Thursday | April 19, 2007

Have You Told Your Children How Important the Sacraments Are To You?

I read a remark in a book the other day that has me pondering. The author suggested that perhaps one of the reasons for a shortage of vocations to the Priesthood and religious life is that increased participation by the laity in all aspects of the church has lead young people to ask themselves "If I can do all of this, why should I make the extra sacrifice to consecrate my life to the Lord in the Priesthood or religious life?"

So have you told your children not just how much you value the priests and sisters that serve our church, but how grateful you are for the Sacraments that were given to us by Jesus to be bought to us  only in the hands of His priests? Do your children see how much you value the Sacrament of Confession? Mass and the Eucharist? Have you talked to them about your Confirmation and what it meant to you? Our children aren't going to want to be priests if we don't make it very clear to them that the ministry of the Priesthood is invaluable to us and that nothing can replace it.

And while I am on my soapbox, let me just make out a list of books for you to read-aloud (yes read-aloud to them....how else are you going to discuss these things with them?) to your children that will encourage a love of the Priesthood and the Sacraments:

Blessings From the Battlefield by Thomas R. O'Brien: collection of stories from Catholic military chaplains.

Why I Become a Priest

The Shadow of His Wings: The True Story of Fr. Gereon Goldmann by Fr. Goldmann: The story of a young German seminarian who was drafted into the SS and ends up being secretly ordained during WWII. (May be too intense for younger children.)

Christ in Dachau by John Lenz: The experiences of the many priests who were interned in Dachau in WWII. The sacrifices and risks they took to continue their recitation of the Divine Office and to say Mass are inspiring. (May be too intense for younger children.)

Pretty much anything by Mary Fabyan Windeatt. Even if a priest isn't the main character, chances are there is an inspiring one in there somewhere. Her books help to cultivate a love for the church and for the Sacraments in general.

For younger children: The Weight of a Mass by Josephine Nobisso. Highly recommended gift for First Communicants.

Some movie suggestions:

Molokai: The Story of Father Damien

I Confess

The Scarlet and the Black

St. Patrick: The Irish Legend

John Paul II

The Ninth Day 

And look these over too. (Pretty please.)

Suggestions for Promoting Vocations.

Posted by Red Neck Woman at 00:10:43 | Permanent Link | Comments (5) |
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1 - Last year I did a series of ten posts covering the book Keeping Your Kids Catholic by Bert Ghezzi. The most important thing I learned from the book is to keep my children Catholic I have to keep myself Catholic. I need to keep studying and growing in my own faith and make sure my kids know that I am still learning. I need to share my new knowledge and insights with them. Prayer needs to be an important part of my life and I need to tell them I am praying and let them know when prayers are answered. I need to share the devotions and practices that are special to me. I need to receive the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently and help them to do the same. I need to talk about the impact these sacraments have on my life. Our faith cannot be that thing we do on Sundays. It has to be woven in to every fiber of our lives. (Comment this)

Written by: Catholic Mom at 2007/04/19 - 09:04:45
2 - Great ideas RNW! Have you ever seen the film, Fishers of Men? My 12 y/o so who previously gave me a firm "NO" when I would mention the possibility of priesthood to him has now changed his mind because of this film. A priest gave the DVD to me but you can watch it online here or order it: http://www.usccb.org/vocations/ I highly recommend it to promote vocations to our children. (Comment this)

Written by: roamin'catholic at 2007/04/19 - 23:24:50
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3 - Excellent ideas Catholic Mom! Thanks. (Comment this)

Written by: RNW at 2007/04/19 - 23:32:22 in reply to: 1
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4 - No I haven't heard of that one but it's on it's way to my house now! Have I mentioned how little resistance I have to purchases like that? (Comment this)

Written by: RNW at 2007/04/19 - 23:33:25
5 - I know Josephine Nobisso, she attends my parish church, she is a talented writer, a devout Catholic, and has a delightful personality. She gives children's writing workshops, if you're interested. (Comment this)

Written by: Leticia Velasquez at 2007/04/22 - 12:47:02
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