While we may miss the relaxed days of summer, there is an energy and excitement that parents and students alike feel as our children to return to school. The beginning of a new school year holds the promise of growth, and the anticipation of connecting with friends, old and new. An essential part of the back-to-school process is to create new routines. The predictability of routines allows parents and their children to work together to stay on track with what is most important.
Almost every back-to school routine includes dedicated time for homework. This important task allows teachers and parents to work together in helping a student master new concepts. The same is true for our children as they return to parish religious education and Catholic schools. Parents and catechists work together, in different ways, to pass along the truths of the faith.
Passing on the faith is more than forming children in what it is we as Catholics believe – though that is very important. Passing on the faith includes teaching our children the importance of living the sacramental life, of respecting the dignity of every human person as created by God and, of course, forming them in the habit of daily prayer.
In your home, you have a privileged opportunity to witness to the faith through the daily routines of your life. The following routines are just a sample of ways you can do faith “home work.” First, make going to Sunday Mass a priority. Let this be the first and most important routine you do as a family. The Eucharist is the best place for us to give glory and thanks to God, to encounter Jesus Christ, and to be united with our brothers and sisters in faith. Every time we come together to celebrate the Eucharist, we are strengthened in our love for God and for one another.
At the heart of the Christian moral life is the dignity of the human person. We love like Jesus when we respect the dignity of every human person created in the image and likeness of God. This respect is made real in how we interact with one another. In our families, we witness to God’s love and care by using the simple phrases “please,” “thank you,” and “I am sorry.” Encourage your family to say these words often.
Building on this foundation of respect in your family home, make time to serve the poor and marginalized. As a family, reflect on your consumption habits and where you can use less. Talk with your children about ways your family can take steps to care for the environment. These simple routines create in our children a sensitivity for others, and a sense of responsibility for the care of our common home.
Finally, make daily prayer an integrated part of every day. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that prayer is the “vital and personal relationship with the living and true God.” Daily prayer keeps us connected to God. Though teaching prayer includes helping our children learn the words to common prayers, it is best taught through witness. Praying together as a family before and after meals, pausing at the beginning and ending of the day in short prayer of praise to God, asking for God’s intercession for a family need, offering a Hail Mary when an ambulance or fire truck goes by, are all ways of making prayer an essential family routine.
As you begin the new year, take advantage of this opportunity to prioritize simple routines that share the beauty of the faith. The routines of celebrating Sunday Mass, service to others, care for the environment, and daily prayer will become habits that lead to a lifetime of faith.
(Sara Blauvelt serves as the Director for Catechesis in the Office for Catechesis of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.)
