By Susan Ciancio
I recently met some cradle Catholics who had a very limited knowledge of our faith. Don’t get me wrong; they love the Church, and they love being a part of it. They just haven’t ever studied it much, and they are so busy with family activities that they feel they have no time to learn. For someone who works in a Church-related field, it seems almost foreign.
I encouraged them to become involved in Church groups, as I know firsthand how wonderful they can be, and I have met a great group of women in some. But it made me think about the fact that we all need education in our faith, especially if we want to enhance and live our pro-life values.
This education starts at home in our families, and it includes our kids. So we have put together a list of seven things you can do as a family to enrich your faith, strengthen your pro-life beliefs, and build moral courage in every member of your family.
Of course, we will start with CLSP.
1. Download booklets from the Culture of Life Studies Program
CLSP offers downloadable booklets for kids in preK through 12th grade on various topics, all of which teach culture-of-life values in age-appropriate ways. Topics include the lives of saints, kindness, compassion, the sanctity of life, marriage, learning about people with disabilities, and more.
2. Read the Bible
There are many family-friendly Bibles available. Choose one that fits the most ages in your household and spend just five to ten minutes a day reading aloud from it. Don’t forget to chat about the story or the teaching afterward. And don’t stop there; implement the lesson into your week so it’s more memorable.
3. Listen to faith-filled podcasts
A quick Google search will show that there are a ton to choose from. To get you started, check out these lists from Life Teen or from Epic Pew. They offer age-appropriate ideas for kids. You could also check out the Let Love podcast from the Sisters of Life. This is perfect for teens and adults; the sisters are full of joy and wonderful advice.
4. Have a pro-life movie night
Grab the popcorn or your favorite snack and put on a movie with a pro-life theme. We have an extensive list on our site, and we even offer discussion guides so you can talk about the themes of the movie afterward.
5. Pray
Make or decorate a jar and keep it somewhere accessible. Place a pad of paper next to it so you can write prayer intentions on a slip of paper and add them to the jar whenever you think of someone who needs prayers. At the end of each day, pull a few out and say prayers for each of the intentions. You can also use this as a time to talk about the importance of prayer and what to do when we receive a “no” or “not yet” to our prayer requests.
6. Learn about saints
Read aloud from a book about saints. Celebrate special feast days. Watch a movie about a saint. Then discuss as a family how you can emulate some of your favorite saints.
7. Family service day
Volunteer as a family on a regular basis. You can help at a shelter for pregnant moms or at a homeless shelter, in a CCE program, or at a pregnancy resource center. Or you can help an elderly parish member or neighbor with a home-improvement project. As a family, talk about how it’s our job to care for others and to live the Corporal Works of Mercy.
As pro-life Catholics, it is our responsibility to pass these values on to our children and help them not only live these values but allow them to see us living them. If we want our children to grow up understanding the sanctity of life and to respect all human beings—from creation until death—we must teach these lessons from the time they are small. The best time to start is now.