My simple answer is an entirely spiritual answer, based on our Catholic faith. Maybe my thoughts and reflections might seem too simplistic or not practical. But I assure you that they reflect 2,000+ years of Christian experience. That’s a lot of years!
- First of all, understand that you are not alone. God’s very presence is within you. In Him, you “live and move and have your very being.” His angels surround you, especially your guardian angel. You are safe under Our Lady’s mantle. And so are your children.
- The single, biggest, most important thing you can do you for your children is to make sure that they receive the sacrament of Baptism. This is the bedrock, the foundation, the source, of God’s saving grace. Baptism fills your children’s souls with grace, with the presence of God, with the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- See to it that your children are confirmed and that they understand what that means – that the Holy Spirit comes to them in a special way at Confirmation and releases His powerful gifts and fruits within their souls. These gifts are supernatural, and because of that, they can “win” over any dark forces your children may come up against during their lives. They have within them the supernatural gifts of God. This is huge.
- Prepare your children to go to their first Confession and to receive their first Holy Communion. Help them understand that it is important and such a blessing to have these two sacraments. The power of these sacraments cannot be put into any kind of word.
- Pray for your children to receive the great gift of discernment. The more I work with the children, teens, and young adults, the more I understand the confusion and juxtaposition of good and evil in our society. Catholic religious objects are worn by people who are singing sacrilegious songs. Songs make a mockery of our traditional values. Our belief system is under attack. Our children need the gift of discernment in order to separate out the good from the evil in what they hear and see. Yes, yes, pray for the gift of discernment for your whole family, especially your children.
- Use your own home to pass along your faith to your children. Place a crucifix, statue or picture of Our Lady in your home, along with books and media of appropriate age levels in various sections of your home to share with the children. Pray grace before and after meals. Attend Mass together. If possible, make the time to pray the Rosary together, or at least a decade.
In John 4:10, we read the following words spoken by Jesus, “If you only knew the gift of God.” I would like to repeat these words to you today, “If you only knew the gift of God.” It is this gift of God, this wonderful, life-changing relationship with Him, and blessed moments of real discernment in His presence that will give each of your children the tools to embrace, learn about, and stand firm in their faith.