PRO-LIFE FAMILY TRADITIONS
by Father Jim Whalen by Father Jim Whalen Catholic Life and Family, Spring 2003
Tradition means something handed down. Handing down pro-life traditions can make a substantial contribution to the spiritual, social, and emotional strength of a family. Such traditions serve as channels of grace flowing into the activities and practices of everyday living. The daily life of a Christian family, and awareness of being a domestic church, makes up the first experience of Church. Taking care in explaining in the home the religious content of the welcoming of a new child into the family can develop into a family tradition. The annual celebration of a birthday, giving thanks for the gift of life to a family, can be a stepping stone for understanding the welcoming of the child into the family of God, giving thanks for the gift of new life at their Baptism. Lighting birthday candles is followed by lighting the Baptism candle, a golden opportunity for family catechetical activity that can become a family custom or tradition. Life in the home is enriched by customs that reflect a family’s unique personality and values. Catholic family traditions, such as a daily Rosary for life or a weekly hour of adoration for pro-life, help to build and create a moral life and a life filled with grace.
Traditions make a family strong. Pro-life traditions are the building blocks of pro-life families. In order to establish family continuity, the past and the present are tied together by repeated acts from generation to generation. Whether it be the updating of the pro-life family album (pictures and newspaper clippings) or preparation of the family for the annual Hike for Life, pro-life shared experiences, values, and memories become tradition when repeated year after year, linking childhood to adulthood and grandchild to grandparent. A sense of connectedness is developed in a word and a time when everything around seems to be changing. Consistent pro-life family customs provide familiar patterns for a rich rhythm of life together, building family stability.
Traditions should help to cultivate a family identity. Pro-life traditions such as an annual yard sale to support the regional home for unwed mothers, or volunteering on a bi-weekly basis as a family at the local Priests for Life Centre in Ottawa, can create a sense of who they are and where they belong by reaching out to neighbours in need. Such a pro-life family activity shows how they can make a difference as a family contributing to an organization by a commitment to serve life. Meaningful sharing of time and effort helps to create a sense of unity and togetherness, a sense of closeness that endures long after children are grown and distance separates family members.
Some traditions grow gradually over a period of time, such as a particular strategy for a family reunion. They give significance to our lives. They help us to focus on what is important, what are the priorities in our lives. Some customs require strengthening. Daily devotional time can be critical to a family’s spiritual welfare and needs constant renewal to remain beneficial: a family pro-life shrine, a family prayer corner, enthronement of the Sacred Heart, pro-life family retreat. Other customs are periodic and less frequent, such as writing a letter to an unborn child, gathering for healing prayer, pro-life family awareness ceremony, hospitality tradition, welcoming people to the neighbourhood, etc.
We live in an age when many wonderful family traditions have been lost: grace before and after meals, family reunions, family devotional times, etc. Being a pro-life family requires meaningful family traditions to create and reinforce spiritual, social, and emotional security in the home. Family traditions are worth maintaining. Family customs can become lifeless if we don’t invest them with meaning. Some should be allowed to be replaced as they are more of a burden than a blessing. Others need revitalizing. A simple change such as singing a song of thanksgiving in place of the customary table grace can make a difference. Catholic pro-life family traditions are necessary in that they help form the moral foundation for family values, giving priority to God’s plan for establishing a civilization of love and peace. Developing pro-life traditions that are unique to your family lifestyle can make an irreplaceable contribution towards building a culture of life.