…still infants in Christ.
… fed with milk, not solid food…
1 Cor 3
You may have remembered yesterday as we officially entered the season of spring here in NZ, that the old English word for spring gives it name to the pre-Easter season of growth we know as Lent.
The growth that healthy humans seek is not a random expansion in every direction driven by disordered human appetites. Instead the maturation we long for is a sound formation that enables our life on earth to become abundant. (ref. John 10:10) As St. Irenaeus put it: “The glory of God, is the human person fully living.”
In the early stages of our life we think and talk and pray as children in a relationship with Jesus that is well-suited to our childish hopes and fears. Over the decades we grow and mature in many ways becoming more intelligent, physically agile, emotionally secure and socially adept.
These signs of maturity are often prompted by the complex realities of adult life. The one who successfully and healthily negotiates the challenges of life (even with wrong turnings and many mistakes) moves forward in maturity.
Whenever a child experiences a taste of the ups and downs of adult life we jump at the chance to teach them skills that will help them to deal with similar emotions and situations in twenty and fifty years.
However too many adult Christians feel that the faith that sustained them as children is no longer robust enough to meet the demands and ups and downs of adult life. They feel as though their growth in faith has not kept up with their growth in other ways.
This awareness is a great moment of opportunity for us and the next step for one who suspects there may be a new stage of faith ahead is simply asking Jesus to lead the way. He never misses an invitation.
As a small child I was taught some complex adult prayers that made little sense to me as a five year old, but I liked the fact that I was praying in the same words as big people who I respected, in words and phrases also used by ancestors who had lived a few centuries before me.
As a small child I was taught:
“Soul of Christ, sanctify me, body of Christ save me, blood of Christ inebriate me…”
“Inebriate?” Of course I had no idea what that word meant back then, but I grew into it and now this is my prayer every time I receive communion.
As a toddler I was also taught phrases of prayer that will be familiar to many:
“…anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, sought thy intercession…”
“The word became flesh – and dwells among us”
“…kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.”
Many of the words and the meanings made no sense to me when I learned them, but even as a little kid I knew beyond all doubt that I was praying, and as I grew older and grew to know the meaning of the big words (inebriate, implored, intercession, kindle etc). I found I had a repertoire of prayers that I could grow into rather than (like many childhood prayers) grow out of, and these were prayers which in their words (learnt by heart by the child) carried the greatest truths of human existence.
A few years ago I was challenged by this six minute video clip. Brian Holdsworth encourages us to lead children into an experience of faith that will sustain them as adults.
Even if you have seen this before it is well worth watching again.
An Invitation:
- Take a moment to recall prayers that you learnt as a child. You might be surprised at the ones which come back to you and that you remember by heart. These prayers are not only a great faith-link with your childhood, but also with people across the generations who also lived in relationship with Jesus. You might like to re-claim one of these old favourite prayers to use in your prayer this week.
- As many of us continue these days as a retreat-in-daily-life, this simple morning and evening reflection might be helpful. Try it on waking in the morning before getting out of bed, or last thing at night after turning out the light.
- Email john@fff.org.nz with your initials to join those taking these few days as a simple retreat-in-daily-life, and to invite others to keep you in prayer. Click the image to enlarge.
Amen
When my husband died and I needed my faith more than ever but I had no words for God as I was so numb and full of fear, those old rote prayers plus the rosary were what I went back to. Nearly six years on I still wake up every morning and the first thing I go to is: Good morning dear Jesus this day is for you and I ask you to bless all I think, say and do.
What a lovely morning prayer. Thank you for sharing.
Yes Father I remember them all plus the Jesus ,Mary & Joseph prayer at night taught to me as a 4 or 5 yr old by my Grandmother. All these prayers are still part of my prayer routine as they are very personal to me . I’m 72 yrs & I can’t see them fading out of my life now.
I too say The Anima Christi Prayer at Holy Communion time.
Just so meaningful and beautiful.
The Sucipe prayer and The Surrender prayer also are the words of Saints given to inspire us.
Thank you again John for your wonderful emails. God bless you.
Wow. The only prayer I was taught. Was God bless Mummy and Daddy and……….etc. Our Father was taught at ccd. The some total of Childrens prayer. I also loved pictures in the bible and stations of the cross. The statues also made a big impression. I imagined them praying for us through eternity. I did observe my Nana faithfully making church her cornerstone. Mass and pilgrimages. I was wondering if this is why I seek quite and non verbal prayer and passionatly fell over Christian songs to balance that. I learnt latter how she took food to struggling families and also took children in for a few days respite at pressure points in families. Giving hope and love. Mmmm food for thought to help our youth. What resources do you suggest for accessing the theologians spoken about in the video today.
I connect with the idea of some prayers that remain with us for a life time but surely they can be ones that have relevance for today not just old prayers that have to go on forever there meaning might endure but I’m sure the meaning has expanded over time and place. Was not impressed with video surely the resurrection is the point of the cross not the cross for the cross’s sake. I would rather my grandchildren had pictures of life everlasting rather than death. Jesus came so we can have life and live it abundantly here and now.
I took children’s liturgy
For 12yrs, in that time I
Learnt more in my heart,
( a ” holy spirit gift”)
than all the scripture groups I went to. So special a gift
Thankyou LORD,
for reminding my heart
To remember the gifts
Given to all,to make our
Journey to heaven place a smile in our hearts.
These food for Faith emails
Are “just as special”
for our journeys
God Bless,Fr John