July: Day 4: Teaching 2: Saint Martha, Mother of Venerable Symeon of the Wonderful Mountain

July: Day 4: Teaching 2:
Saint Martha, Mother of Venerable Symeon of the Wonderful Mountain

(Advice on the Religious and Moral Education of Children)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Martha, whose memory the Holy Church celebrates today, had an only son, Symeon; she brought him up, as is said in her life, with great care, and God granted her, while she was still alive, to rejoice in the holy and God-pleasing life of her son. But the time came for Martha to depart to the heavenly world, and then, on the day before her death, she was honored with the following vision. It seemed to her that she was caught up to the heights of heaven and there she saw a most wondrous and bright house, the beauty of which it is impossible to describe. And when she walked into that house and marveled at its wondrous arrangement, she suddenly saw the Most Holy Theotokos with two most radiant angels, Who said to her: "Why are you surprised?" Martha, reverently bowing to the Mother of God, answered: "I am surprised because, Lady, I have never seen such a wonderful house in all the days of my life on earth." Then the Queen of Heaven said: "What do you think, for whom is this house prepared?" - "I do not know, Lady," answered Martha. The Most Pure One continued: "Know that this rest has been prepared for you and this house was created for you by your son, and you will abide in it forever." After this, at the command of the Lady, the angels set up a wondrous throne, and the Mother of God continued: "This glory is given to you because you lived in the fear of God and in a God-pleasing manner. But do you want to see here even more glorious places?" And, having said this, she ordered Martha to follow her. And the Queen of Heaven took her to the highest heavenly places and showed her an even more wondrous and luminous house, incomparably compared to the first, the beauty of which neither the human mind can comprehend, nor can anyone's tongue utter. Here the Mother of God also said: “And your son built this house, and also laid the foundation of the third.” The day after this, blessed Martha died.

II. Therefore, Christian wives, know that mothers who raise their children in piety will not only be rewarded for their labors and concerns for their children in this life but also in the life to come. The children they have nurtured in righteousness will repay them there for their care. Knowing this, you too should deepen your zeal for raising your offspring in faith and piety and, by excelling yourselves in virtue, teach them to place the fulfillment of God's commandments or a pious and virtuous life above all else.

Here are some tips on how to best conduct the religious and moral education of children.

a) As soon as the first signs of consciousness flicker in a child, as soon as the babble of the infant begins to resemble human speech, that is the best and most opportune moment when a seed of faith can be sown into the child's soul. Spiritual upbringing follows the laws of human development; initially, the child receives impressions from the surrounding objects without will or understanding; these impressions accumulate and form images and concepts of the objects. In this way, we imperceptibly gain knowledge of all the things around us. Let children also receive their first ideas about God at this same time, the earliest ideas, and we would add, the most significant. Almost everyone has had the opportunity to observe children at the age of one (often even earlier) who can only say "daddy, mommy." Here, the mother brings the child to the icon and says, "This is the icon of the Savior, our God." The child reaches out to the icon and gazes at the divine visage. If you ask the child, "Where is God?" he reaches out, turns his face, and stretches his little hands towards the icon; soon, the child remembers the word "God." These are the very first impressions of childhood, the first lessons of faith. And blessed is the child who learns this holy name among the first words. The initial impressions may be unclear, but they penetrate deep into the soul; the earlier these vague impressions take root, the sooner clear concepts of God will be formed.

b) A child at the age of two to three begins his conscious life; he learns to speak and acquires knowledge about the surrounding objects. At this time, it is possible not only to introduce the child to the realm of religious feelings but also to impart the initial lessons of faith through example. The child can already gain some understanding of God through viewing images and through the understandable explanations of the mother. Imagine a heartwarming scene: the mother, the object of all the love and tenderness of the child, stands with a reverent expression on her face, praying before the icon of the Savior; the child looks at her, then at the image, and does not require lengthy explanations of what it means. This is the first silent lesson of the knowledge of God.

