The Church teaches that parents are the primary evangelists and teachers of their children and goes so far as to refer to the family in the home as “the domestic church.” But what does this mean? Practically, how do we live this out? The Church also places a great emphasis on the role adults play in helping children encounter the love of Christ. In many ways, the Christ children know, the love of God they experience, is that which we model for them.
In this episode we share some experiences from our own families on how we share the love of Christ in our homes and how we strive to be witnesses and hand on the faith.
Whether single or unmarried, parents, aunts, uncles, or just someone who works with children, we believe our discussion can benefit anyone who wants to help the little ones in their lives come to know the love of Christ.
*Some of the tips we discuss: *
Living as a witness: demonstrate the life of prayer and devotion and invite them into that experience.
Be authentic: sometimes the life of faith can be challenging. Its okay to talk about that.
Apologize and seek forgiveness when its needed. Demonstrate God’s mercy and the need to both extend and seek forgiveness.
Use every moment as a teaching moment.
Recognize the great faith children have. Allow God to teach you through them and draw near to the Lord.
Give the reading of Scripture a pride of place in your home. This is how we come to know the Lord most profoundly, in Sacred Scripture.
Help to form older children to become examples to, and in their own way, teachers of their younger sibling.
Embrace the liturgical calendar and incorporate significant dates into the rhythm of family life.
Create a sacred space in your home for prayer and devotion.
Teach you kids how to pray! We recommend the ACTS method for children:
a. (A)doration
b. (C)ontrition
c. (T)hanksgiving
d. (S)upplication
https://hallow.com/2020/06/20/how-to-pray-acts/
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
The Paradoxical Commandments by Kent M. Keith
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/6396-the-paradoxical-commandments-people-are-illogical-unreasonable-and-self-centered-lo
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