Children as a Foundation of the Culture of Life
A poet said, “April is the cruelest month,” but sometimes it seems for priests that September can be the cruelest month, with so much coming at us all at once. One of our difficulties is trying to put together a consistent catechesis for our schools. It can be difficult to go from grade one to grade eight with the different messages one after another. I’m suggesting a different kind of catechesis that can be followed through and is solidly in line with the teaching of the Church.
A catechesis based on the Gospel of Life can really work! It’s not enough to just deal with controversies in the upper elementary schools or high schools. Instead, we must build solid foundations. Children and young people love to talk about their families. We need to talk to them about these and other matters.
A good question to begin with is, “Where did you begin? What is a person anyway?” A famous story to read is Horton Hears a Who, in which Dr. Seuss says, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” This focuses us on the serious issues – justice, consistency of life ethics, and charity, etc.
One of the great gifts of young people is an openness of heart. They are incredibly charitable. It’s a good chance for us to build upon those instincts. When we talk about sharing, even little children can understand it. How do you protect a baby?
Young people also know about justice. For them, it is couched in terms of fairness. They become indignant about injustice. We can then apply it to all sorts of people - the disadvantaged, the poor, the elderly, the sick, the disabled, the preborn. We should challenge young people - don’t just feel something. Do something. We should encourage schools to pivot to acts of Catholic charity. It’s always a good thing when teenagers are willing to take time to unpack gifts of food and supplies at the local Saint Vincent de Paul pantry or to help prepare portable meals. Mother Teresa said, “To see the poor face to face tonight”. That can happen with teaching about the preborn. It can be very effective if it’s part of our teaching that children bring in their own ultrasound pictures.
A display of these earliest pictures is a powerful visual example of a consistent ethic of life. Instead of just talking about terms, they can see they were present then and they’re present now. Humanity can be a slippery concept for young people to grasp, but “they know it when they see it”, as the old saying goes.
The other virtue to teach is justice. We need not just to be fair to everyone, but to help people rise above their difficulties. Having a family, keeping it together, raising a family is hard work, but a good work. Children know this. Building a culture of life and love means helping children know what a family is. We need to speak in terms they can understand and use practical examples. Each generation must be won again for Christ. Though these living stones look small, they, too, are essential for the foundations of the new Jerusalem.
Fr. Tom Lynch (PFLC National President)