“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Anytime we ask a child this question, we could get a variety of responses, ranging from ridiculous to serious. Little boys often want to be firefighters, astronauts, cowboys, and train conductors, while little girls have aspirations of being doctors, veterinarians, or teachers. A different way of asking this question is asking a high school senior, “What will you major in when you go to college?” 

The aspirations we have for the future of our young people are and should be a common conversation we have in our schools and in our families. Parents play a key role in shaping their children’s hopes and dreams for the future. It is very common to see children following in the footsteps of their parents through helping with the family business or pursuing the career that is a family tradition, such as becoming a nurse, teacher, or lawyer. This is why parents play a key role in fostering vocations to consecrated religious life and the priesthood. In Lumen Gentium, the Church’s document from Vatican II on the Church, this key role of parents is expressed beautifully: “The family is, so to speak, the domestic church. In it parents should, by their word and example, be the first preachers of the faith to the children; they should encourage them in the vocation which is proper to each of them, fostering with special care the vocation to the sacred state” (§11). 

Mothers and fathers do not need to talk about the possibility of a religious or priestly vocation every day at the dinner table. Instead, through their loving witness and interactions with priests and religious, they indicate to their children that these are beautiful vocations and the result of true calls from God. When children grow up in a Catholic family, a consideration of pursuing the priesthood or religious life should be a very natural instinct. Statistically, God calls most of His children to the married vocation, but He still calls a significant minority to give their lives to Him through the witness of celibacy. Because our families tend to be smaller than they were in previous generations, some adult children feel pressure, either explicit or implicit, to get married and have a family. You might be surprised to hear how many seminarians I have spoken to whose parents were disappointed when they learned of their son’s discernment of the priesthood. This is almost always because the seminarian’s parents expected him to have grandkids for them! But parents come to understand and embrace their son’s call over time when they see him joyfully grow in holiness and happiness during his time in the seminary.  

The family is really the first seminary for any man who becomes a priest. In his family, the priest was formed in how to be a loving son and brother, which is why priests receive seminary formation. Priests are first of all beloved sons of God the Father, having been called to share in the Son’s priesthood in a new way. Priests are also sons of the Blessed Mother and sons of Holy Mother Church. If a man grew up as part of a loving family, he is well on his way to being a well-formed man. One of the biggest responsibilities of parents is to help their children discover their vocational call from God, so that one day, we can all be together in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Feast Day: October 2^nd.

Growing up, we had a handful of prayers that we said as a family each day.  We prayed grace before meals, a quick morning offering before starting school each day, the family rosary most evenings, the scriptural readings of the major characters of salvation history during Advent, and we also said that simple prayer each night to our guardian angels: Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.

How does one tell the story of the guardian angels?  Well, we gotta start at the very beginning (they say it’s a very good place to start …)  Genesis tells us “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)  It’s a phrase that indicates not just all that territory (if heaven can be construed in terrestrial terms), but everything and everyone in it.  The story of Job tells us that “there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord.” (Job 1:6)  The setting is not on earth, so these are not humans, and as the story unfolds and we find Satan also before God, asking to tempt Job, we realize that we’ve been given a view into the choirs of angels (fallen, and unfallen, at this point).  

The glimpse is widened as we contemplate the rest of the great saga of Scripture.  Before entering the promised land, “When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood before him with his drawn sword in his hand; and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” (Joshua 5:13-14)  Later, before the time of the Kings of Israel, “the angel of the Lord appeared to him [the Judge, Gideon] and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.” And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this befallen us?” (Judges 1:12-13)  Centuries later, as Daniel suffers the Babylonian captivity, he is promised that: “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time; but at that time your people shall be delivered.” (Daniel 12:1) 

Notice that every time we catch a glimpse of an angel, the visionary falls on his face in awe before a being of such power and splendor, but notice also that the angels are always both messengers and defenders.  They announce a word from God, and they also announce the victory of God.  They carry swords, trumpets, armor, and herald tremendous strife, but eventual triumph.  St. John sees what this means for the story’s ending:

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb.

