photo #7728970

Before the discovery of handwashing with soap, hospitals were often places where diseases spread, instead of being cured. Doctors would go from patient to patient with dirty hands, full of bacteria and germs, and accidentally infect those they sought to cure. Human life expectancy rose rapidly after the discovery of sanitary health practices. Only by being clean, can we avoid disease.The earlier one can bring one’s children or grandchildren into the faith, the better. For this is much like washing one’s spiritual hands. Our children suffer from sin as much as we do, but without the correct sanitation, those sins may accumulate and become contagious.We know that a spiritual life can be difficult, arduous, fraught with set backs and doubts. Yet many of us carry on not only because it is the true path but because we know Scripture, we know passages we may read or reread for comfort, we are saved. The Gospel cleans us of sin and boosts our spiritual immune system.Not only this, we have songs, practical knowledge, references we could all impart to our children to guide them to a moral and fulfilling life. Wouldn't you want your child to have these for his or her journey? Couldn’t we help raise them to new heights as we have done, having learned from the mistakes and wisdom of our elders?