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 mystery of
the triune God. It starts with the basic teachings of God as the Trinity of
persons, and moves to the mystery of the human family. A listing of the
teaching points follows, and concludes with some ideas of how you might present
these concepts.
·
There is one God and there are three persons in the one God. Each
of these persons is fully God.
·
We
call this mystery of three persons in one God, The Most Holy Trinity.
·
The
three persons in the Holy Trinity are: God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit.
·
God
the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are a communion of Persons, in
a sense, the first family and have loved each other perfectly from all
eternity.
·
Because
God makes us in His image and likeness, He creates us to be part of a family.
·
God
gave us mothers and fathers, either biological or adoptive, to love us and take
care of us, body and soul, and to help us become the loving persons that God
wants us to be.
·
When
a man and a woman marry, they become husband and wife and can begin a new
family.
·
Children
are the greatest gifts that God can give to a family.
·
As
children, we show our love through obedience to God and our parents.
·
Our
grandparents and other relatives also love us and help us to be who God wants
us to be.
·
As
God's children, we are called to be part of a larger family, the Church.
·
This
loving family of God includes the Blessed Mother, the holy angels, all human
beings in heaven (the saints), and the holy souls in Purgatory.
·
We
should pray to God our loving Father, the Blessed Mother,
1.
Share
the story of St. Patrick with your child, and how he used a 3-leaf clover to
help explain the mystery of the Trinity to the King of Ireland. As a young man,
Patrick was captured as a slave and taken from his home to
Irish and bring them the Catholic faith. Years later he did return. When
meeting with the King, he told him how God was one divine nature and three
persons. The shamrock or clover helped to show this as it had three distinct
petals, but formed a single whole shamrock.
2.
Speak
about family life. Together look at your child's family photo album with
pictures of them as a baby and at their baptism. You could help the child to
create a family tree with the names of your extended family.
3.
Praying
the Hail Mary, with reference to the Holy Family, and the prayer: Angel of God.
Use this prayer invoking your child's guardian angel to explain how God watches
over them, and how others in their life also serve to protect the, like
parents, teachers, police, firemen, school crossing guards, etc.