The Spiritual Blessings of the Triduum
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What if everyone in the world lived according to the teaching that we should only do to others as we would have them do to us? Imagine the harmony, the love, and the compassion that would exist. Imagine the hatred that would dissolve. Logically, we know that this is unrealistic, but does that mean we shouldn’t even try?
Of course not! Nor does it mean that we shouldn’t teach our children this valuable lesson. Every person who lives according to this Golden Rule makes the world a better place. This is what God commands us—to use His teachings and His laws to create a society where all people are valued and respected and where all of our actions glorify Him.
And when we teach our children from the time they are small that others matter just as much as they do and that kindness and respect are integral, they will be more likely to live this as they grow.
As parents, we must reinforce this lesson every day. We must repeatedly teach that we treat others as we would like to be treated and that we should see others through God’s eyes. When we make it a habit of asking ourselves “Is this how Jesus would respond?” or “Would Christ be proud of my behaviors?” we learn to reflect on our actions before we make them.
Teaching young children this valuable lesson is the reason that the Culture of Life Studies Program created one of its newest lesson booklets for first and second graders.
Entitled Living the Golden Rule, this booklet teaches young children to treat others as they would like to be treated. This is one of the earliest foundations of building a culture of life—where all people are respected and cherished. In the pages of this booklet, children will learn the importance of treating people with respect, of speaking kindly, and of performing acts of kindness for others. Additionally, it reminds students that all people are created in the image and likeness of God and that all deserve respect and love.
If kids don’t learn this valuable lesson, they find it much more difficult later to see the inherent dignity in others.
Living the Golden Rule is a beautiful lesson booklet for little ones, and you can read it at home, in a regular classroom, or even in the CCE classroom.
This is one of the amazing aspects of the Culture of Life Studies Program. Its standalone lesson booklets for kids in pre-K-12th grade can be taught in all types of learning environments. Parents and teachers do not need to have a background in theology or in the subject matter. CLSP provides all the learning materials and discussion questions and answers. Plus, the booklets incorporate real-world scenarios and fun crafts/activities to reinforce the lesson. All booklets are age appropriate and include topics such as kindness to others, the uniqueness of the human person, human development, abortion, euthanasia, the sanctity of marriage, saints and pro-life heroes, our Blessed Mother, and more!
The lessons that CLSP teaches are invaluable, and they are so necessary in our increasingly secular world. If we are to build a culture of life, we need everyone to play a role. Pro-life education starts in the home, and it never ceases.
Susan Lochner Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame and an MLS from Indiana University. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2003; nearly 17 of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently, she is the editor of American Life League’s Celebrate Life Magazine—the nation’s premier Catholic pro-life magazine. She is also the director and executive editor of ALL’s Culture of Life Studies Program—a pre-K-12 Catholic pro-life education organization. Susan has written hundreds of Catholic and secular articles and has edited nearly two dozen books.
