Fathers and Children

Praevaricator et proditor pater es, nisi filiis tuis fideliter consulas, nisi conservandis eis religiosa et vera pietate prospicias. Qui studes terreno magis quam coelesti patrimonio, filios tuos diabolo magis commendare quam Christo, bis delinquis et geminum ac duplex crimen admittis, et quod non praeparas filiis tuis Dei patris auxilium, et quod doces filios patrimonium plus amare quam Christum. Esto potius liberis tuis pater talis qualis Tobias exstitit. Da utilia et salutaria praecepta pignoribus qualia ille filio dedit; manda filiis tuis quod et ille filio mandavit dicens: Et nunc, fili, mando tibi, servi Deo in veritate, et fac coram illo quod illi placet; et filiis tuis manda ut faciant justitiam et eleemosynas, et sint memores Dei et benedicant nomen ejus omni tempore. Et iterum: Omnibus diebus vitae tuae, fili dilectissime, Deum in mente habe, et noli praeterire praecepta ejus. Justitiam fac omnibus diebus vitae tuae, et noli ambulare viam inqiuitatis; quoniam agente te ex veritate, erit respectus operum tuorum. Ex substantia tua fac eleemosynam, et noli avertere faciem tuam ab ullo paupere. Ita fiet ut nec a te avertatur facies Dei. Prout habueris, fili, sic fic. Si tibi fuerit copiosa substantia, plus ex illa fac eleemosynam: si exiguum habueris, ex hoc ipso exiguo communica. Et ne timueris cum facis eleemosynam: praemium enim bonum reponis tibi in diem necessitatis; quia eleemosyna a morte liberat, et non patitur ire in gehennam. Munus bonum est eleemosyna omnibus qui faciunt eam coram summo Deo. Sanctus Cyprianus,Liber de Opere et Eleemosynis

You are a wicked and traitorous father unless you faithfully consult for your children, unless you look forward to preserving them in religion and true piety. You who are careful more for their worldly than their heavenly patrimony, commend your children to the devil more than to Christ. You sin twice, and allow a twofold crime, in not providing the aid of God their Father for your children, and in teaching them to love their worldly estate more than Christ. Be rather to your children such a father as Tobias was. Give useful and saving precepts to those in your care, such as he gave to his son, command your children what he commanded his son, saying: 'And now, my son, I command you, serve God in truth, and do before Him that which pleases Him, and command your sons, that they be righteousness and give alms, and be mindful of God, and bless His name always.' And again: 'All the days of your life, most dear son, have God in your mind, and be unwilling to transgress His commandments. Do righteousness all the days of your life, and be unwilling to walk in the way of iniquity, because if you act truly, there will be respect of your works. Give alms from your substance, and be unwilling to turn your face from any of the poor. Thus it shall be that neither shall the face of God be turned from you. As you have, my son, so do. If your substance is abundant, give alms of it all the more. If you have little, give a little. And fear not when you give alms, for you lay up a good reward for yourself against the day of necessity, because alms deliver from death, and it suffers not to go into Gehenna. Alms are a good gift to all who give in the sight of the most high God.' Saint Cyprian, On Works and Alms