Bringing our children to the foot of the Cross

As Lent approaches, we recall that this is a very special time set aside to reflect on Jesus Christ — to consider his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial, and resurrection.

In the Gospel of John 3:16, we are reminded that “… God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

God our Father gave us his son Jesus (his Word become flesh; his “incarnate” word) to live in our midst; to walk alongside us (as in the road to Emmaus); to celebrate with us as He did at the wedding feast at Cana; to cry with us (like at the tomb of his friend Lazarus) to eat with us (as he did at the Last Supper) and to leave us his Mother Mary at the foot of the cross, that we too might come to her. “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son. Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother.” John 19: 26, 27.

Perhaps during this Lenten season, we can reflect on how this connects with our family life. How can we bring our children “to the foot of the cross” so that they can connect their everyday life with what Jesus continues to teach us through His life, death and resurrection?

Pope Francis tells us families, “When the man and his wife made the mistake and distanced themselves from God, God did not leave them alone. There was so much love, so much love that He began to walk with humanity. He began to walk with His people, until the fullness of time arrived, and He gave the greatest sign of His love, His Son.

“And His Son, where did He send Him? To a palace? To a city, to start a business? He sent Him to a family! God came into the world in a family. And he was able to do this because this family was a family that had its heart open to love, that had the doors open to love.

“God always knocks at the door of hearts. He likes to do this. It comes from his heart. But, do you know what he likes best? To knock on the doors of families and find families that are united, to find families that love each other, to find the families that bring up their children and educate them and help them to keep going forward and that create a society of goodness, of truth, and of beauty.”

Perhaps a couple of ways that we can assist our children to come to recognize God’s love through how Jesus teaches, guides, and protects them is (1) by bringing them to “hear” Jesus’ words through reading a few lines from the gospels daily at meal times (2) by bringing them to the Table of the Lord, to Mass, regularly knowing that it might not always be effortless. I venture to say that many families, if not most, struggle with “getting” children and family members to Mass sometimes either because they are too young to understand and appreciate, or think they have outgrown the need, or late, or apathetic, or grumpy or sleepy, or many other reasons. And yet, once we are all at Mass together, there is a “sigh of relief.” “Here they are, Lord. I bring them to your temple so they can hear and learn from your Word; I bring them here to your table so that they can be nourished by your Body and Blood; I bring them here to the foot of your cross, so they too might learn self-emptying love and to learn that, as St. Francis says: “It is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

May the Holy Spirit guide us this Lenten season to better know, love and serve our Heavenly Father by better knowing, loving and serving his son Jesus.

Lydia Pesina is the director of the Family Life Office