Что можем мы ждать от детей, если наша забота о них будет ограничиваться только стремлением накормить и одеть их? А кто сделает остальное? Улица? Школа?

Да и нельзя, дорогие мои, забывать еще одно. Слова чужого человека, даже и благонамеренного, действуют на ум ребенка, слово же матери касается непосредственно его сердечка, а слово и пример отца дают чаду силу и энергию к воплощению.

Так не ограничивайте своего влияния на детей только заботой раз в неделю привести их в церковь и оставить в ней на их же произвол. Нет, это не возродит живой веры. Ваша забота должна состоять в воспитании в детях страха Божия, во внушении им православных понятий, в научении их своим примером, всей жизнью своей. Вникайте в жизнь чада, знайте его думы. Разговаривайте с ним обо всем. Благословляйте детей ежедневно утром и вечером, даже и тогда, когда их нет дома.

А христианский строй жизни в семье с постами, молитвенным правилом утром и вечером, хотя бы кратким и с учетом детских возможностей и занятости, с посещением храма всей семьей и приобщением всем вместе к Таинствам — все это незримо будет созидать детскую душу. И посеянное в детской душе непременно прозябнет и в зрелые годы.

Centuries-old experience shows that the sign of the cross has great power for all human actions and for the entire duration of life.

Therefore, it is necessary to instill in children the custom of making the sign of the cross more often, especially before eating, going to bed and waking up, before leaving the house. "Who are protected by the cross, we resist the enemy" – this will save our children from many troubles and dangers.

In the old days, he was considered unfortunate who knows everything, but does not know God. And he was considered blessed who knew God, even though he knew nothing else. This does not mean that they condemned education, no, it is just that the wisdom of God could not be compared with the wisdom of man. For the wisdom of God provides people with the highest truth and truth. And constant piety, acquired by knowledge of the laws of God and the commandments of Christ on the path of Christ, protects against error on the path of human wisdom.

Thus we must teach our children now, educating in them the highest Christian morality, so that they may live, so that we may live, and the world may not be completely drowned in evil. Thus, by our example and our labor, we must educate our children. Live according to your conscience, live according to the truth.

Let us always remember our responsibility and bring to mind the words of holy men: "A small tree where you bend it, there it will grow. The new vessel will emit the smell that you will give it when you pour into it either a stinking liquid or a fragrant and pure one."

Confessing God's goodness and God's Providence in the family for all to hear, let us give our children the first lessons in the knowledge of God and prayer. This will be the most important lesson of piety, which will remain in the heart for life and keep the child in this life for Eternal Life. And I will conclude with the words of the holy teacher of the Church, John Chrysostom: "There is no higher art than the art of education. A wise educator creates a living image, looking at which, God and people rejoice." Thus, so that we do not weep now from our children, so that we do not weep for them and ourselves when they grow up, and so that the present tears do not become the beginning of future tears, let us not do God's work – the upbringing of children – with negligence.

Our friends, if we do not even now feel the danger threatening us of the spiritual savagery of mankind, which is gradually losing the image and likeness of God, if we do not suspend the process of apostasy and the loss of faith in our families, in ourselves, then the time is near when the words of Christ the Savior will be realized: "... When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8). Amen.