(Revelation 12:7-11)

“To light and guard, to rule and guide.”  These spectacular, powerful beings, flame with the very fire of God’s love, and in humility and love, defend us every moment of our lives.  The promise given in the psalms “For he will give his angels charge of you” (Psalm 91:11) is fulfilled as Our Lord reiterates: “in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

Dear parents, if you are worried about your children, renew your trust in these incredible protectors that God has given to them.  Pray to your own guardian angel, and those of your children; teach them to keep them in mind, to call upon their aid, to thank them for their protection, and to let them lead them to God!  We face principalities and powers, as well as the pressures and pains of daily life, but none stand a chance with angels at our side.  

Fr. Dominic Rankin’s guardian angel has watched over him for more than 10,000 days, has increased his worship at Mass more than 7000 times, and has kept him safe (if not comfortable) for more than 5000 miles of running.

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to celebrate a Baptism for a family I have know for a few years.  At the very beginning of the Rite, after asking the name of the child and the intention of the parents to have their child baptized, I said the following words:

You have asked to have your child baptized.  In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him (her) in the practice of the faith.  It will be your duty to bring him (her) up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor.  Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?

As I reflect on those words, it strikes me how significant this moment is, not just in the Rite of Baptism, but in the lives of the parents as they present their child for baptism.  Notice the dynamic of the parents turning to the Church to bring new life to the child, but how the Church, for her part, reminds the parents of the role that they play in nurturing this new gift.  The Church always sees the training of children in the faith as collaboration.  The Church can never replace the role that parents play, thus the words that she gives to them on the occasion of the baptism of their children.

A good priest friend of mine has told the story about his own father and how he has said that when he dies, the very first question the Lord will ask him is this: “Where are your children and your wife in their faith because of you?”  That is a powerful thought to ponder, to be reminded that the Lord will ask us to account for the stewardship we have practiced with regards to the gift of our family that He has entrusted to us.  Therefore, the question posed by the Church on the day of a child’s baptism is a question parents need to be reminded of often: “Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?”

Do not be ashamed if your answer to this question is “no”, or “I’m not sure.” Keep in mind what I wrote above that this task is one of collaboration with the Church.  We stand ready and willing to assist you in your role of helping our families live this mission of growing in discipleship.  Our Family of Faith and our Adult Faith Formation programs are just two pieces of that assistance.  But you may have other questions about various circumstances and challenges you face as you undertake this task, and it can seem overwhelming at times.  Know that you are not alone!  Please reach out to one of us here at the parish (one of the priests or deacons, or Vicki Compton) and we will be more than happy to lend some support to assist you in this demanding, yet incredibly rewarding duty of bringing your family closer to Christ.

For all of our parents (regardless of whether your children are at home or have moved out), I invite you this week to reflect on that question about your role of training your families in the faith: “Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?”  

Father Alford     

One of the beautiful liturgies that the Church gives to us is the liturgy of baptism. This ceremony, in which the newborn baby is spiritually adopted as a child of God, also gives expression to the expectation of the parents to raise their children in the faith. In fact, this can even be seen in the Sacrament of Matrimony, when the priest asks the couple, “Are you prepared to accept children lovingly from God and to bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?” This commitment to teach children the faith and evangelize them is expressed at this moment of great love in the wedding ceremony. The vow to love one’s spouse unconditionally expresses what kind of family in which children should be nurtured.

The liturgy of baptism makes this even more explicit, when the baptizing minister says to the parents, “In asking for Baptism for your child, you are undertaking the responsibility of raising him/her in the faith, so that, keeping God’s commandments, he/she may love the Lord and his/her neighbor as Christ taught us. Do you understand this responsibility?” In addition, the minister asks the Godparents, “Are you ready to help the parents of this child in their duty?” In some ways, the role of Godparent has become simply a ceremonial or honorary role in our culture, like being a bridesmaid at a wedding. It is true that it is a great honor to be a godparent to a newly baptized member of the Church. However, the Church envisions that Godparents play a vital role in the upbringing of our little Catholics in the faith. 

