Throughout the year, we present an article in the bulletin each week on a variety of topics, written by a member of our Parish staff or ministries on a rotating basis.
What Are You Doing To Raise Up Saints In Our Parish?
by Gwen Heithaus, Coordinator of Religious Education
Every year we as a Church celebrate All Saints Day, a day on which we honor all of the saints, named and unnamed, who are praying for us in heaven now. I love teaching the school children about saints. The saints provide so many role models for them to connect with, and I try to expose them to different saints so that they can find someone they see aspects of themselves in. I do this to try to relay to them the incredibly important message that we are ALL called to be saints.
One of the jobs we have as a parish community is to bring one another closer to Christ. In other words, we are called to encourage each other to become saints. What are you doing to further that mission? Parents and grandparents, how are you helping your children realize their call to become a saint? Here are some practical suggestions that might help you start:
Help make sure the children in our community are receiving the sacraments. Make sure that your kids and grandkids are able to get to Mass every weekend. Offer to walk your next door neighbor to confession on Saturdays at 3:30. Pick up an adoration shift (or stop in for 10 minutes!) on Thursdays. The sacraments are God’s gift to us that are meant to bring us closer to him.
Share your faith experiences with the children in your life. Ask one of the kids you see at Donut Sunday what they heard Fr. John or Fr. Patrick say during the homily, and let them know what you heard. Call your grandchild and ask them where they saw Jesus working that week. I ask the kids at school these exact questions – their answers will amaze you!
Pray with and for the children you know. Prayer is the most powerful tool in our arsenal when it comes to raising saints. Model for them what it looks like when you take time to talk to God, and expose them to as many forms of prayer as you can find. Our job is to equip our children to develop their personal relationship with God. They cannot do that if we do not teach them how.
All Saints Day is a reminder for us of our call not only to be saints, but also to raise saints. We are lucky to have a parish and community filled with children who are open to the work of Christ in their lives. Let’s capitalize on this and help prepare them to become saints.