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Introduction: Parents Against the Current—Are You Alone?
Raising children today is, for many traditional Catholic parents, an almost heroic task. In the midst of a society that ridicules virtue, promotes moral relativism, and directly attacks the foundations of the Christian faith, forming holy, strong, and faithful children may seem like an unreachable ideal. But it isn’t.
This article is not just a reflection: it is a survival manual. Because the battle is real. It is cultural, spiritual, and moral. But it is also a winnable battle if fought with faith, intelligence, perseverance… and community.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good, acceptable, and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
I. Understanding the Terrain: What Kind of World Are We Facing?
1.1. The enemy is not new
We are not in an unprecedented situation. Already in the early centuries of Christianity, parents had to raise their children amidst a corrupt, sensual Roman Empire, hostile to the Cross. St. John Chrysostom warned: “To rear children is no small matter; it is more than to govern cities.”
Today, as then, the Christian lives in a culture that does not share his values. The difference is that modern society has more powerful and constant loudspeakers: screens, social networks, educational ideologies, unnatural laws, toxic entertainment…
1.2. The five great threats
- Moral relativism: “Everyone has their own truth,” they say. The result? Good and evil are no longer taught clearly.
- Gender ideology: Biological reality is denied, and an ideological construct is imposed without scientific or anthropological foundation.
- Hypersexualization: From cartoons to school curricula, children’s innocence is being stolen.
- Practical atheism: Life is lived “as if God didn’t exist.” Even among believers, faith is reduced to empty rituals.
- The dissolution of the family: Marriage is trivialized, divorce is normalized, and motherhood is ridiculed.
II. The Mission of Parents According to God
2.1. A vocation, not a hobby
Raising children is not just another life project or a personal option. It is a divine vocation. God has entrusted parents with the care of immortal souls. It’s not just about raising, feeding, or preparing them for a profession. It is about forming saints, citizens of Heaven.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
2.2. Parents: the first catechists
The Church teaches that parents are the primary educators in the faith. Neither the school, nor the priest, nor catechists can replace the Christian home. There children learn to pray, to discern, to love the truth, to live the sacraments, and to trust in God.
2.3. Authority as service
It is not about being authoritarian, but about exercising an authority that is loving, firm, and exemplary. Authority comes from “auctoritas,” meaning the capacity to help others grow. It is not imposed, but earned through coherence.
III. Survival Strategy: Practical Guide for Traditional Parents
Here is a pastoral and theological roadmap for parents who wish to raise children in the faith against the current of the world.
🔹 1. STRENGTHEN THE MARRIAGE: THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING
- Pray together as spouses.
- Take care of unity and communication: children learn more from what they see than from what they are told.
- Seek the sacramental grace of marriage. Frequent confession and Sunday communion.
- Form yourselves together: read, attend retreats, discuss deep topics.
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Ephesians 5:31).
🔹 2. PRAY AS A FAMILY, EVERY DAY
- Daily Rosary (even if just a part).
- Reading the Gospel with the children.
- Blessing the table before meals.
- Evening prayer with thanksgiving and an examination of conscience.
This is not about ritualism. It’s about creating an atmosphere where God is at the center.
🔹 3. CREATE A LIVING CATHOLIC HOME
- Visible symbols: crucifixes, sacred images, holy water, candles.
- Sacred music, uplifting reading, avoiding toxic content.
- Celebrate the liturgical seasons: Advent, Lent, Easter, patronal feasts.
A child who grows up in a home where faith is breathed in will be less vulnerable to the skepticism of the world.
🔹 4. FORM THE MORAL CONSCIENCE
- Explain good and evil from an early age.
- Teach the Commandments, the virtues, the works of mercy.
- Show that freedom is not “doing whatever I want,” but “choosing the good.”
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
🔹 5. PREPARE FOR PERSECUTION
Yes, martyrdom must be spoken of. Without fear, without obsession, but with realism. Our children must know that being an authentic Christian will come at a cost.
- Tell stories of saints and martyrs.
- Teach them to respond with charity but also with firmness.
- Train in basic apologetics: how to give reasons for the faith.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).
🔹 6. MONITOR AND DISCERN EDUCATION
- If possible, choose authentic Catholic education or homeschooling.
- If not, be very involved: review content, talk frequently, be vigilant.
- Denounce what is inappropriate, accompany with prayer and dialogue, find allies.
🔹 7. TEACH MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY DISCERNMENT
- Do not give smartphones without formation or filters.
- Use the internet with discernment: as a tool, not as an idol.
- Encourage silence, reading, and conversation.
The modern devil often enters through small screens.
🔹 8. REGULAR SACRAMENTAL LIFE
- Sunday Mass as a family.
- Monthly confession as a habit.
- Proper preparation for First Communion and Confirmation.
- Teach children to live the Eucharist not as a routine, but as a true encounter.
🔹 9. DISCIPLINE WITH LOVE
- Clear boundaries, just rules, proportionate consequences.
- Listen with empathy, but do not yield to emotional manipulation.
- Correct with gentleness, reward the good, guide with hope.
🔹 10. GIVE WITNESS
Children believe in God because they see their parents living according to His will. There is no better catechesis than your example.
- If they see you pray, they will trust in prayer.
- If they see you love your neighbor, they will understand the Gospel.
- If they see you struggle with your sins, they will learn to fight theirs too.
IV. A Spirituality for Parents in the Trenches
Raising children against the current is not only an external fight. It is also an inner battle, where the holiness of parents is forged.
- Accept fatigue as a redemptive cross.
- Don’t despair over mistakes or failures: God’s mercy is greater.
- Seek spiritual accompaniment.
- Connect with other families fighting the same battle.
The ecclesial community is not an “extra”: it is a lifeline.
Conclusion: Be Not Afraid!
It’s not easy. It’s not quick. It’s not comfortable. But it is possible, with God’s grace and generous dedication.
Traditional Catholic parents: you are not crazy. You are doing the right thing. Even if the tide rises, even if the world calls you “backward,” “intolerant,” or “fanatics,” the Truth does not go out of style.
“But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).
The goal is not just to raise good kids. It is to raise holy children. And there is no greater legacy than that.
