PASSING ON FAITH IN THE FAMILY

 

(H.G. Bishop Moussa)

 

The words of St. Paul to his disciple Timothy were very strange, when he told him, "I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also" (2 Tim 1:5).

 

Is faith inherited? The very genuine faith in the heart of Timothy the son, was the very same faith as that living in the heart of his mother Eunice and in his grandmother Lois.

The faith that a family passes on to its children is a

sacred inheritance. Faith cannot be transferred from one

generation to another mechanically, but the effect of

transmitting it and of Christian training in the home cannot

be denied.

This is the most important function of the Christian family:

transmitting faith. We could have our children a fortune -

that is okay, but the danger lies in our failure to pass on

to our children the faith we inherited from our holy

fathers. "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole

world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in

exchange for his soul?" (Mt 16:26)

That is why St. Paul confirmed the role of parents in the

salvation of their children: "Nevertheless she (the mother)

will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith,

love and holiness, with, self-control" (1 Tim 2:15). So the

outworking of the mother's salvation is conditioned by the

way she brings up her children. That is why St. Monica

cried bitterly when her son Augustine went off the rails,

feeling her great responsibility towards God for her son.

Her concern deserved St. Ambrose's encouragement: "Trust my

daughter... the son of all of those tears shall never be

ruined!"

Now, what are the channels through which our children will

be given faith?

1. A Life of Adoration

This is the main channel through which our children receive

faith. Standing to pray in front of an icon, depicting the

Lord Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary holding the Lord, makes

an indelible impression on the child's mind. For our first

experience of such a vigil is associated with baptism - now

new birth by the church.

2. Christian Education

This is the second channel which transmits faith, since

"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Rom

10:17). Here we should always remember the role of the

grandparents when they tell their grandchildren stories from

the Bible, starting from the beginning of the creation, the flood, Babel, Moses and going on to the birth of Jesus by the flesh, His crucifixion, His resurrection, His ascension into heaven and the establishment of His church.

Grandparents usually have more free time than fathers and

mothers, but the stories of the Bible and the work of the

Word are two very important issues for childhood education

and upbringing. It is also worth mentioning that many

parents have experienced the effectiveness of the Bible when

they started to tell their children some of its stories. It

is a glorious blessing to every age-group, as the Bible is

the best school and the best law.

Also, parents should give more attention to the regular

attendance of their children at Sunday school, at services

and at the Communion table. All these build up a store of

faith and education for succeeding generations.

3. The Family Peace

"There is no peace", says the Lord, "for the wicked" (Is

48:22). This is true: when the husband and wife who are

away from the Lord and each of them is either self-centered

of even worse sin-centered, they never live in peace. On

the other hand, the husband and wife who are close to the

Lord, who believe that He is with them in all their problems

and guides their family wisely, live in true peace. That

peace - the fruit of their faith - is noticed and

appreciated by their children. It is a vital channel

through which the family can know the Spirit of Christ, His

mind and His forbearance.

I could never forget, that once when I was visiting a godly

and blessed Christian family, a relative came around in

tears, all worked up, and raised her voice as she complained

against her husband. It really disturbed the quiet and

friendly atmosphere of the family. A little girl leapt into

her mother's arms and cried out: "Mum, let this lady

leave." Yes, because she was not used to loud disagreement

but to the calmness of love.

4. Dealing With Difficulties

There is no doubt that the Christian family which has real

faith can easily pass it on to its children, through the way

it handles various situations. As it is a loving family

that bears genuine love for everybody, children notice and

absorb that spirit. It is a wise family, because it handles

its problems quietly and avoids getting itself into fights

or quarrels that are not from the Spirit of God. It is a

serving family, since it serves everybody happily, in the

joy of giving. It also follows all the principles of the

Lord Jesus Christ of Whom Isaiah prophesied, "He will not

quarrel nor cry out, nor will any one hear His voice in the

streets" (Mt 12:19). Such a family models itself on the

commandments, love and mind of the Lord.

What ruins the children more than to see their parents fall

out with others, whether family members or not? How great

is the responsibility the parents must bear for bringing up their children properly!

 

5. The Family Library

It is perfectly okay for the family library to include daily

newspapers, magazines and general publications suitable for

children and young people, but it is also important that

parents organize a small library suitable for their children

according to their ages. You can find many constructive

Christian publications, whether stories from the Bible, or

lives of saints, or explanations of the liturgical services,

or other suitable books for young people. Reading edifies

the wandering mind, said one of the saints. That is why we

have to concentrate on the role of books in the children's

lives, especially since TV and other audio-visual aids have

weakened people's ability to read, as most people just sit

passively in front of the box, accepting whatever comes on.

Some programs are good, but most of the others would have

negative results.

The family library should also include the Bible and books

to help young people interpret it. There books can reactivate

young people's minds and recharge them with

spiritual ideas, giving no chance for evil ones to get a

grip.

6. Educational Trips

Such as visiting monasteries, or exchanging visits with

churches in or outside your area. All this is education

that children and young people can absorb as they meet with

monks who have given up the world, with priests who can give

insight into the mind of Christ and the works of the Spirit,

or with brothers and sisters that are following the same

path as they are - the path of eternal life. This is how a

young person can grow spiritually in a relationship with

God, psychologically at ease in a social group,

intellectually increasing in knowledge and physically

building up the body through training and sports.

Those are some of the channels that the family can use to

pass on the faith to its children - to increase the number

of those who are to dwell in the eternal kingdom and are

free from condemnation on the last day.

||    Pope Shenouda    ||    Father Matta    ||    Bishop Mattaous    ||    Fr. Tadros Malaty    ||    Bishop Moussa    ||    Bishop Alexander    ||    Habib Gerguis    ||    Bishop Angealos    ||    Metropolitan Bishoy    ||