CHRISTIAN FAMILYS LIFE

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 35, Issue 5, 1 July 1944, Page 5

CHRISTIAN FAMILY S LIFE

< . \ ' - ■ . ' ■ ■ ■ As General Montgomery's Mother Sees It

By Lady Montgomery.

What is religion? The word itself has a dull sound. It too often connotes respectability and a sham piety. When we say "he (or she) is very religious," it is not always a compliment. There is no doubt that we are going through a phase of "irreligion." The churches are empty. Bibles are unread. Crime and drunkenness are on the increase. Who is to blame? The parents and the homes largely; If children are brought up m a godless home and sent to a school where religion is not taught, who can blame them if they go astray. ' To my mind a child should never be able to remember a time when it did not kneel at its mother's knee night and mPrriing to say itfe prayers. That is one of my earliest recollections, and I also remember the first time I was m disgrace because I fal- / tered m saying the Lord's Prayer and could not remember the words. I deem it wrong to punish a child for that. It is a mistake, too — of which I was often guilty when a young mother — to set children to learn passages of Scripture by' heart as a punishment. O» the other hand, it is a very good practice to make children learn one verse of the Bible every day. Owing to this, I know most of the psalms and gospels by heart, and I think my children have profited by it. 1 When he was very young my son< Bernard was often extremely naughty. Sometimes I would say to his brothers and sisters: "Go and see what Bernard, is doing, and tell him not to!" But as. soon as'- he was old enough to go to St. Paul's School with his elder brother he settled down to serious study. . He took a keen interest in* games and was a good athlete. The religious side of his education was not neglected, and to this day he carries a copy of Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" with him whefeVer he goes and reads his Bible every day. Should parents make their children go to church? Yes, once on "Sunday. Other services should be optional. But how can we expect

children to become regular churchgoers if their parents never accom^ pany them,? There is no happier sight than to see lather and mother and all the children going to church together. , Sunday the Happiest Day. Wh,en we were children Sunday was the happiest day of the week. The first thing we did 'was to pick a buttonhole for our father. Then for breakfast, instead of bread and milk or porridge, we had sausages! ' The Sunday sausage was something to look forward to all the week. The ordinary weekday story books were banished, but the Sunday books were so delightful that a rule had to

be made 'that they were riot to be read on weekdays. Then on Sunday evenings my dear mother read aloud to us, and through this we. got to know and lovfi .Enoch Arden, Evangeline and many' other poems. , We were early taught never to "tell tales" v or to call each other names. "Beast" was a word not allowed m. our vocabulary. • Confirmation should be a. landmark m every child's life. We had, the great advantage of being prepared for it by our father, the late Dean Farrar, and ■, my sister and I were confirmed and received our first

Communion; m Henry VII. Chapel, Westminster Abbey. Here, also, I was married and our eldest child was* baptised. Preparation for Confirmation. The preparation for Confirmation gives a parish priest great opportunities. Apart from the regular teaching, he can get to know his young people and -is able to give them much helpful advice on courtship, marriage and soon. Then there comes Holy Communion, the service which, should play the greatest part m our religious life. How of ten should young people be advised to come to this Holy Sacrament? 'At least once a month and on Holy Days. This is what I hold up before young people. But the ideal is surely to come to the ■■ Lord's Table" every Sunday. As life goes on, we who are old value this privilege more and more., Parents nowadays have-' a great responsibility. We must be most careful not to "cram" religion down our children's throats. And we must be careful to "practise what we preach."- Will our children respefct us if we uphold temperance and yet attend cocktail parties? Or if we teach them not to swear and use oaths ourselves? As your boys and girls grow up, take them into your confidence. Let them see that you understand the temptations to which they are exposed. Encourage them to bring their troubles to you. Above all; surround your family with an atmos-r phere of love.' If your children, when they are m difficulties, can say, N "I must tell mother," all will be well. Mother-love should be a faint foreshadowing, of the love pf our heavenly Father for each one of His erring children. And true religion should mean, for us all, the knowledge of the love of God and a thankful remembrance of the sacrifice of His dear Son upon the Cross for us. (With acknowledgment to the London Daily Sketch.)