By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
Train the young in the way they should go; even when old, they will not swerve from it (Proverbs 22:6).
There will never be another you! Our unique personalities, qualities and experiences contribute to an amazing world. This beautiful reality is God’s plan from the moment we are conceived. I cannot imagine a more thoughtful design for humankind. Our best response to this profound gift is to be everything God needs and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us.
I was asked once for advice on being a parent. I quickly responded that praying for your child is time well spent, and not just the little ones, adult children also need covered in prayer. The responsibility of a parent as cocreator with God in forming and caring for our children is not just about physical nourishment, but spiritual as well.
We give our children life and when we teach them about God, we offer grace that will sustain them forever. The family home provides the first faith community in the life of a child! I learned young that it was important to observe the faith through the witness of good and holy people. You can read a lot of books, memorize the catechism and pray regularly, but to see the faith in action affirms what you know to be true!
A pilgrimage/field trip was planned with my students to St. Meinrad Archabbey and Monte Cassino Shrine. We contacted Benedictine Brother Martin Erspamer to give us a tour of his art studios during our visit. The history of these special places in Indiana provides a great witness of community and faith. Ore et labora — the importance of balancing prayer and work in our life and taking time for God is very visible at St. Meinrad. The Benedictine dedication to hospitality and reverence for the traditions and history of our faith bring a piece of heaven to earth.
During our visit, we saw retreats in session for priests, meetings with lay people, seminarians going to class, monks working in the flower gardens, and people sitting quietly in prayer. We joined mid-day prayer with the monks and experienced the beautiful Liturgy of the Hours. We walked the halls and found pictures of the priests in our lives and offered prayers for their ministry. We met a seminarian from New Hampshire who was also homeschooled, and the boys shared fun stories.
My students commented that they always thought of religious and consecrated people as serious and not very social. The visit allowed them to see the human person seeking God as a natural and essential part of community. They love art, and Brother Martin spoke to them with great knowledge and shared many of his artistic gifts with them, including stained-glass making, pottery and so much more. They laughed and asked a lot of questions about his vocation path to St. Meinrad and became very comfortable sharing their own interests with him, because he was genuinely interested. This is how we teach children. We listen to them, we take them places to experience life in different ways, and we share the faith so they will never swerve from truth! And please never stop praying for your children! Amen!