How do we "pass on the faith" to our children...

In Koine Greek, the language of the Second (New) Testament writings, the word for handing on and handing over is paradidwmi (paradidomi). The two meanings of this come together in Paul's letter to the Corinthians: 1 Cor 11:23...

For I have received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night he was handed over (betrayed) took a loaf of bread,…

This is our tradition. In the breaking of the bread and drinking of the cup we remember the passion of Jesus and our salvation. We are remembered in the Body of Christ. This remembering is Jesus present now and not just a recalling of an historical event. It is our communion with Jesus in the present. It is a sign of our unity as it was for Paul's community in Corinth.

The remains of a Temple at Corinth

Paul, in writing to the Corinthians about their meal practice when coming together for the breaking of the bread, spells out the process of handing on the tradition. Paul has received this from Jesus and he passes it on. This is the model of handing on the tradition: each generation receives it from the one before and passes it on.

Paul uses the Greek equivalents not only of 'handing on' but also 'received' from the technical vocabulary of the tradition of the rabbinic schools. He draws on the tradition from Moses and connects with God handing on the law to God's people.

But do we hand on faith? Perhaps it depends on what we are talking about when we say 'faith'. In literal terms I don't think we hand on our faith if we understand that as our belief that connects with our believing community and with God. Faith is not like a tradition or law that you can write in stone or on paper and hand on to someone. It is relational and it is gift.

Yet we are invited to be imitators of Christ or rather imitators of Paul who is an imitator of Christ. We hand on the experience and invitation of imitating Christ. We hand on the tradition in the context of each generation. We hand on our experience based on the scripture and the revelation of God. We hand over to the next generation and we allow God to continue to be the author of our faith. Our handing on and our handing over is an act of faith in itself.

In Luke's story of Paul in Acts, there is a beautiful cameo of conversion to faith in the story of Lydia...

Here there is the disposition of the person to listen, the action of God and the handing on by Paul of the tradition through preaching.

When we understand the action of God then we also understand that when we immerse our children in the practice and tradition of our faith, we are inviting them also to be imitators of Christ and to listen to the Word. Yet they have choice and will exercise that with all freedom. As parents we trust them to their own discernment and to God. As in so many aspects of their lives we are but safe harbours for the life journeys of our children. They must navigate their own ships.

Rosemary Canavan lives in Adelaide. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts major in Psychology and two Bachelors degrees in Theology, the most recent an Honours degree in New Testament studies. She has two adult children.

Photo Credits: Rosemary provided the image of the Temple at Corinth.
The icon of Lydia comes from the website of a young Orthodox Christian iconographer,
David M Mastroberte: www.angelfire.com/nd/iconboy/icons/.

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Rosemary can be contacted at: rosemary@catholica.com.au

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