Parents, You Are Responsible for the Souls of Your Children
Jesus tells us in the Gospel that a good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit (Matt. 7:17-18). In the same way, a good father raises good children. But if the parents are immoral, how can the children grow up to be virtuous? Can you expect to harvest grapes from thorns? Of course not.
So let’s be honest: it’s rare to find holy and upright children who were raised by careless or sinful parents.
Parents, pay attention. Your children’s eternal salvation, and your own, depends on whether or not you take this responsibility seriously. And you young men and women who are discerning marriage: if you want to become a parent one day, you must understand that God will hold you accountable for how you raise your children. Fail in this duty, and you may very well drag not only your children to Hell, but yourself as well.
Part One: The Eternal Importance of Raising Children in Virtue
Every father and mother has two key duties to their children:
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To provide for their material needs.
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To raise them in the habits of Christian virtue.
The first doesn’t need much explanation. A parent who squanders money on selfish pleasures while his children go hungry is acting more like a wild beast than a human being. But let’s focus on the second duty: education in virtue.
Your children’s eternal future, whether they grow up to be … Read the rest
