Everyday Asceticism

Read Part 1 here. There will be at least one or two more parts.

How to Be a Saint — Part 2

A Didache for Children

Child, all day you should remember the person who teaches you God’s message. You should treat that person like the Lord Jesus himself. Wherever people talk about the Lord, he is there with them! Hang out with holy people every day so that you can enjoy listening to them. Don’t be someone who causes people to leave each other. Be someone who brings people together! Be fair. Always side with the person who is right, even if that person isn’t your favorite. Be consistent and don’t regret doing the right thing.

Don’t be someone who holds out your hand to take more but shuts it when others need what you can give. If you work or do chores and earn some money, use it to set right anything you’ve done wrong, any sin you’ve committed. Always be ready to give and give generously. This will teach you about how generous God is! Don’t turn your back on someone who needs your help. Always share with your brothers and sisters. Never yell, “Mine!” You share heavenly things with other Christians. Shouldn’t you also share the things you have on earth?

Someday, when you have children of your own, you must take care of them and teach them how amazing God is. And don’t be mean to people who work for you. God is amazing to them too! You wouldn’t want them to forget how amazing God is, would you? When Jesus returns, he won’t care who worked for whom. Instead, what he cares about is whether or not we have followed his Holy Spirit along the path of life. And when you work for someone else, be a good worker. Do what you are asked. Be respectful of your boss, just as you are respectful of God.

Don’t admire fakers or anything that the Lord doesn’t like. Don’t break the Lord’s rules, but follow them. Don’t make up new rules. Don’t take away from his rules. Go to confession at church and say sorry to God for the things you’ve done wrong. If you feel like you’ve done something wrong, say sorry to God before you say your prayers during liturgy. That is the path of life.

But the path of death is like this: First, it is mean and unthankful. It is the path of killing, bad friendships, selfish wants, impatience, stealing, idolatry, superstition, dark magic, breaking into people’s homes, lying, faking, betraying, tricking, thinking you are better than others, wanting to hurt others, being stubborn, being greedy, saying dirty things, treating other people like things, being impolite, thinking you never do anything wrong, and bragging.

Bullies hate the truth and love lies. They don’t know that happiness comes from being good. Instead, they aren’t good or fair. Instead of looking for ways to do good, they get excited about ways to be bad. Gentleness and patience are far away from them. They love being popular. They only care about getting more for themselves. They don’t care about people who don’t have nice things. They don’t do anything to help people who need it. They act like God doesn’t exist. They even kill children. They ruin God’s self-portrait, his image within us. They turn their backs on people who ask them for help. They hurt people who are already hurting. They stick up for other selfish people who don’t ever share. They aren’t fair to people who don’t have nice things. They are bad in every way. Dear children, I hope you never become like this! I pray that God will save you from being like this!

Don’t let anyone trick you into thinking that bad things are good and lead you away from the path of life. The path of death is not the path of God.

If you can do everything the Lord Jesus teaches us to do, you will be perfect! But if you can’t be perfect, just do your best.