Our Children Need HOPE

 Passing on the Virtue of Hope

In this article I would like to address the importance of being mindful of passing on the virtue of HOPE to our children. In recent years, we are all too aware that anxiety and depression have risen in our youth. As parents and educators, we can sometimes find ourselves becoming anxious and discouraged over the odds against us. Our resources can be limited, especially living out our faith in the public square. But the beauty in all of this is that we believe in an all powerful, all knowing, and all loving God who is always with us and guiding us. Our saints knew this and held onto their faith often in situations of extreme adversity. It is fruitful then to go to them through prayer and reading about their lives through articles, books, and/or quotes. Two saints that come to mind are Therese of Lisieux and Martin de Porres as they saw the hope and promise in the little things we can all do to build up God’s Kingdom on earth.

Seeking God

An inspirational starting point in passing on the virtue of HOPE to children and all we minister to is to stress that God is Everywhere. For the seeker who embraces this foundational belief, there is no end to the generous graces of wisdom and mercy God bestows on the believer. We live in a world where science is our “god” and from all ends of the earth many try to discourage any thought in such a statement of belief in one true God. Our belief in God is constantly being challenged because if science cannot prove it then let us move on. Move onto where? 

This is a question that many seek. Many efforts are made for a scientific answer, but as we know, science has its limits and falls short. When this “god” doesn’t enlighten our soul it can lead one to despair, utter frustration (as can seen in the form of lashing out at others) and cause many to lose hope. This lack of hope can easily trickle down into the lives of our children. Children look up for answers. Whether we are parents, catechists or the like, we need to be the vessels through which our children look up to the infinite. By looking beyond the finite, we can see the infinite hope that science cannot give. Faith is the torch that lights up our scientific discoveries and guides the way and faith continues at the point where science ends. In the study of anything scientific, faith provides the bookends.

Moving On

So as catechists and evangelists, why do we do what we do? Is it true that we all spread the Catholic faith because we have hope in our Lord Jesus Christ who is first and foremost our Redeemer? We believe in His promises. We believe in the God who sent Him. We follow Jesus and lead others to him because he is our Savior and we trust Him. Our Resurrected Lord is our HOPE!

What is so exciting about a key element of our faith is that God wants us all to contribute our role and gifts in his plan for salvation history. Our efforts are not in vain. God desires for each of us to be a part of this HOPE that continues on in our visible Church today. We each have callings within a calling. We all have much to contribute. God multiplies all the good (no matter how small) that we do for His glory. God strengthens our human efforts. This is Good News!

In the rest of this article I would like to share some practical tips on how to help our children develop and grow in the virtue of hope. We will do this through the lens that God is Everywhere. It is my hope that you can use a couple ideas and add them to your own.

GOD IS EVERYWHERE

In Nature

It is important that children be able to distinguish between what God made and what human hands or machines have made (even though all material in everything made first comes from all God created). We can point out to our children that when we take a walk outside that what we see in nature are all of God’s creations. God made the trees, leaves, rocks, water, and so on. As we feel God in nature we need to thank God for his gifts of nature for us. The beauty of nature reflects the beauty of God. Take a leaf and observe its shape, texture, veins, and colors. As we continue our walks we can look up at the sky and converse about the clouds, the sun, and the vastness of the sky. We remind the children that we worship the Creator and not the created. St. Teresa of Avila wrote about seeing God all around us. “Every little ant reminds me of God,” is one of her quotes.

• Bring leaves of all sizes, sticks, twigs, flowers, seeds to a religion lesson and let the children observe these magnificent creations. Providing some magnifying lenses adds to the wonder. Encourage discussion. With this activity the children bask in the beautiful creations of God and this is where faith and science meet. We thank God for these gifts to enjoy, reflect upon and share with others.
• Going on nature walks can be done whether out in the country, in the suburbs, or in the city. When I taught in the city we loved our nature walks around the school building. We observed the roots of the mighty oak tree lifting up the pavement, the fallen leaves, the soft pebbles, and the little puddles as we stepped off the curbs. Ask the children why they think God created all these things of the earth.
• We can dip into our sense of gratitude and have the children write a Thank You Prayer or draw pictures to God for these wonderful gifts. Children can make a creation board in the classroom or home and contribute artwork to it as the year progresses.
• When we are indoors at home children can also think of God’s gifts of nature. Here we can be thankful for a favorite raw food we eat from the good of the earth, such as a tomato or sliced cucumber. In other words: God made the salad.

