“Behold, children are a gift from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Psalm 126 (127)
Many years ago, Fr Paul Marx, OSB, founder of Human Life International (and Family Life International NZ) wrote a booklet entitled “Eight Reasons to Consider Having One More Child.” These wonderful reasons to consider if God is calling you to welcoming another child into your family are no less out of date today.
So I share today with you the eight reasons Fr Marx gave us with his own words: “Is God calling you to have another child? Please read this short message with an open and prayerful heart, then decide.”
- Love of God.
- Each child is an everlasting expression of the unselfish love you have for each other in the commitment of marriage.
- The Western world is dying out. We are no longer replacing ourselves. New Zealand’s fertility rate in 1999 was 2.0. (2.2 children per couple is required, practically that means three children per couple).
- Your trust and faith in God and your true generosity can be seen in the size of your family. (That is not to say that those who have small families do not trust in God or are not generous – they may show this in other ways).
- The Western world is “rich”, we have high standards of living. Do we really need all that we think we need? If you cannot afford to have more children, who can?
- Children raised in a truly Christian home are your real insurance against loneliness in old age.
- You are more likely to have Religious Vocations from your family.
- Children from large (or larger) families usually are more considerate, thoughtful and caring. Great preparation for adult life.
“…the Church encourages couples to be generous and hopeful, to realize that parenthood is a privilege and that each child bears witness to the couple’s own love for each other, to their generosity and to their openess to God. They must be encouraged to see the child as an enrichment of their marriage and a gift of God to themselves and to their other children.” (John Paul II to US Bishops, September 1983).
Will you consider having one more child?