Parents must play the leading role in setting their children’spriorities in their day-to-day lives. By their words and example, by thedecisions they make and by the directions they give, parents convey to theirchildren a sense of what is most important in life, and what is of lesserimportance or of no importance at all. Parents who are lukewarm in the practiceof their faith, who seem indifferent to the sacraments and who may even spendmuch or most of their own lives in the state of moral sin, worldly parentsinculcate in the minds and hearts of their children worldly standards andworldly goals as the most important features of their own lives—and their children’slives. They might encourage their children in the pursuit of worldly successand achievement, but at what cost? Their children might realize all theirworldly ambitions and might attain to the height of worldly success but at thecost of their souls. Is this not exactly Our Lord’s point in saying: “What dothit profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his ownsoul.” [St. Matthew 16, 26] If only such parents would take Our Lord seriouslywhen He warns of the great price they will pay for teaching their children tostrive for worldly honors and to be lax in their faith. [St. Matthew 18,6]