Learning about your Faith with your Children

As parents, we have the primary responsibility to raise our children in the Catholic faith. They will learn how to be Catholic by the way that we live our lives and the way that we model Christian behavior through prayer, almsgiving, and service to others. One certainly does not to be a great scholar to be a good Catholic. It is possible to live a holy life without much recourse to book learning. Nothing can take the place of prayer and loving God and neighbor.

However, when one loves God, one naturally wants to learn more about Him. Also, there are many aspects of our faith that our children may question. When we don't have the answers, it is good to know where to look for them. There is also much value in learning about the role models (also known as saints) that the Church holds up as practitioners of the holy life. In helping our children learn more about our faith, our faith is strengthened as well. There is always more to learn and understand.

There are many resources available to help you learn about the faith with your children. Every family should have access to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (available online at http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/index.htm). While it isn't something that you would want to read with your younger children, it is great for looking up answers to questions that you or they might have about why Catholics believe what we do. It would make good reading for teenagers. A copy of the Bible is also indispensable. While the Bible is available online, every home should have a copy to encourage its use on a regular basis. The The New American Bible is the translation that is used for the readings at mass. The The New Jerusalem Bible is also a good choice. A good practice to get into for both adults and older children is to read the lectionary readings for the day. They can be found on the internet at http://www.usccb.org/nab/index.shtml.

For younger children, a children's bible is a must. For very young children, Catholic Bible Stories for Children by Ann Ball and Julianne M. Will is a good choice, as is the St. Joseph Catholic Children's Bible by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik. For older children, My First Catholic Bible illustrated by Natalie Carabetta is unique in that it provides child-friendly translations of passages in the Bible and is arranged to be used for devotions. Illustrations are very important in a children's Bible, in that children can often learn much about the Bible stories simply from looking at the pictures. They are also more inclined to spend time with the book if they like the pictures. If at all possible, bring your child with you to a Catholic bookstore so that your child can pick out a Bible of their very own.

Stories about the saints are wonderful for both adults and children. They provide examples of how to live a holy life and provide a counterbalance to the “heroes” often held up in contemporary society. The New Illustrated Book of Saints: Inspiring Lives in Word and Picture by Rev. Thomas Donaghy offers one page summaries of the lives of many saints along with a full-page illustration of each one. The Book of Saints series by Father Lovasik offers a similar format, but the books are smaller (32 pages each) and are very child-friendly. There are also books in the St. Joseph series that focus on individual saints. For older children, the Vision Book series published by Ignatius Press is highly recommended. These books allow children and adults to get to know some of the beloved saints more intimately. The stories are exciting and interesting and capture the imagination.

For learning about the mass and the faith in general, the St. Joseph series offers books on saying the rosary, attending mass, receiving communion, the works of mercy, and many other topics. The whole series is highly recommended.

It is often said that in teaching children, you learn much yourself. I have certainly found that to be true in introducing my children to the beauty of our Catholic faith and traditions. Even though I have a graduate degree in theology and have spent my life as a Catholic, there is always more to learn. I still find the lives of the saints fascinating and with each reading, even of old favorites, I find I gain some new insight. The same holds true with learning about the mass, different devotions, and the truths of our faith. Learning about the faith with your children can be a wonderful journey for all of you!