Forming intentional disciples of Jesus Christ is a lifelong endeavor, a task that never seems to reach its ultimate fulfillment in this life.
It's also a task that has to begin at an early age. Children can easily get into bad habits at a young age that will shape their future adulthood. The longer a bad habit is practiced by a child, the more difficult it will be to break that habit when they are older.
The same is true about virtues.
When a child learns how to be virtuous at a young age, the more likely they are to continue being virtuous when they grow up. Virtues need practice and every time a child practice a virtue, the more ingrained it becomes into that child's very being.
Virtues of the saints
One way to help foster the practice of virtues in children is by imitating the saints. It can be easy at times to talk about the virtues, but when it comes to putting them into practice, many of us don't know how to do it.
It also doesn't help that many of us are terrible at practicing the virtues and so we are often the worst teachers when it comes to that topic.
The good news is that the saints were the ones who were experts at living a virtuous life, overcoming all sorts of challenges in their daily lives to live heroically. We don't have to reinvent the wheel; we simply need to imitate them.
Authors Fr. Donald Calloway and Patrick O'Hearn have created a great resource for parents and educators in the book, Virtues of the Saints: 15 Heavenly Habits for Children. In it, they highlight a virtue and provide a concrete example through the life of a particular saint.
They feature Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Joan of Arc, St. Kateri Tekawitha and even St. Carlo Acutis. The book is ideally read by an adult to a child or group of children, and each chapter is short, providing a brief story that highlights a virtue.
It is a great addition to any family's library and can assist a parent in trying to instill in their children the practice of the virtues.
Remember, the earlier a child can begin practicing a virtue, the better. It will set them up for a life united closely with Jesus, one that will give them meaning and purpose.
