A talk given to Parents of Junior Students

1. Fostering
Christian Ascetism
Teaching
Teaching
Your Child
Your Child
the Meaning
the Meaning
of
of
Suffering
Suffering
and Struggle
and
Struggle

2. The child is adorable but behind that beauty is the mother’s agony…
SOMETHING’S GOT
TO GIVE. . .
YOU CAN NOT HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO…
SOME GIVE A PART OF
THEMSELVES… OTHERS GIVE
THEIR ALL…

3. WE ARE BORN IN and FROM THE
SHAPE OF THE CROSS
cephalocaudal trend
proximodistal
trend
The cephalocaudal trend is the prenatal growth from conception to 5 months when the head grows more
than the body. It is also the trend of infants learning to use their upper limbs before their lower limbs.
The proximodistal trend is the prenatal growth from 5 months to birth when the fetus grows from the
inside of the body outwards. When referring to motor development, the proximodistal trend refers to the
development of motor skills from the center of the body outwards.

4. WE ARE BORN IN and FROM THE SHAPE OF THE CROSS
THE LAMININS
Wikipedia describes them: 'Laminins are a family of
proteins that are an integral part of the structural
scaffolding of basement membranes in almost
every animal tissue‘.
“You see.... Laminins are what hold us together...
LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They
are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell.
Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew
all this already. But what I didn't know is what they
LOOKED LIKE…” (from a Doctor)
He is before all things, and in him all things
HOLD TOGETHER. 'Colossians 1:17 .

5. THESE ADAGES ARE ROOTED ON BASIC TRUTHS…
The truth of the CROSS… the cross in and of our life….
• NO PAIN … NO GAIN….
(pleasure may deaden ‘pain’ but it could jeopardize ‘gain’)
• NO GUTS… NO GLORY…
• EVERYTHING HAS ITS PRICE…
IS IT WORTH IT ?
IS IT WORTH IT ?
The heck, I am doing
all these and in the
long run I’m dead!!!

6. MAKING SENSE OF THE INEVITABLE. . .
Luke 9:
23 And he said to all, "If
any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever
loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains
the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him
will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you
truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.“

7. The Pain that Builds vs. The Gain that Breaks
“Not even once did I tell you to move it . . .”

8. The Need for FORTITUDE
Strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage
BE VERY WARY OF:
Unwarranted Pity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I am no good….
Go ahead Kathy, go towards the light
I wish you were my Dad
Look for another tutor….
Sir, DON’T EVER TELL MY DAD
False Maxims
• “Masama ba ang magmahal ng anak?
• I want to spare them of what I went through
• Kaming mga mayayaman, iba kami, kayong
mga teacher iba rin kayo…
Crippling Comfort
• “Tyranny of the instants
• Propensity to make an alibi
• lack of initiative; mediocrity
The Toughness And Daring To Commit Sin
but the weakness to be in the state of grace
•
…Deliver us, oh Lord from every evil and grant us peace in our day, in you mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all
anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the oming our Our Saviou Jesus Christ…
(from the Roman Missal)

9. LEARN FROM THE MOTHER...
Suffer your children to carry their crosses that will
make them noble… but spare them the crosses as
atonement for their … and our grievous neglect…
SANDALWOOD
There’s a tree that grows
In a far off land
As a sandalwood it is known
And the story goes
That this sandalwood
Has a message of its own
For when you cut
The tree, if you try
You’ll find out it has but one reply
To the axe that wound
It leaves sweet perfume
Never once a bitter cry

10. LEARN FROM THE MOTHER...
Suffer your children to carry their crosses that will
make them noble… but spare them the crosses as
atonement for their … and our grievous neglect…
SANDALWOOD
There’s a tree that grows
In a far off land
As a sandalwood it is known
And the story goes
That this sandalwood
Has a message of its own
For when you cut
The tree, if you try
You’ll find out it has but one reply
To the axe that wound
It leaves sweet perfume
Never once a bitter cry