We are the ones who reach the spirit of suffering through Jesus through Lent, fasts, and prayers on the way of the cross. Those who prepare for the Day of Resurrection, which give great hope that there is a joy beyond all persecution and sorrow.
We also need to raise our children through the ways of the cross of Jesus. Why do we see in the newspapers today, even in the neighborhood, the faces of children who die for trivial things? A 7th grader commits suicide for not getting a battery-powered toy. Children commit suicide when they are insulted in front of others.
When we see and hear all this, the faces of our children run through our minds. Parents today are afraid to scold their children or to say ‘no’ for any matter. Parents are the ones who make their wish come true before their children say it, or do anything they want so that they do not bow down in front of anyone. That is why our children do not know their troubles and sorrows or are unable to cope with grief.
Every suffering in the Way of the Cross is an experience. Let our children learn to walk through the mud from the moment they begin to peck. Let their baby feet hurt a little; It’s an experience for them. The baby should be kept hungry for a while when he insists that he needs food during watching the cartoon.
Such small experiences should be present in them as they grow up. We need to keep our children together as we pray through Jesus’ suffering. We, as parents must be careful to imitate the sufferings of Christ in their minds. Thus, they are able to attach the small difficulties they have encountered while growing up to the sufferings of Jesus and then see it as trivial. In this age of meditating on the sufferings of Jesus, the fourteen places on the way to the cross of Jesus must become fourteen experiences for our children. Let them be prepared through it for leading a blessed life.