Contributed article:

From experience within local families, parents are entitled to offer their help in the education of their children especially in the environment of the Catholic or Christian faith.

But do we live in accordance to a Catholic / Christian life, keeping with the Gospel and especially with God’s commandments, so as to get enriched in any other form of teaching, that is the love of God and neighbor? Some could use the Parish Community so as to enrich their children in catechism teachings (Refs: CCC # 2226). In my observation at local restaurants I rarely seen parents making the sign of the cross before taking their meal – Why? Are we shy to expose our selves being Catholics ?

Then I suspect that they probably do not say their daily prayers at home before meals, and I wonder how many are those that do the sign of the holy cross before starting to eat, before they go to sleep. It’s also most important for our children to be helped and to teach them as to say their night prayers, morning prayer, and prayer before meals too.

The reading of the word of God is also an important factor as this does strengthen one’s marriage in future (CCC # 2205). This applies also to both parents, so as to pass what they may have learned to their children, so that they too would have a solid foundation for a better life in the future. But are we actually encouraging our children to do these things? And what about newly married couples are they aware of these duties and do they do them themselves too?

Recently we meet a newlywed couple and when I asked them about the ten commandments and which are those that they have to observe and obey. such as the 4th; 6th and the 9th. They started looking at each other as they forgot them all (Deut 5:6-21). Well the 4th is that they have to honor their father and mother at all times and what ever their out come had been or was before or after marriage. Then the 6th was that they should not commit adultery and that the 9th commandment was that we shall not covet our neighbor’s wife.

One of them replied, well if my wife goes out with another person [see 6th commandment] do you expect me to say, “have you enjoyed the evening, but don’t I try to find another partner to live with and separate from my wife as quickly as possible”

Well, my reply was that first of all, she had broken the 6th commandment, and should have repented and went for confession. Then her husband was in duty bound to forgive her and if he was the cause to this, to regulate his attitude. So these are what is missing in our Catholic society, lack of understanding, knowledge of the commandment and lack the knowledge that we have to forgive and forget the grievance of others.

I do understand, that it would have been very hard to forgive after that experience, but that is our faith. If one cannot live by our Christian faith, then he/she is not following the footsteps of Christ and cannot be called a Christian.

In the beginnings I mentioned catechism teachings (Refs: CCC # 2226) of religion to our Children, and this point is most important, because, this is the basement focal point of our religion. Unless we give a solid formation to our children from an early stage, and until they are well in their teen years too, because they have to be continuously updated and helped so that they would then can practice these while giving or pass this knowledge to their children in future.

Miss Claire Tyler, the chief executive of RELATE, stated that the relationship in counseling “must be done so as to help these fragile relationship of our modern times if one is prepared to survive these marriage difficult years.” Are we in Malta preparing our couples in such marriage-counselling relationship courses as recommended ? Neither does one recommend getting married while too young and such courses would help. Therefore, it’s about time to start such counseling in our country.

But I ask did our fore-fathers and mothers learned enough to be able as to pass this knowledge to their children. If not, then that was the cause of this situation – Could it have been the lack of proper formation from an early stage up to when they are well over the teens, maybe courting with a partner? If you are a true Christian or Catholic, do thing that such a knowledge, could it have been useful? What are your opinion on this matter, do you agree, or you think that religion is now not a necessity of these years?

John J