A Pastor's challenge to parents...

I was pleased to see this in my Sunday bulletin:

From the Pastor’s Desk
I once asked a rabbi if there was an orthodox Jewish institution where I might study the Talmud. He said, “No.” I was a little surprised. He continued, “The Talmud exists so that the 613 precepts of the law can be correctly followed. It is a mistake to teach Talmud to someone who is not going to observe its requirements. You would be wasting our time; you would be wasting yours.”
It is well established that if a child doesn’t attend church with his family, it is rare that he grows up to be an active Catholic. We Catholics believe that to be a Catholic, you have to go to Mass on Sunday. You may have a Catholic point of view and call yourself a Catholic, but to be Catholic you have to go to Mass and Communion.
There are some people who drop their children off for Mass and religious education, but don’t attend Mass themselves. As the Rabbi said, “You’re wasting our time and you’re wasting yours.” Why would you want your children to be involved in something that has so little meaning for you? It is counterproductive.
There are two ways that people experience conversion to Christ, the Faith and the Church: growing up in a Catholic home and encountering Christ as an adult. To bring children to church when I myself don’t participate may well deny them the possibility of ever becoming active Christians.
By not going to church, you give them the message that this is not important. They will grow up to believe that Mass is something children do. They will probably be immune to faith when they are adults because you are, in effect, vaccinating them against faith by giving them a weak dose of religion in their childhood. Worse than that, you are teaching them to lie. To receive Communion is to say that I want to belong to Christ for the rest of my life. They will hear in religion class that they have a moral responsibility to go to Mass every Sunday. They will see that you don’t go to Mass. Why confuse them?
Therefore I am asking, if you are not an active Catholic who attends Mass on Sunday with your children, please don’t send your children to religious education. There are of course exceptions. If grandparents or godparents are helping to raise children and they attend Mass with the children that will be fine. If a child sincerely asks to learn the faith, knowing that his or her parents are not involved, that too, will be fine. If you have a good reason for not attending Mass please call me. I would love to hear it. There are always exceptions to every rule.

Fr. Simon