Dear Parents,
The Church states with confidence
that parents are the primary educators of their children. This is most true
when we speak of the religious education of your children. This teaching flows
from the natural bond that exists between parent and child, and from the very
basis of our faith. You know your child best. While many parents seek the
assistance of others to impart some of the systematic elements of education in
faith, in Catholic schools or in parish religious education programs, you
retain the primary duty to form your children in the faith. From you, your
children will learn their first prayers, and with you they will first
experience the worship of God. They also need to learn from you how to live
responsibly in this world. This series is intended to assist parents in the
formation of their children in the virtue of chastity.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) introduces the discussion
of chastity by calling it a "vocation". (See CCC #2337 ff) Chastity
is the virtue where by we regulate our use of sexual activity in accord with
our state in life. We want to emphasize the good elements of the Christian life
that are ours as followers of Jesus Christ. Every disciple observes chastity,
though the manner of how it is observed varies according to our state in life.
The married person, the priest, and the young person all observe chastity,
though in different ways. For example, a young man or woman may begin to date
in their later teen years, something that is inappropriate for either a priest
or married person. We want our children to grow up with a proper, healthy and
holy understanding of themselves and their gift of human sexuality.
This program is based on the
premise that parents know their children, where they are in their own personal
development, and can best judge when their child is ready for specific lessons
or information. The natural innocence of young children may be protected in
this way. During the first four grades, parents will be the teachers. There is
one classroom lesson for grade 1. For each year, we will provide a series of
ideas and recommendations for you to review with your children. These will
outline some of the basic concepts that are building blocks to understanding a
chaste life and one that looks forward to a holy family life for their future.
In later grades (5 to 8), we will assist parents with some classroom activity
to support part of what they will be teaching at home.
The
basic theme is the human person as a child of God. It starts with simple
concepts and moves to the gift of the Lord to us in the sacramental life, and
how we reverence these gifts of God by care for the body we have been given. A
listing of the teaching points follows, and concludes with some ideas of how
you might present these concepts.
·
God made human beings in His image and likeness.
·
As
human beings, we can know things and we can freely choose based on what we
know.
·
God
gave us this gift of free will to choose what is good.
·
When
we choose to disobey God's will, then we sin.
·
Going
to Mass every week and receiving Holy Communion gives us the grace to do God's
will. It is only in doing God's will that we can be truly happy.
·
If
you go to Confession often, (once a month would be a good goal), you will find
that it gradually becomes easier to choose what is good, because of the grace
that God gives you in this sacrament.
·
Grace
is a special gift that God gives people to share in His life and love.
·
Grace
helps us to do what God wants us to do.
·
Because
God made us in His image, we are good.
·
Because
God made our bodies, we should take good care of them, for example, we should
wash our hands before we eat, we should comb our hair, and we should brush our
teeth.
·
We
are to share God's goodness with others.
·
God
the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit love each other.
·
Because
we are made in God's image, He wants us to love Him and to love others, too.
·
God
loves us so much that He became one of us.
·
When
God the Son became man, He was still God. Jesus is true God and true man.
·
Mary
is the mother of Jesus.
·
Jesus
loved and obeyed
·
Jesus
gave us Mary to be our mother, too. Our Blessed Mother leads us to Jesus and
she helps us to love and obey Him.
1.
The
parent explains to the child that we are created in the image of God and are to
live as a child of God. Illustrate this idea by using a mirror or compact and
have the child see how clear their image is. Then sprinkle some powder over the
mirror. Have the child look at the mirror again, noting how the powder clouds
their image. The powder, clouding the person's image is like sin. By wiping the
powder away,
we also see the operation of the Sacrament of Penance, cleansing us of our
sins, and restoring the beauty that was present before sin.
2.
Talk
about and create a good hygiene plan. It is important to keep oneself healthy, as our body is a gift from God. Create a
healthy food list for shopping and pick out at least one item from the list and
have the child help in the preparation of this healthy food for dinner.
3.
Speak
of a mother's love for her child, and tell him or her of Mary and her love for
the child Jesus. Pray together the Hail Mary.