I'm not through chapter 1 of the book yet, but it starts out with some distressing stats about retention. Specifically, is the Church keeping the folks it baptizes? (Sadly, not very well.)
I'm a cradle Catholic, as are my parents, my husband, my siblings and my children. But participation varies, despite childhoods centered on Catholic school and Mass attendance.
Right now I struggle with my older kids' attitudes about Mass. I wish that all my kids wanted to go to Mass on Sunday, wanted to find a way to serve the Church and to know God better.
I am here to say that bringing them to Mass each and every Sunday of their lives is not enough. Sending them to Catholic school is not enough. Praying Grace before meals is not enough. All of these are good things. None of them are guarantees.
I wonder, sometimes, if that fact that my own relationship with God has not been enough to inspire my family. Do I show them that faith is a joyful, difficult, exciting, scary struggle? Or do my actions (and words) lead them to believe that faith is less about living and more about following the rules?
I've got a lot of work to do.
(My impression of the book, Forming Intentional Disciples? So far so good! You've still got time to order it at the discount price of $10 with FREE shipping, through Saturday, June 8!)
3 comments:
I struggle with that same doubt. I wonder if I am modeling the faith well. But in the end everyone has to choose for themselves. There are no guantees but I don't think there really should be because in the end it is between each of us and Christ. As parents, we try our best, we pray and then we have to let go. . . . that's life in a fallen world!
I agree with Faith's comment, everyone has to choose for themselves.
I can say that for me it was the reverse, my parents never belonged to a church, my sisters and I were not baptized, we had no bible in our home, we never said grace, we never prayed, our home simply was not a religious one. I will add thought that it was a good home, we were loved, and well taken care of.
However, I had an interest in church. As a child I liked to spend the night at my friends house on Saturdays so I could go to church with her. As a teenager I went to Campus Life, as an adult I actively sought a church family to belong to. One of my sisters is agnostic, and the other does attend church occasionally and was baptized a number of years ago.
My parents still have no faith and certainly do not belong to a church.
My own children are now grown, one son is a declared atheist, one goes to church and the babies have all been baptized, one son simply can't be bothered, and my youngest runs hot and cold.
All were taken to mass through high school, the older two attended Catholic school up through middle school. All went to CCD and all received their sacraments. Unfortunately I cannot control what they choose as adults, and God did not design it that way. I pray for my children everyday and know and trust that they are in God's hands and in His timing His will be done.
Don't beat yourself up Barb. Remain faithful and pray.
Peace and Grace,
Bean
I love this post, Barb.
And I also quake in my shoes reading it.
You mean IT'S NOT ENOUGH?!?!?
Yeah, on an intellectual level I know that's right. I know it from my own (non-Catholic) experience. I left Christianity and though I came back, I had to choose it.
I think everyone has to make that choice. And it terrifies me that THAT INCLUDES MY CHILDREN.
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