Light of Faith and Reason and the Grace of the Beginnings of Life

Situation Today

Today, a new challenge is thrown open to the Church in India to dedicate her time and attention to those infants and children who study in international, public or other schools managed by members of other religions. Another challenge is the growing number of children belonging to inter-religious or inter-faith families. Devising ways and means of catechizing the illiterate and school drop-out children remains another challenge.

Source: National Catechetical Directory, No. 59, CCBI Center, Bangalore, 2015

 

Catechesis of Children

The Catechesis of children begins with Christian Initiation that is inaugurated at Baptism. The catechetical process in infancy aims to inculcate a sense of trust, freedom, prayer and learning. Formation in Faith and development of Christian personality begins from the first months of a child’s life. The parents’ affective relationship with their little one during the first months of life prepares the ground for a healthy integrated relationship with self, God and others.
 

The infant continues to be catechized by what is felt, seen and touched. Watching parents, particularly the mother in recollection and prayer is a learning experience. The sense of wonder develops especially during the childhood and it can foster a sense of the greatness, goodness and love of God as Creator and provident Father.
 

An effective type of Catechesis for the young child is the communicators’ (father and mother) loving and unconditional acceptance of the child. This proclamation is done more by deeds and attitudes than by words. This “infant evangelization” of the child by being lovingly accepted, valued and nurtured for itself is so vitally necessary that its effects last a lifetime. This is the time children begin to imbibe moral values from parents and elders: values of kindness, generosity in sharing, respect, truthfulness, justice, forgiveness etc.
 

At this age children are ready to begin sharing directly in the Church and to be admitted to the sacraments of Christian Initiation. They are ready to enter progressively into a personal relationship with God: Father, Son and Spirit. Childhood is the time to begin a Catechesis aimed at deepening the personal relationship of the child with the three Divine Persons of the Trinity, the formation in a life of personal prayer. It is the time to awaken an authentic Christian moral sense; one that develops within a personal relationship with God, and with others. Childhood is the best time to let the children know that God has a dream for them and they need to get to know what He wants them to be in life.
 

Source: National Catechetical Directory, No. 228, CCBI Center, Bangalore, 2015