As we venture through our calendar of days, we find some days are celebrated as Holy days or feast days throughout the entire body of the Holy Mother Church. And then, there are those dates not considered holy by others or even celebrated; and yet to us; they are ranked  as some of the most special of days because they mark the birth of those who mean the most to us…our families, in particular our children….today is one such day in our home….            

As  parents we have an awesome responsibility to help these little ones that the Lord has entrusted to our care. It is part of our duty to guide them in the truth, so they may find their path in this life and  grow in a way that reflects the light of Christ. Often, it is a difficult and a seemingly endless task…with days that no amount of prayer seems to help…I know…but it is precisely at those times, that we, as parents, must direct our eyes and our hearts to the Lord…and instruct our little ones to do the same. We cannot allow our family life to get so distracted with the happenings of the world that we forget to grow our children in the spirit of Jesus Christ. As Catholic parents, we must teach our children the Faith…Help them see the rich beauty that is Our Holy Mother Church. As a family, we should create a domestic church within our homes so that our children live their faith everyday…Not just on Sundays…We must pray together in all things…When a situation arises that causes us worry… we need to replace our anxiety with steadfastness and prayer…When celebrations are worthy of parties (like the special birthdays of our children) …they are definitely worthy of family prayer..Remember…in all things, put God first… teach your children to do the same...God is not an after thought… so don’t treat Him as such…

The family rosary is a building block to creating the domestic church in our homes.

So many people today, think that staying at home with our children is not an important part of our vocation as parents…Rather they tend to think that sending them off to be educated will be enough…that sending them to their Catechism classes will somehow form them in the Lord…but the real responsibility lies with us…the mother…and the father…as parents,  we are called to be the first educators of our children, both in the faith and in worldly things as well…Never trust the world to care about your child’s purity and holiness…because the world will protect neither, and in our young children, will rob them each, of such … As parents we should strive to protect their innocence in all matters… Jesus tells us in the Bible “blessed are the pure of heart…for they shall see God..” Matthew 5:8

A farmer would not release his tender young  lambs to the care of the wolves... yet so often we feel that our children will be okay fending for themselves in a world that wants to prey on their trusting ways and wishes to corrupt their innocent hearts…the secular world is a slaughter house of innocence…

As we celebrate our little one’s milestones and birthdays, (regardless of how big they are) let us always remember to give thanks to God for all of His gifts to us, and let us entrust our children to the Lord and the Blessed Mother. We must be willing to consecrate them to  God and His Will, whatever it may be…We need to  seek protection and guidance for them in all things concerning their lives… especially in matters of their faith… Remember…we have a huge obligation before us….We are called by God to be raising saints… let us offer our prayers… and our birthday wishes for this most special day…

Happy birthday sweet little child. It is our prayer that you will always find joy in the simple things…as you do now…and we pray that you will learn to listen to the quiet voice of God as He guides you on your path in life, and that you will learn to put God first in all of your endeavors.  You know that we love you and always desire what is best for you…we always will…but please, always remember…that no matter what…it is God who created you…and HE loves you more… than this world is capable of allowing you to know__Happy Birthday.