PHILOSOPHY OF A CHILD
Fr. IRENEUSZ SKUBIŚ
The Child’s Day, being just celebrated, brings to mind the most beautiful Child’s Day, which is Christmas. The child who was born in Bethlehem, is called Jesus Christ. The crib in Bethlehem is a place of an unusual happiness, because it is a place of God’s Son, Incarnated God.
We can say about life and love where there is a child. This is philosophy of a child. An alive man is somehow encoded through love. When love is missing, the man dies. We see it often through many examples provided to us by life. This philosophy has also a meaning in the social sphere: if we do not open up to children, life is becoming degenerated, and love gets perverted, and become egoistic selfish love. The future is where there is a little man – a child, he is a guarantee of a better tomorrow of humankind. Hence, we must open the eyes of the world to a child, pay attention to respect and love towards a child. Respect to a child is respect to every life. For, life is a condition of the existence of the world.
A child brings hope of adults’ world. Soon he will become a mature man and will have responsible social functions. Therefore, it is so important to ‘equip’ the child as fully as possible, not only in the professional aspect, but also as a man growing up like Jesus Christ, who is an example and the supreme point of reference for a Christian.
In the spirit of great joy we experience the Child’s Day. We give our children presents, organize them joyful meetings and fun, but, first of all, we should make it possible for them to meet with God who wants to be their best Friend through their whole life. Indeed, he was claiming for them: ‘Let children come to me, do not forbid them to. For, God’s Kingdom is theirs’ (Lucas 18.16; also Mark 10.14). He also said: ‘Blessed of pure heart, as they will see God’ (Mt 5.8). Children have such hearts.
It may be impossible to get to know Maths secrets completely, it may be impossible to read many set books in Polish, one may be not good in history, geography, etc. and one may be an excellent scientist, a good expert in a sphere. But if the man does not meet God – then his life engagement will look different, it will give different satisfaction and it will bear fruits differently in the future. We, adults, practicing Christians, must remember about it. Our duty is to show God to others. As a priest emphasized once, first of all, we must live in such a way that people can see God in our life, because it may be the only Bible, which they will read.
We look at children with love, we look at their smiling faces, we look at them playing, making noise, sometimes crying. We want them to be happy. Because the man is intended for happiness – on the Earth and in eternity. We show children our love not only on the Child’s Day. This love will be multiplied by them and it will be profitable. I mean, certainly, wise, that is, demanding love, helping to distinguish the good and the evil. Today’s parents live in haste, pursue for work, for possibilities to keep house and they do not have enough time for their children, therefore they need help. We all have a duty to care about the education of the young generation. So, let the valuable magazine ‘My magazine rainbow’ be helpful here, for example, the bimonthly for children aged 4-8, which is edited by the editorial team of the ‘Sunday’. Its purpose is just helping adults in their talks with children about important issues.
It will also be surely helpful to give a suitable book, a religious film adjusted to the age of children, teach a prayer, encourage to a religious song, propose a participation in religious groups in a parish. A great role in such a contemporary catechesis in media is today played by bishop AntoniDługosz from Częstochowa, gifted with an unusual charism of contact with children. A child is the greatest gift from God. I wish we could appreciate it.
I will also remind about a promise included in JasnaGóra Vows of the Nation: ‘Blessed God’s Mother and Mother of Good Advice. We promise you, with our eyes fixed at the Bethlehem Crib, that we will stand on guard of awakening life. We will fight in the defence of every child and every crib, as bravely as our fathers used to fight for existence and freedom of the Nation, paying abundantly with their own blood. We are rather ready to die, than kill the defenceless. We will consider the gift of life as the supreme grace of Father of Every Life and as the most valuable treasure of the Nation’. These vows are still valid.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 22/2013