In Our Homes

It is good for the children to see reflected in their homes that God is there. They need to know that the people living in the home are people of faith and that they are praying for them. This is especially important during difficult family trials. Here are some ways we can remind children that God is present with us in our homes.

• Children need to be reminded that Jesus is with them when they leave school and head home. A prayer corner sets aside a special place in the home to talk to Jesus, pray for someone, meditate on God’s love for the whole family and plenty more.
• Children can embrace the Crucified Christ on the Cross at a young age (and not fear this image). They can talk to Jesus on the Cross and keep company with Him and hold the crucifix as well. I remember as a child when I dusted items in my room, I would also dust off the crucifix hanging on the wall. It was a way to take care of Jesus and be present with him. This is a precious memory.
• From my experience, not all families have a creche during the Christmas season and some are unfamiliar with it. So this is a good thing to mention to parents as children can especially accompany Mary at the birth of our Savior and they also will enjoy playing with the figures and join in the nativity scene. A good question to ponder an answer to at this scene is, “Where is God sending me from here?”
• The Good Shepherd statue is a good choice as it can give comfort and hope to children, and especially for those living in challenging circumstances.
• Children can make little prayer cards and put them on pillows, at a table place setting, in birthday cards, in the mailbox, and even in Christmas stockings.
• There are many items that have biblical or religious quotes on them such as mugs, towels, garden rocks/flags, return address labels, and the list goes on. Purchasing these items is also a witness of the faith to the seller.
• Praying a prayer of grace before meals adds a beautiful dimension to the gathering and it is a time to share good news and pray for someone in need. After the Christmas cards are taken down you can put them in a basket and a child can pick out one at grace time to pray for the person or family who sent the card.

In Our Conversations

• Our conversations, whether they be at a dinner table, in the car, on the phone, outside church or school, can serve the purpose of uplifting and spreading the good will of others or to discourage and so on. Our children’s ears are listening! Do our words encourage them, affirm them, and of course, guide them to the love of God and neighbor? Children listen and we want to try to give them words of hope and promise and not words of fear and discouragement about the world they live in or the life of the Church. Our children have many more years on earth and are just starting out. May our words provide a positive framework for our them. Our words matter, even if our children roll their eyes at times.
• Our Blessed Carlo Acutis, who was from Milan, Italy and died at age 15 on October 12, 2006, and has become known as the Saint in Sneakers! He loved cats, dogs, soccer, video games, and the computer. Carlo was an outgoing youth and full of kind words and hope. He led a holy life and made a difference daily as a child and teenager. He was always seeking out the one who needed help and often befriended peers who had trouble making friends or “fitting in”. Carlo gives us hope in how we use our words to help others, as he would remind others to speak in respectful tones. The book entitled, Blessed Carlo Acutis, by Courtney Mares is an excellent and delightful read about the life of this hopeful and positive-minded saint.

In the Stranger

The people we come into contact with and we do not know, provides us with a perfect opportunity to take advantage of this grace-filled moment to reach out and spread hope. We want to remind our children that all people are loved by God and God wants all to know Him.  When we grasp the grace to do right by others and are charitable, we are actually participating in the discipleship of Jesus our Savior. This is an exciting challenge on our Christian journey as the Holy Spirit gives us the graces we need to serve others as Jesus did. We can offer all we do to the Father as Jesus did. May our Confirmation candidates seize this challenge! Mother Teresa saw Christ in every human being God placed before her eyes. May we join her and many believers in seeing Christ in the stranger.

• While we are traveling in the family car, taxi, or foot, we can pray for a stranger we pass by, perhaps at a bus stop, at a red light, a construction site, and many other areas we pass. A traveling Hail Mary can do wonders for a soul.
• We can allow someone to go ahead of us when exiting a building, a parking lot, entering a church or on a buffet line. Children need to see this.
• Lighting a candle in the church for a stranger in need spreads our faith a little further.
• A favorite and popular charity are the food drives at our churches or outside supermarkets along with clothing and toy drives. Since some (or sometimes many) that live within our five mile radius go to bed lacking the basics of what they need, this is always a good and wonderful deed to participate in.
• An oldie but goodie is to make the Sign of the Cross when we see flashing lights from an ambulance, fire truck, or police car and of course when we pass by a church as God surely is there.

**The HOPE here is to let our children know that they can always do something good for God and neighbor. Situations are never hopeless if we walk in faith. Relish in the overflowing graces God gives us to make a difference!

In Scripture we reflect…

“They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”

Isaiah 40:31