transferred from one generation to another
mechanically, but the effect of transmitting it and of
Christian training in the home cannot be denied.
This is the most important function of the Christian
family: transmitting faith. We could leave our
children a fortune-- that is fine-- but the danger
lies in our failure to pass on to our children the
faith we inherited from our holy fathers. “For what is
a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses
his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for
his soul?” (Mat. 16: 26).
That is why St. Paul confirmed the role of the parents
in the salvation of their children: “Nevertheless she
(the mother) will be saved in childbearing if they
continue in faith, love and holiness, with
self-control.” (1 Tim. 2: 15). So the working out of
the mother’s salvation is conditional upon the way she
brings up her children. That is why St. Monica wept
bitterly when her son Augustine went off the rails,
feeling her great responsibility towards God for her
son. Thus, she deserved St. Ambrose’s encouragement,
“Be confident, my daughter, the son of all these tears
shall never be ruined!”
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Now what are the channels through
which our children receive the faith? |
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1. A Life of Worship |
This is the main channel through which our children
receive the faith. Standing to pray in front of an
icon depicting the Lord Jesus Christ or the Virgin
Mary holding the Lord makes an indelible impression on
the child’s mind. Such an early experience
contributes, with baptism, to the new birth of the
child from the womb of the Church.
The child who feels that the church at home is an
extension of the church to which he or she goes more
than once a week will himself become a small church
and his future home will, in turn, be a church too. We
notice how a child turns his home into a church if he
attends mass with the family regularly. He or she
imitates the hymn singing, the deacon, and the priest
as he moves around with the censer or sprinkles the
congregation with water.
How lovely it is when a child becomes a Song-Leader in
church and when a young man becomes a Reader in the
house of God because then the imprints of the altar in
his life will never be erased! As the saints have
said: “Anyone who is far from the altar is deprived of
the bread of God!”
How lovely it is when the tape recorder at home plays
hymns, the liturgy, and sermons, and when the video
shows uplifting spiritual films.
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2. A Christian Education |
This is the second channel through which the faith
is transmitted since “Faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). Here we
should always remember the role of the grandparents
when they tell their grandchildren stories from the
Bible, starting with creation, the flood, the tower of
Babel, and Moses and going on to the birth of Jesus in
the flesh, His crucifixion, His resurrection, His
ascension to heaven, and the establishment of His
church. Grandparents usually have more free time than
fathers and mothers, but the Bible stories and the
work of the Word are two very important elements in
the education and upbringing of children. Many parents
have gotten to know the Bible better when they started
telling their children some of its stories. The Bible
is a glorious blessing to every age-group because it
is the best school and the best law.
Parents should also be concerned about the regular
attendance of their children at Sunday school, at
church services, and at Communion. All these build up
a store of faith and education for the succeeding
generations.
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Christ said: If your brother sins, go and tell him
about it!
Christ said: Love your enemies!
Christ said: It is more blessed to give than to
receive!
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3. Family Peace.
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“There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
(Is. 48: 22). This is true; the husband and wife who
are far from the Lord and who are engrossed in their
egos and their pleasures cannot live in peace. In
contrast, the husband and wife who are close to the
Lord, who believe that He is with them in all their
problems and guides their family wisely, live in real
peace. That peace, the fruit of their faith, is
noticed and appreciated by their children. It is a
vital channel through which the family can know the
Spirit of Christ, His mind, and His forbearance.
I can never forget that once when I was visiting a
godly and blessed Christian family, a relative come
over in tears, all worked up, and complained of her
husband in a loud voice. This disturbed the quiet and
peaceful atmosphere of the family. A little girl leapt
into her mother’s arms and cried out: “Mum, let this
lady leave.” Naturally, she was not used to loud
disputes, but only to the quiet love.
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4. Dealing with Difficulties |
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There is not doubt that the Christian
family which has real faith can easily pass it on to
its children through the way it handles different
situations. It is a loving family that has a genuine
and sincere love for everyone, so the children notice
and absorb this spirit. It is a wise family which
handles its problems quietly and avoids getting
involved in quarrels and disputes that are not of the
Spirit of God. It is a serving family since it serves
everybody cheerfully and in the joy of giving. It also
adheres to the principles of the Lord Jesus Christ of
Whom Isaiah prophesied, “He will not quarrel nor cry
out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets:
(Mt. 12: 19). Such a family models itself on the
commandments, love and mind of the Lord.
What ruins children more than to see their parents’
disputes, whether inside or outside the family? How
great is the responsibility the parents must bear for
bringing up their children well!
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5. The Family Library |
It is perfectly acceptable for the family library to
include daily newspapers, magazines and general
publications suitable for children and young people,
but it is also important that parents organize a small
library suitable for their children according to their
ages. Nowadays, many constructive Christian
publications are available, whether Bible stories, or
the lives of the saints, or explanations of the
liturgical services, or other suitable books for young
people. “Reading edifies the wandering mind,” said one
of the saints. That is why we should concentrate on
the role of books in children’s lives, especially
since TV and other audio-visual media have weakened
people’s ability to read as most people just sit
passively in front of the box, absorbing whatever they
see. Some programs are good, but most of them have
harmful effects.
The family library should also include the Bible and
books that help young people interpret it. These can
stimulate people’s minds and fill them with spiritual
ideas, giving the evil ideas no opportunity to get a
grip of them.
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6. Educational Trips |
These can include visiting monasteries, the Coptic
museum, or exchanging visits with churches in or
outside your area. All these trips allow children and
young people to learn about the path to eternal life
as they meet and talk with monks who have given up the
world, with priests who can give them insights into
the mind of Christ and the works of the Spirit, or
with brothers and sisters who are following the same
path they are. This is how a young person can grow
spiritually in a relationship with God,
psychologically at ease in a social group,
intellectually as he grows in knowledge, and
physically as he trains and plays sports.
These are some of the channels that a family can use
to pass on the faith to its children, to swell the
number of those who are to dwell in the eternal
kingdom and are saved from condemnation on the last
day.
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May the Lord bless the lives of all
to the glory of His Holy Name! |
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