A recent call by the US Surgeon General urges warnings on social media platforms, and government regulations try to limit the risks of social media for children. But parenting in the 21st century is permanently marked by the rise of social media platforms.
As parents struggle with how to mediate the negative influences threatening their children, they might think Church history has little to teach them about this contemporary problem.
However, in 2015, Pope Francis offered a 19th-century answer to our modern challenges when he canonized “The Holy Spouses.”
Sts. Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin teach us how to instill holiness in family life. The Pope praised them for “creating day by day an environment of faith and love.” This environment nurtured a faith-filled family. All five of their surviving children became nuns. One, Therese of Lisieux, was the first saint in the family, canonized in 1925.
A philosophy to guide us
Louis and Zelie, patrons of marriage and family, faced common parenting problems. While social media was not one of them, St. Zelie’s parenting philosophy nevertheless provides guidance. She wrote that she hoped to “raise children for Heaven.”
St. Zelie's phrase provides inspiration for contemporary parents.
Raising children for Heaven urges parents to watch what their children find online. It provides a guide for selecting what access children have to technology. It urges more time for conversation, prayer, and spiritual education.
Her words call parents to examine how best to engage with their children.
Online retreat to pray for our children
The Louis and Zelie Shrine is offering, from July 8 to 12, on Hozana, parts of their online resources in a 5-day prayer retreat to seek out the saints for guidance and intercession.
By turning to Louis and Zelie, parents can better learn to raise children for Heaven. They can combat the dangers of social media through faith and prayer.
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Avery Lane is part of the anglophone edition of Hozana, a social prayer network that lets Catholics create or join online prayer communities. His mission is to unite Catholics in prayer around the world though the internet. Read more about this mission on the Hozana.org website and the Living Rosary app.
