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'Raising Saints' presentation to offer tips on rearing a holy family
By John Gleason
In the general sense, the modern world can be a difficult place to raise children, never mind the attempt to do so with an emphasis on the Catholic faith. Have you ever heard someone say, “It’s not like it used to be,” or preface a statement with, “In my day...”
Is it possible to raise saints? In a day when children are bombarded with more distractions than any generation in history has been exposed to, is there help for parents who strive to teach their children to live in a manner in keeping with their faith? There may not be a secret to raising children, but a program being offered at Christ the King Parish in Denver may have some advice and direction for parents.
“Raising Saints: How to Raise a Holy Family,” is a presentation being offered by Brother John Ignatius Little of the Servants of Christ Jesus, who told the Denver Catholic Register the one-night presentation covers the topics: leadership of prayer, feast days, storytelling, discipline, pilgrimage and the importance of a hefty dose of love.
“I start with the emphasis of Pope John Paul II that parents are the primary educators of their children today,” he said. “My presentation takes the traditions out of Scripture on how the Jews (including Jesus’ family) practiced their faith with pilgrimages, with parties and with feasting that really gives children a positive experience.”
The program was written about a year ago, according to Brother John, and has been presented in several parishes, sparking an interest among many parents because of the effective way it displays biblical experiences, reinforcing faith at home through biblical stories and travelling.
“Pilgrimages can be an important and effective tool,” he said. “Recently I presented the program to a group of parents of home-schooled children and we talked about the group making pilgrimages to local churches. It was something that they’d done in the past and thought it was a great idea to start them up again.”
When asked about the challenges parents face today, Brother John said there are many, but one of the biggest is having to monitor the outside voices that come into the home; those that can sometimes seem to have a bigger influence than those of mom and dad.
“A hundred years ago, the voices in the home were the families’ voices,” he said. “Then with the advent of radio other adult voices came in, followed by the invention of television and the Internet. The presence of these voices isn’t necessarily bad but they do need to be limited and not determined by the producers and directors who are trying to grab our children’s attention.”
“Raising Saints: How to Raise a Holy Family” will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at Christ the King Church, 830 Elm St., Denver. There is no cost to attend this program, sponsored by the Office of Marriage and Family Life. For more information, call the parish office at 303-388-1643.
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