…how many sacraments he has received?” one little boy said with such sincerity as he held up his My Book of the Seven Sacraments. For all of the children, SACRAMENT was a new vocabulary word, and after several attempts they were pronouncing sacrament with clarity and fluency. For them, at the “age of reason” they are becoming more aware of their faith journey towards a growing awareness of the sacraments. Sacrament, a sacred sign pointing to a deeper reality that our children will encounter again and again for the rest of their lives.

Living in the present…for the rest of this week look for those special moments to help your child grow in his/her understanding of the sacraments, especially Baptism, Reconciliation and Eucharist.

Take a closer look at how your child illustrated the candle that was used at his/her Baptism.  Sometime this week, use your child’s baptismal candle for night time prayer. Watch the flame flicker as the shadows dance off the walls. Talk about its light, and warmth as the candle burns brightly against the darkness of night. Share faith with your child, that the little candle which burnt so brightly at his/her Baptism reminds you, our family that Jesus is Light, and his light and warmth takes away our fears. Jesus, the Christ, the Light of the World is always with us; giving us light to find our way when we feel lost and alone. Through our Baptism we too are called to be light-bearers.  Invite your child to share how he/she helps brighten someone’s day.

As a little girl, I recall my mother saying to me often at night prayers, “God only loaned you to us.” Only with the passing of time did I grow to understand and appreciate her profound message. God has planted a seed of faith in each one of our children. God so generously gives us the graces needed to nurture that seed of faith. Let us pray that we may respond most generously to nurture the faith within our children each and every day.