One morning after Holy Mass, a ten- year- old lad approached me along with his parents. "Today is my birthday," he said. "Father, please pray for me." While I was conversing with the parents, I came to understand that all their children were taught to celebrate their birthdays with active participation in the Holy Eucharist. They would then meet the priest to ask for a special blessing. During these days when parents celebrate the birthdays of children on a royal scale, shelling out thousands of rupees, forgetting to thank God for the gift of the children, the fact that there are, still, such sensible families, made me very happy.

Several parents complain sadly these days that by the time children reach High School, they have become disobedient, arrogant, negligent; they give up prayer and the Sacraments. If we examine how these parents have brought up their children up till now, one thing will become very clear. They have made no conscious effort to draw their children close to God. Some even neglect to send them for the Catechism class so that they can go for tuition, with only one aim in view- to make them great according to worldly standards. There are parents who do not show a fraction of the interest they have in providing their children with good education, the best of food, clothing and recreation, in the matter of bringing them up in the fear of God.

It is God's commandment to give faith formation to children. "Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise"( Deut 6: 6- 7). It is clear from the above that it is chiefly the duty of the parents to give them proper faith formation. Parents should have devotion to God in their heart. This devotion should be transmitted carefully to the children at all times- when they are at home, while travelling, on rising and retiring to bed. Only then will piety and a correct sense of values take root in children.

This has a psychological aspect as well. The values transmitted to the child along with breast- feeding are the values that remain permanently and firmly in the child. The values imbibed at this time become a part of the sub- conscious mind. Thus, those who receive a strong faith formation in their infancy, gradually become entrenched in a life of faith, even if they are to suffer some aberrations in their teens or youth.

There is a word of God that parents can take as an ideal in giving faith formation to their children. It indicates how Jesus grew up. "Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, in divine and human favour"( Lk 2: 52). Yes, may our children grow in wisdom and age and in the favour of God and men!