Or, consider the child in the temple: the beauty of the temple, the illumination, the bright vestments of the clergy, the common prayer, the singing, the reverent presence of the worshippers, the shared solemn, silent attention – are these not lessons of reverence before God? No eloquent speech of a teacher can replace these lessons. One cannot pinpoint the moment when children begin to comprehend what is read and sung in church; however, it is undoubtedly certain that understanding is already penetrating the child's soul. Indeed, is it not accessible to the understanding of a two, three, or four-year-old that there is a God who created everything, who cares for us, sustains us, and to whom we should turn in prayer? Can a child of such years not understand that the Son of God came down to earth to save us sinners, that He taught people goodness and truth, that He suffered and died for our sins? And the heart of the child is filled with fervent love for God, for the Savior, and is imbued with deep religious sentiment. 

A child of such an age can already be taught to pray. Let the prayer that a loving mother teaches her child be simple, childlike in its simplicity; let it be composed entirely of words accessible to the child's understanding, let the child see the example of the mother's prayer – and undoubtedly, rich fruits will follow from these unrefined, simple lessons of piety; the child's heart is deeply filled with reverent joy, and their lips utter a child’s prayer: "Save, O Lord, my father, my mother, me, my brothers and sisters."

Here is what believers, deeply respected by Orthodox Christians, recall about their first lessons in faith: "We know that we loved our Savior long before the lessons of God's law, for we often heard stories about Him, prayed to Him fervently, kissed His Gospel, wept over Him while reading about His sufferings, and rejoiced wholeheartedly in celebrating the bright resurrection" (From the teachings of His Grace Bishop Ambrose). Indeed, at this early age, a child's mind has not yet fully opened to comprehension; the child's soul is filled with vague sensations and ideas; however, all of this constitutes rich potential, these are the first experiences of spiritual life, which will significantly facilitate the further study of the truths of faith and the assimilation of the spirit of piety. One cannot learn to love God from textbooks; heartfelt emotions cannot be explained. A pure, childlike heart is the most open to profound religious feelings; communication with God, though vaguely perceived, becomes a necessity for a child's heart. In prayer, their innocent prayer, a child — as has sometimes been observed—freely, without parental prompting, finds comfort and joy.

Those parents who wait for the time when their children grow up to teach them faith are deeply mistaken: the children will grow up, they will understand better, but they will no longer possess that tender, receptive heart to goodness; the imaginations of these children will already be polluted with earthly concepts, their hearts will acquire so many earthly inclinations and attachments that spiritual feelings will burden their wild souls. The lessons of God's law will fill their minds, encumber their memories, but will not touch their hearts or awaken good feelings. Therefore, let religious feeling penetrate the soul of the child earlier; let it live within them and enliven the lessons that will be taught to them. Indeed, lessons of faith can be taught in such a simple, accessible, and comprehensible manner that a four or five-year-old child will understand what is being said, and will absorb it even better with their heart, especially if the teacher is genuinely filled with religious feeling. A four or five-year-old child is already capable, for example, of distinguishing between an image and what is being represented, comprehending the content of the simplest prayers, and grasping the fundamental truths of faith; they can participate in common prayer in the church during services. It is unwise for parents to deprive their children of these grace-filled influences, failing to introduce them to prayer from an early age, not imparting concepts about God, and not bringing their children to the house of God.

What a mistaken excuse it is to say that children understand nothing! It is not only the reasoning of adults that allows for the perception of good feelings. The loss of time and the most simple, most accessible, and most reliable means of religious education for children is an irrevocable loss. Afterward, the child may recite lessons and memorize what is taught, but their heart will be deaf to spiritual impressions. Let the children come to Christ the Savior at an early age, so that He may bless them – do not forbid them to approach Him!

III. Let parents not forget these teachings and from a very early age surround their children with holy objects; let them take them to church and instill in them a habit of reverent prayer alongside themselves. It is painfully sorrowful to witness how sometimes seemingly educated mothers fail to understand this sacred duty of teaching their children, from the earliest childhood, to pray together at home and to take them to the temple, especially on major feasts. 

 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.