So you’re a godparent? Congratulations! But, your beloved godchild lives miles away… how will you ever have a strong spiritual mentorship to him or her?
Well, God, the Father lives in Heaven and His love still surrounds us constantly. Through Him all things are truly possible, even with the obstacle of distance. Your godparent-godchild relationship is important, so don’t let distance get in the way of helping his or her parents lead your godchild to Christ! There is always a way to help your godchild know Christ is by his or her side, even if you can’t be beside him or her all the time.
Here are twenty-five ideas to be a great godparent, even if you don’t live in the same area!
(Can you think of any other ways to support your godchild’s spiritual development from a distance? Share your ideas in the comments!)
25 Ways To Be A Godparent
1. Send your godchild mail, specifically mail that says you prayed for him or her.
2. Send a card for holy days.
3. Offer Masses for your godchild, and send him or her a Mass card.
4. Light a candle at a church or other holy place for him or her, and send a card.
5. Call on special occasions, such as birthdays and Holy Days.
6. Invite your godchild on pilgrimages or retreats.
7. Ask your godchild about his or her patron saint. Be on the lookout for holy cards and books about that saint to send as gifts.
8. Let your godchild know you are praying for him or her, especially during difficult times of your godchild’s life.
9. Do your best to remember your godchild’s stories, friend’s names, and favorite classes so you can ask about those later.
10. Ask interesting questions about your godchild’s faith life. What’s their favorite part of the Mass? Would they ever consider consecrated life? They may not have considered it until you bring it up!
11. Tell them your story as you see fit. Sharing your testimony helps you connect on a deeper spiritual level and lets your godchild know that he or she can also share.
12. Teach your godchild the rosary, chaplets, and your favorite prayers through gifts, letters, and phone calls!
13. Figure out what your godchild likes to do for fun and talk about that, even if it’s not directly religious. You can always connect baseball to glorifying God after a long conversation about the game and its players.
14. Help your godchild discern, even if it means just letting them know you’re praying for him or her.
15. Tell your godchild stories of interesting saints—St. Moses the Black, St. Padre Pio, St. Teresa, and all the others your godchild could connect with.
16. Make it a point to visit your godchild’s family, and take him or her out on a special ice cream date with you.
17. Be supportive! Visit your godchild when he or she is away at college or when he or she moves out and gets his or her first job and might need a familiar face around.
18. Love your godchild like Christ—unconditionally. No matter what comes your way.
19. Never lose touch. If the Holy Spirit bumps your shoulder and reminds you that you haven’t called your godchild in six months, call him or her!
20. Connect on social media if/when your godchild is on it, not to keep tabs but to simply be connected and like his or her good photos and statuses for supporting the positive.
21. When you visit, make it a point to take your godchild to Mass and help him or her participate.
22. Ask your godchild what he or she knows about Jesus and their faith.
23. Remember to pray with them before meals, even in public.
24. Ask them what their favorite parts of Christmas, Easter, Lent, Advent, and other important Catholic days and seasons are, and then go an extra step and keep that enthusiasm alive. (i.e. If your godchild like the smell of incense, you could send a candle with incense smell. If your godchild likes the a special reading at Mass, you could send that reading framed or write it out for them. If they really like the candles at Mass, give them a vigil candle of their own.)
25. Pray for your godchild. This may be listed last, but it is by far the most important whether you see him or her every day or only every once in a while. Pray that your godchild has a close relationship with God.
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7 Ways To Be A Godparent | Catholic-Link.org
