From the Parish Priest – Fr. Romey Rosco
After we were attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001, President Bush asked Congress to create a Department of Homeland Security, whose job it would be to do everything possible to protect the people of this country. We have remained relatively safe from terrorism, at least until we let our guard down again.
During this time (and well before) our individual households have been under attack through the media (including the internet), causing the desecration of the family and the secure haven we call “home.” We need a plan for “home security” that will keep outside forces from endangering our children and poisoning their (and our) minds. (Let’s face it: we too are influenced by the media.)
Take charge of your children’s entertainment and their use of the internet. Do not allow the producers of movies, TV and CDs to dictate what your children will watch and listen to. Be responsible parents, and don’t be duped into believing that others care about your children’s welfare. They don’t care.
Be determined to give balance to your children’s lives by exposing them to the Lord and His teachings. Bring them to Sunday School and Church because you DO care. They will not be taught Christian morality in school, nor at the movies or on the internet. They can only get it through your stubborn insistence. As you teach them, by word and by example, they will learn the Christian way of life. If you want them to pray, show them how, and pray yourself. If you want them to like going to church, show them the positive effect it has on you. If you want them to confess their sins, then confess your own. What you do as the adult figure in their life will influence them as children and as adults.
Know who your children’s friends are. Do they follow the same standards you have set for your own children? Naturally, they will have their peers at school. But you can balance that with other friends at home.
Listen to your children when they talk to you. Help them to confide in you when they feel the need. And you don’t have to respond to everything they say. Be a good listener, and be ready to advise them at the proper times. What you say to your children in personal conversation will have the most effect on them as they develop.
In securing their place in the Promised Land, Moses warned the people of God, saying:
“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and YOU SHALL TEACH THEM DILLIGENTLY TO YOUR CHILDREN, AND SHALL TALK OF THEM WHEN YOU SIT IN YOUR HOUSE, AND WHEN YOU WALK BY THE WAY, AND WHEN YOU LIE DOWN AND WHEN YOU RISE.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
Fight the terrorism inside your door! Turn your family away from evil that lurks within. Teach your children; talk to them. Help them walk through a secure childhood on into responsible Christian adulthood.
From The Weekly Bulletin, Vol. XXXIII No. 16, 16 April 2006
Sts. Peter & Paul Romanian Orthodox Church, Dearborn Heights MI
