Hi Twinmommy…
I just saw your question regarding if your little children can bring things with them to keep occupied. When I was little, I just had to sit there and be quiet…or ask to be picked up by my parents.
I see that many have answered your question.
One thing that was very beneficial for mine when they were young…was simple visits to the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass times. I brought them before the Lord and showed them the sanctuary light. We would go over to statues and I would tell them how much the Lord and Blessed Mother and St. Joseph all cared for them and they are our family, too. They knew instinctively I was not teaching them idol worship…they saw the image and belief and personhood in the statues.
Bringing them into a quiet church provides them opportunity to attain sensitivity, faith, and awareness that they are entering into God’s house. They are entering into truly consecrated sacred ground.
With this instruction, you turn around and when you see a person in need, point out to the children that Christ is in that person and think if it possible to help them with your children…whatever is possible…or if not, to openly pray to the Lord this person receive help…it is always good to show children how prayers are answered as well.
Now for the sad part, as they grew into teen years and were exposed to other families in Catholic schools, video games, other parents more lenient than myself…and other factors as well, mine lost their faith. As Cardinal Wuerl recently stated, we are living under a tsunami wave of atheistic secularism that is drowning us.
We really need God’s help in keeping the faith, especially for our children.
And devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and binding our children back to God through her help is what parents like myself do. Of course I am always encouraging them to return. One did, and then right after fell into serious sin…moving into the big city and finding Catholic groups on the cliquey side and not having a clear sense of spirituality. Things are turning around again, but it was devastating for me and family. We are fully supporting this adult child through love and prayers, and believe alot of blessing will come.
As I tell them, only safe place in this world is in the Immaculate Heart of Mary in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus…and I also believe, got this in my spirit, and then got publication yesterday echoing the same…
Now is the time for the desert to bloom…!!
How often are your RICA classes? Is it weekly? I am so excited about taking those, I am know I am going to learn so much.
