“The impressions of childhood are never obliterated.” – St. Frances Cabrini
St. Frances Cabrini’s insight illustrates the importance of instituting values and beliefs when children are young, for what people learn in childhood shapes their lives. That education includes lessons in our faith.
If we want to create a society where all are respected and cherished and where abortion, euthanasia, and other threats to life are unthinkable, we must teach these valuable lessons to children. But because we don’t want to destroy the innocence of children, we must first lay a foundation of respect for all people, a willingness to do good for others, and a love for the faith, including the sacraments.
Pro-life and faith-based education in fun and engaging ways are paramount to creating the next pro-life generation. Children are never too young to learn about Catholicism and why our faith teaches that we should respect all human beings from the moment of creation.
The role of the sacraments
The grace we receive from the sacraments is vital if we are to overcome the challenges and temptations we face and that undermine the respect for all human beings. It is through the sacraments that we receive the grace to live lives of love, compassion, courage, and justice, which are essential for defending the dignity of all human beings, especially the vulnerable. Further, these graces are integral to the Catholic Church’s mission of building a culture of life, where all must be protected from creation until death.
As parents, we understand that we receive special graces from each of the sacraments, especially the ones that we can receive regularly, like confession and the Eucharist. And we know that a child who falls in love with the sacraments is more likely to remain steadfast in the faith as she grows. So when we see tools that help our children fall in love with the faith, we must embrace them. Some of those tools include books.
One author in particular caught my eye recently, as her books on the sacraments help build that foundation so desperately needed today.
Claudia Cangilla McAdam, a lifelong Catholic, mother of two, and grandmother to 10, understands the importance of raising children in the faith. And her latest series of books helps parents do just that.
McAdam has written over 30 books for children and teens, but her latest series about the sacraments helps foster that love of the sacraments that will give children the grace to grow spiritually so they can go out into the world and evangelize.
McAdam, who studied theology and sacred scripture at the Denver Catholic Biblical School and the Augustine Institute, said that she did so to better incorporate the truths of the faith in her writing.
This is the knowledge that fuels each of her books, especially those on the sacraments.
Why books about the sacraments?
Though she’s written many books on Catholicism and that give children a glimpse into Catholic history, her latest four books, which discuss confession confirmation, the Eucharist, and baptism, solidify the importance of the sacraments.
Each of these books has its own special way of helping kids learn to use the graces conferred by the sacraments to strengthen their faith life and then to go out and live it.
For example, in A Miracle for Micah, a book about reconciliation and forgiveness, a young boy named Micah comes face to face with Jesus after he has stolen some fish. Jesus lovingly looks at him and asks, “What kind of person are you becoming, Micah?” This wake-up call about who he wants to be is enough to help Micah understand that his behavior was wrong and that he must repent.
In The Day God’s Helper Came, a young girl named Hannah, living at the time of Christ’s crucifixion, faces bullying and persecution for her belief in Christ. She wants to run away and hide but then finds herself in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit descends upon the Apostles and other disciples. Through the Holy Spirit, she gains the courage to go out and proclaim her faith.
In The Real Presence, two cousins—Abigail and Zedekiah—whose families work in different trades, argue about which is better, bread or grapes. They hear Jesus tell His disciples that they must eat His body and drink His blood, and they see the confusion that entails. The cousins are also confused, and Zedekiah suggests that the people misunderstood Jesus. Abigail disagrees, saying, “If He meant something different, He would have explained” and “He would have kept them from leaving.” She finishes by saying, “I trust him. . . . Even if I don’t understand how it is possible.” Then one night, they help prepare a meal for Jesus and His Apostles, and they see Jesus bless the bread and wine and again state that He is the living bread. Only then do they finally understand that He is giving us Himself in the Eucharist.
In her latest book, Through Living Waters, McAdam explores the fact that we have life with Jesus after baptism, as our sins are washed away and we become adopted sons and daughters of Christ.
Each of these life-affirming and inspirational stories resonates with children, as they can identify with the problems and temptations the characters face. They can then use the lessons learned in these books to go out and live faith-filled lives.
Stories like McAdam’s are the impressions of childhood that are never obliterated. They serve as a tether to the faith as children grow and face a world that is often unkind to those who follow Christ. That’s why it’s so crucial to teach these truths to children when they are young. When kids fall in love with receiving the sacraments and when they fear offending God with actions that hurt others, they are more likely to courageously live out the graces they received and continue to receive in the sacraments. That foundation is the key to creating the next pro-life generation.
This article first appeared in LifeSiteNews at lifesitenews.com/blogs/what-is-the-key-to-creating-the-next-pro-life-generation/?utm_source=most_recent&utm_campaign=usa.
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