Godparents can support the parents in encouraging them to bring aspects of faith into their home life and in their travels. When children get to adolescence, it can be hard for them to receive formation in the faith from their parents, because of the stage of life that they are in. However, Godparents can play a crucial role in this time of formation. Being a little more removed from the immediate family, they can continue to foster the life of faith even when the relationship between parents and children is not perfect. Godparents should be included in events celebrating milestones in a child’s life of faith, especially Confirmation, first Eucharist, one’s wedding day, and even milestones like birthdays and graduations. The Church knows that young Christians need as much support from family and friends as they can get. Godparents witnessing to the life of faith is a great way of making this a reality. 

Feast day: September 23rd

A few weeks ago I wrote an article for our Catholic Times diocesan newspaper on patron saints for grandparents.  In some ways it gave me the thought of telling the stories of the saints that led to this weekly column for our bulletin here at the Cathedral.  As it turns out, that article gave me in a roundabout way the specific saint that I want to write on this week: Fr. Pio of Pietrelcina.  One grandfather who read my selection of six patron saints for grandparents called me up and asked why I hadn’t said a word about Padre Pio.  I was a bit perplexed since he was not a grandfather, nor a particular patron for grandparents, but as the man explained the story of this great saint, and then told me about his own personal encounter with the saintly capuchin priest while he served in World War II, I was convinced I needed to do some more digging.

Francesco, his baptismal name, was born in 1887 in the insignificant town of Pietrelcina, Italy.  He had one brother and three sisters (and two siblings who died as infants).  He grew up working on the family farm, but early in his life found his call from the Lord as a Capuchin, entering the novitiate at the age of 15.  Struggling through bouts of sickness, he made it through the years of preparation for his vows and then on to priesthood ordination, but by then was given permission to return home with the hopes that he would recover.  After some months at home, he was assigned to the little friary at San Giovanni Rotondo where he would remain for most of the rest of his life, and become famous for his holiness, piety, insight in the confessional, and numerous miracles.  

I do not mean here though to focus on the marvels God’s grace worked in his life.  Nor the crowds that grew over the decades, flocking to a man widely known for his closeness to Christ, manifested even by a visible stigmata, bearing in his own body the wounds of Christ.  Nor even his suffering-humility when the Church asked him to cease all his public ministry for years, asking his obedience more than his miracles.  

No, today I want to focus on what allowed all of that to happen through him and in him.  It started very simply: his family was devoted in their attendance at Mass and recited the rosary daily, meditating on their own participation in the mysteries of Christ’s life.  And, because they were generous in having kids, and limited in their earthly means, they lived simply.  Prayer, and poverty, combined in the all-too-normal life of a family. There is nothing magical about it.  But those are the normal, humble, ways that God has sanctified His world since the beginning.  It was those basic realities that marked the passing on of His covenant and blessings through so much of the Old Testament, and it was precisely those things that marked the life of Joseph and Mary as the were entrusted for their own child the Son of God.

What has Padre Pio to do with raising our children Catholic?  Well, if you need a miracle, or a spiritual father, you know who to talk to.  And, if you’re looking for a simple way to holiness, look to the foundations of his sanctity: generous parents, humble means, simple prayers, and God did the rest.

– Fr. Dominic Rankin has a twin sister and a younger brother.  A threesome was not as exciting as his cousins, who were from a family of 12, but it was the perfect number to say the family rosary.  Dad led the opening bits, each member of the family got one decade, and then it was a battle to see who could lead the concluding prayers.  Mystical contemplation did not happen every time, but the seeds of God’s Word were sown little by little, and He did the rest.