Raising Happy Catholic Kids

I have been asked recently by more than one person my thoughts on raising kids in the faith, which is humbling and a joy at the same time. My family surely is not perfect. But I admit it makes me really proud on those moments when my older daughter tells me her friends ask her for information on the faith because she seems to know so much, or when my five-year old tells me she’s trying to evangelize her classmates (even though it’s already a Catholic school!). Praise the Lord that at least some of the things I am saying are sinking in!

I think the first part about raising kids in the faith is to look at yourself. If you love God, but love Him very privately, your children will not see your example. Catholicism is something that, when done wholeheartedly, touches every part of life. It touches your meals (think Lenten Fridays), and it touches how you dress (think modesty), and it touches your time (think Mass). When your children see that you make the Sign of the Cross as you pass a Church, or say a Hail Mary for someone in another car (either because they have a Christian bumper sticker or because they rudely cut you off), or when they see you praying before meals or stopping into a chapel because you passed by and wanted to say a quick hello to Jesus, they realize that faith is something we do all the time, not just for an hour on Sunday.

Because it’s something we do all the time, you can use every opportunity for prayer. And by praying out loud, the children learn what prayer sounds like. You could say a memorized prayer. Or, you can just talk. This talking out loud to God shows that He is everywhere, not just in Church. And it also shows that you have a relationship, a friendship. Many, many people think of God as a harsh parent, a taskmaster, a person who is waiting to see you fail so He can throw you into Hell. Showing God to be your friend, someone you love and who loves you, shows your child that he or she has a friend in God too.

Truly, I have taken John 15:5 to heart. I have seen that I can do nothing apart from Jesus. So I try to remember pray out loud and in front of my children to Him when we are getting ready for school, when I have to think of something to make for dinner, when I need to remember something, when we are traveling, when I did something wrong and need forgiveness and when things are going well. Whatever we are doing is an opportunity to pray for unity, for joy, for cooperation, for things to turn out for His glory.

Time is under God’s dominion, so I also look to the liturgical calendar for living the faith. Currently, I am in a blessed place of life to attend Mass every day. I know the calendar because I am there in the Church. But the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops webpage has the readings (which you can also find through apps like Laudate). These provide timely lessons on the scriptures. Catholics surely need to know the scriptures and the story of salvation. To know scripture is to know Christ, as Saint Jerome said more than 1,000 years ago.

The liturgical calendar can also show you the saint of the day or the season. I have found much joy in feasting (read: cupcakes) and presents on very special days. There are many feast days, like Christmas and Easter, but also then there are celebrations like Epiphany, Guardian Angel Day and Sacred Heart Day. We celebrate the family anniversaries of our receiving sacraments. We celebrate name saints and patrons. There is always a reason to celebrate. I think this is a preparation for Heaven. Heaven is a continual celebration, a feast. There are also penitential days, but liturgically, feasts last longer than penance for a reason. God is joy!

In our family, we try to bless each other often. I believe very much in the power of God transmitted by our words to bless and encourage. I try to have the girls bless each other (to foster love, mercy and unity rather than rivalry, unforgiveness and division), I bless my husband and I ask the family to bless me. I need their blessing to be a good mom. The blessing I was taught was “I believe you can be the person God made you to be and that you can accomplish the mission God has for you. May God bless you in your identity and your mission.”

This is a powerful blessing. This sends us into the day with God’s empowerment. Another good blessing is to ask for the armor of God from Ephesians 6. Blessing with Holy water just before school, before bed or before something important is good too. Fear and worry can be cast out by such blessings.

Holy water transitions me to other sacramentals. We enjoy wearing holy medals and having other reminders of faith, like favorite pictures and statues. Then we can talk about them. God was good to give us so many temporal reminders because we can forget so easily in a busy world full of things that are mundane.

But the Lord also has dominion over what is mundane. Jesus spent 30 years of His life hidden away at Nazareth. Simple family life is very important to Him. It is exciting, then, to be able to invite Him into the simplicity of our family lives as well.

#children #raisingkids #Catholic #blessing #sacramentals #scripture #prayer #Nazareth #Jesus #holywater