Teach the basics of kindness

Why do Catholics believe in the Real Presence at Mass?

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Helping our children grow in their Catholic faith. September 2015

When Jesus said, “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:54), he spoke literally. Later, taking bread and wine, Jesus changed them into his body and blood, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body” and “this is my blood”

(Matthew 26:26-28). The Catholic Church calls this

action transubstantiation. When the priest consecrates

the bread and wine into the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is literally present—body and blood, soul and divinity—just as he said.

Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. For followers of Jesus, however, it doesn’t stop there. Christians know that Jesus wants us to show others the love of God, just as he did. This can be done by teaching children, when they are young, to be kind. Draw out kindness. Children start by being kind to themselves. They want to be first in line for recess, to receive a treat, or to climb on a lap to receive affection. Connect the kindness they show themselves to how they can behave toward others. “Today I am giving you two of your favorite cookies in your lunch so you can give one to a friend.

Come home and tell me how it felt.” Display kindness. Teach children to hold the door open for another person, to say “thank you,” “please,”

“may I?,” and “you’re welcome.” Using a level tone of voice, avoiding yelling, using kind words are all ways to display kindness in your home. Reward kindness.

Help children understand the link between what they do and how others feel about it. Parents can do that by rewarding with specific praise. “The reason I am so proud of you is that you made your sister smile when you did her chore. Did you see her happy face?”

St. Robert Bellarmine A Jesuit like our Pope Francis, Robert was also devoted to studying and writing about church history, Scripture and the fathers of the Catholic Church. He taught against involvement of kings in the Church and accurately wrote about Church doctrine to explain and protect it from attack by Protestants. Although a respected cardinal and counselor to Pope Clement VIII, he lived and ate like the poor. He was canonized and declared a doctor of the Church.

Teach love Children feel most secure when they grow surrounded by love. Pope Francis recently said that kissing in front of the children is a "beautiful witness." Children watch their parents carefully and "when they see that dad and mom love each other, the children grow in that climate of love, happiness and security," he said.

“Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation” (Joel 1:3).

St. Patrick SchoolDoreen Shipman, Principal

September 2015 Page 2

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(Unless noted Bible quotes and references are fromthe Revised Standard Version and the New American Bible.)

To help parents raise faithful Catholic children

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Mark 9:38-48, Work together for God

Do families belong in Church?

Sept. 9 – St. Peter Claver (1654). A young Jesuit in Colombia in 1610, St. Peter Claver was horrified by the slave trade. He hurried down to each arriving slave ship and brought water, medicine, food, and clothing to its inmates. He taught them about God and baptized nearly 300,000 slaves. Sept. 12 – The Most Holy Name of Mary: we honor Mary’s name out of respect for her relationship to Jesus. One of Mary’s titles is “Help of Christians.” No matter where we are in our faith, we can always look to Mary to lead us back to her

Son. All we have to do is ask. Sept. 15 – Our Lady of Sorrows. In Luke 2:35, Simeon predicted Mary’s sorrows as “a sword piercing” her soul. This partly referred to a time when Mary would stand at the foot of her Son’s Cross. Despite her sorrow, Mary stood dignified and fearless while others fled. Mary shows us how respond to suffering: with love and faith.

If you have ever raced into the pew after Mass has started, juggled a crying child during the homily or shuffled in children dressed in less-than-Sunday best, you may feel that the Church is only suited to perfectly behaved and pious families. Yet all the messy, wonderful families of God are welcome in the Catholic Church. The parish is your home. It is in the parish that we share faith. Parents are the most influential teachers of that faith and catechesis for their children. That makes you valued and

important to building up the Catholic Church. Those occasionally scruffy, sometimes noisy

children you bring into the church are our future. The Church is for you. What do you need?

Do you have questions or doubts? No question is too big or small for your pastor or priests. They want to help. Come to Mass weekly and give them opportunities to get to know your family. Ask for support in your family faith journey. It’s what the Church is meant to do.

I am always convinced that each new gadget I get will make me more efficient and help me accomplish all tasks. My new phone was no exception. From its large screen I can access our family calendar, my work

calendar, all my documents, email, the news and it reminds me to pray the Angelus at noon

and the Rosary at 3:00 pm. Kara wasn’t pleased the

first time I was late picking her up

because I was engaged in a long email exchange with a client after hours. Tessa got annoyed when she had to wait in the parking lot before walking into school while I finished editing an article for work. Finally, when I was texting during dinner, my husband asked me to stop and give my full attention when the family was together. I agreed. It seems that efficiency (and my phone) had become my false god.

In this reading, the disciples were upset because a man they didn’t know was healing in Jesus’ name. Perhaps they were afraid of losing the spotlight, or they may have been concerned because he was different from them. Faithful followers of Jesus don’t all look alike or talk alike, but we do act alike. Christianity is a kingdom, not a competition. All are welcome to work together to build it up. Those who share a common faith in Christ cooperate, not compete.

Some of Jesus’ words sound strange but he is very clear; we avoid sin at all costs and keep it out of our lives. Giving up a friendship, an activity, or a habit that causes us to do wrong may seem as painful as cutting off a

hand. But the consequences of our choices last forever. What can a parent do? The caution against harming little ones in faith applies to us as parents and teachers.

Our thoughts and actions must be motivated by love so that we can model Christian behavior for our children. They are watching.