It depends on the parents of Orthodox children to prove (not by words, but by deeds—by life itself) how being Orthodox can go together with having fun.

If parents’ understanding of marriage is not directed towards their home life, their children suffer directly.

There are many prophecies about a time when there will be apostasy on such a scale, that those who at that time simply preserve their faith will be greater than the ascetics and miracle workers of the past.

The same spiritual principle applies to all of us: are we not now ashamed of things from our own past which at the time never troubled our conscience? If our children only hear lectures about wearing this and that, and never hear about how we acquire the grace of God, what will inspire them to remain Orthodox? They will look elsewhere if they have a spiritual quest. We must see the hearts of our teenagers and not only the outward appearance, however outrageous we may find it.

The question for Christians who are already married and raising children is not: “How can I reduce to a bare minimum my family obligations so as to be ‘free’ to lead a ‘more spiritual’ life?” It is rather: “How should I nurture within my family life my love for God and my neighbor?