Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr
I have recently found myself spending a lot of time in prayer contemplating the generational impact of our faith. I have found myself thinking about the deposit of faith that was handed down to me by my parents, the ways it has taken seed in me and grown and then the ways that I pass this on to my children, who will hopefully pass it along to their own children. There is a maturing that happens within us as we contemplate the faith of our parents and our childhood. I find myself holding tightly to some of their truths and wrestling with deep, persistent questions about others. I have found that it is in the wrestling (bringing these questions to prayer, to the sacraments, to trusted friends and to God’s word) that a deeper, more sincere and life-giving faith has grown within me.
As I sit with today’s readings, these same contemplations come to mind. In today’s first reading we hear about Abram and the promise the Lord makes to provide him with descendants that will outnumber the stars. Abram not only hears this promise from the Lord, but he acts on faith and believes this promise. He provides the necessary sacrificial offerings and he enters into covenant with the Lord. His choice to enter this covenant with the Lord, to follow in faith, will impact the faith of his offspring and future generations for eternity. His decision to engage with the Lord is not only important for his own well-being but for his current and future family as well. Likewise, our faith and our continued practice of our faith is essential not only for us but for our families and the generations that will come to be.
As we continue reading, today’s Gospel touches on this same theme but approaches it from a different angle. In the Gospel we hear Jesus telling us to beware of false prophets. To be sincere in our practice of the faith and to be sincere in guiding our children in our faith. Furthermore, Jesus tells us that “every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.” In applying this metaphor to Christian parenting, I see that Christ is requiring that parents continuously practice formation for ourselves – to continue to return to the word, the sacraments and prayer. It is through this formation and prayer that we can continue to align ourselves to Christ and the example he provides of service, humility, forgiveness and so much more. When we are rooted in these practices and we bring these practices to our parenting, we will bear good fruit. I also hear in this a challenge to recognize that even when our children act in ways we may not agree with or understand, there is still an inherent goodness in them. In staying rooted in Christ, we will guide our children, BUT just as we had to do, they will make this faith their own. They will cling to some of the truths they are taught and wrestle with and struggle with others. But they, just like us, are on their own journey.
The hope that today’s readings gives me is this - that I, as a parent, may teach my children how to connect with Christ, through prayer, the sacraments and the Word, and that through this they will learn the tools to develop an interior prayer life and in time develop a mature, personal faith of their own, keeping them connected to the faith of their parents and the generations before them.
-AJ Grimm