The Next Generation is Our Responsibility (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

by Fr. Tony Okolo C.S.Sp., V.F.  |  12/29/2024  |  Weekly Reflection

Beloved Parishioners,

Today being the Feast of the Holy Family my reflection is centered on the responsibility we have towards our next generation. The Bible records in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, a cornerstone teaching about the monotheistic essence of God to the Israelites by Moses.

The Jew to date calls this teaching “shema,” it thus became a prayer that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services. However, soon after that teaching, Moses commands the Israelites to teach this diligently to their children (vv. 7), an injunction which points to us that it is our responsibility to inculcate the fear of God and love of Him to the next generation. In other words, we owe a heavy duty to the next generation.

You know, most times when you hear the word “legacy” you probably think of what you will leave behind or how you will be remembered when you are gone. But there is something even more significant. The Scripture talks about how we can bring our children to God and store up mercy for them and indeed for our future generation. The way we lead our Christian vocation can have impact on our children and our next generations either for good or bad. Some of us are privileged to be Catholics because we have parents and grandparents who believed in God and modeled their lives in excellence. You are where you are because somebody sacrificed, prayed, and served God earnestly. And now God is honoring them by releasing His goodness in your life. None of us got to where we were on our own. In 2 Timothy 1:5 (NIV), the Apostle Paul said, "Timothy, the faith I see in you first dwelt in your grandmother, Lois, and then your mother, Eunice, and now l can see it in you." Essentially, Paul was saying, "Timothy, what I see in you did not start with you. It started because you had a praying grandmother. That woman honored God who stored up mercy that was passed down to your generation and now I can see it in you. And it will not stop with you. It will be handed down from generation to generation.”

This is an invitation to all of us to be more intentional about the faith and prayer life of our children, Godchildren, and mentees. When we consented to matrimony, we not only celebrated the love that existed between us and our spouses, but also, we accepted to bring up the children God will send through us in the way of the Lord. In the same way, when we accepted to stand in for someone as Godparents during baptism, the Church trusted us so much to bring them up and nurture their faith to maturity. For some of us who are doing well in this regard, bravo to you. But for the rest who may after close introspection discover that they have not been measuring up, I encourage you that it is not too late even today to start all over again. Our children deserve to remember in the future our sacrifices for them and feel good and fortunate to have had us as their forebears. The blessings and favor you have enjoyed from the Lord, make effort to see that your children, ward, or mentees enjoy the same because Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8).

Ultimately, the belief that the next generation is our responsibility is not just a moral imperative; it is a practical necessity. The choices we make today will resonate through time, influencing the kind of world our children and grandchildren will inhabit. Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem for significant events in his early life, as described in the Bible. One notable instance is found in the Gospel of Luke (2:41-52), where they traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover festival when Jesus was twelve years old. This moment highlights that even Mary and Joseph fulfilled their parental obligations and roles towards Jesus and by so doing, invite us to follow suit. The legacy we leave is not merely what we achieve, but how we prepare those who will follow in our footsteps. In this shared journey, our role as parents, godparents, mentors, advocates, and stewards is paramount. I pray that God grants us the understanding to fulfill our roles in various capacities and always understand that the next generation is dependent on us.