Homilies about children

The Cost of a Child's Education: A Missionary's Plea from Peru

Father Pacy

The homily is split into two parts. The first, very brief part by Father Pacy, emphasizes God's patience and leniency due to His love, and reminds the congregation that all are called to be missionaries by virtue of their baptism. The second, main part is delivered by Sister Suzanne, a missionary from the Sisters of St. Joseph, who shares poignant stories from her order's work in Peru, highlighting the struggles of abandoned children and hunger, and appealing for prayers and financial support for their mission.

How a Simple Meal Transforms Lives: The Mission of Mary's Meals

This homily, delivered by a representative from Mary's Meals, focuses on the organization's mission to provide daily meals to children at school in impoverished countries. It highlights how these meals enable children to learn, develop, and have hope for a better future, emphasizing the importance of sharing resources and the profound impact of this simple act of charity on individuals and communities.

Raising a Child of God: Responsibilities of Parents and Godparents in Faith

This homily, delivered during a baptism, emphasizes the spiritual transformation of the baptized child, Mary, into a child of God, inheriting light and the Kingdom. It outlines the responsibilities of the parents and godparent to nurture her faith through prayer, scripture, church attendance, and virtuous living, stressing that teaching should be through action, not just words.

Padres: Cómo Ser un Refugio de Gracia en un Mundo Digital

Monseñor Carlos Conan

This homily, delivered on Father's Day, challenges fathers to be present, protective, and merciful figures in their children's lives, especially against the subtle threats of modern technology and culture. It emphasizes that fathers are not just judges but also safe havens for repentance and growth, reflecting God's justice and mercy. The homily encourages fathers to foster open communication, set boundaries, and lead by example through prayer and faith.

Called by Name: The Sanctity of Life from the Womb

The homily reflects on the readings for the Nativity of John the Baptist, emphasizing that God calls each person from the womb with a name and a mission, just as he did for John. It highlights the sanctity of life from conception and calls for its protection, drawing a parallel between the shedding of blood by John the Baptist and the lives of unborn children.

The Patience of Faith: Growing God's Seed in Your Heart

Father Christopher

The homily, delivered as a 'family teaching mass,' uses the parable of the wheat and weeds and the mustard seed to explain that faith, like a seed, takes time to grow and requires patience and nourishment from parents and the Eucharist. The priest shares a personal childhood story about planting a seed and learning patience, emphasizing that the effects of faith, though not immediately visible, will eventually bear fruit and shine brightly.

Why Every Child is God's Opinion That Life Should Go On

The homily reflects on the significance of John the Baptist's birth as a 'gift of God' and a sign of hope, emphasizing that every child born is God's opinion that life should go on. It connects John's mission to prepare the way for Christ with the individual mission of each person to prepare for Christ's second coming, encouraging faithfulness and making the world better.

Are You Good Soil? Sowing Seeds of Faith in Your Children

Father Amrud

The homily reflects on the Parable of the Sower, emphasizing that the Word of God is the seed and we are the soil. It challenges listeners to examine what kind of soil their hearts are, and encourages parents to generously sow seeds of faith and goodness in their children's lives, drawing on personal anecdotes about declining church attendance among youth in Italy.

Why God's Timing is Always Perfect: Lessons from John the Baptist

This homily, delivered on the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, emphasizes that with God, nothing is impossible, regardless of human timelines or expectations. It highlights the significance of names and God's divine plan for each individual, urging obedience to God's instructions and giving life a chance, as we do not know the future of any child.

Don't Be Afraid: God Knows and Loves You (A Father's Day Homily for Kids)

This homily, delivered primarily to children, uses a story about a boy afraid of a monster under his bed to introduce the concept of fear. It then connects this to the readings, emphasizing that God is always with us, knows us intimately (even the number of hairs on our heads), and loves us, so we should not be afraid. The homily concludes with a special Father's Day greeting.

What Will This Child Be? Our Call to Be a Light to the World

The homily reflects on the significance of the birth of John the Baptist, emphasizing the question, "What will this child be?" It connects this to the universal Christian calling to be a "light to the world" and encourages reflection on how this calling has been fulfilled in one's own life and how it might yet become true for the children in our lives.

The Best Inheritance: Why Parents Must Pass on Faith to Their Children

The homily emphasizes God's respect for parents and their role in transmitting faith to their children, drawing parallels with the birth of John the Baptist. It warns against the dangers of modern technology, like cell phones, as gifts for children, advocating instead for the gift of faith to prepare them to be prophets in the world.

Preparing Your Heart: The Parable of the Sower in Modern Life

Père Saint-Gilbert

The homily, delivered in Haitian Creole, focuses on the Parable of the Sower, emphasizing the different types of 'soil' (hearts) that receive God's word. It urges parishioners to prepare their hearts to be good soil, actively share the Gospel, and protect children from negative influences that deny God's existence, highlighting the importance of parental guidance in faith formation.

The Wonder of Every Birth: God's Plan and Our Purpose

The homily celebrates the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, emphasizing the importance of every birth and God's unique plan for each individual, formed wonderfully in the womb. It highlights John the Baptist's role in pointing to Jesus, serving as a model for all believers to direct attention to God's greatness rather than themselves.

Protecting Our Youth's Faith in a Hostile World

The homily draws a parallel between King Hezekiah's prayer for deliverance from the Assyrians and the contemporary struggle of young people to maintain their faith against the 'enemy army' of the world. It emphasizes the need for prayer and support to keep the 'fire of God's love' strong in the youth, despite the overwhelming challenges they face after spiritual retreats.

The Power of Small Acts: How Little Things Flourish in God's Time

Father Orlando

The homily begins with the priest introducing himself and sharing a personal anecdote about his 16-year-old nephew, who has matured into a responsible young man, reflecting the parable of the wheat and the weeds. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance in faith, even when understanding is lacking, drawing a parallel to his own experience of praying multiple rosaries while commuting. The priest then connects this to the mission of the Piarist Fathers, founded by St. Joseph Calasanz, highlighting their struggle to provide Catholic education to the poor and asking for prayers and financial support, emphasizing that small acts of love and faith will flourish in God's time.

How Small Acts of Love Transform Lives: The Mustard Seed and Yeast in Action

Sister Anne

The homily, delivered by a visiting sister, focuses on the parable of the mustard seed and yeast, emphasizing how small acts of love and generosity can lead to extraordinary blessings and transform lives, particularly through supporting education for poor children in Vietnam. She highlights the Dominican scholarship program's impact, connecting it to the Gospel message of God working through seemingly insignificant actions to build His kingdom.

How Your Faith Can Grow Like a Mustard Seed

This homily is a children's liturgy of the word, focusing on the parable of the mustard seed. The priest uses actual seeds to illustrate how faith, like a small seed, can grow into something large and life-giving, encouraging the children to pray for their faith to grow.

Your Divine Mission: Why God Chose You to Live

The homily emphasizes that each person has a divine mission, stemming from God's eternal love before birth. It connects the celebration of St. John the Baptist's birth to the sacredness of all human life, particularly in the womb, and frames the pro-life stance as a 'pro-Christ' issue, urging respect for life as a reflection of God's love.

The Priest Who Shaped St. John Bosco: The Legacy of St. Joseph Cafasso

This homily celebrates St. Joseph Cafasso, highlighting his profound influence on St. John Bosco's formation and ministry. It emphasizes how Cafasso's guidance, particularly in practical pastoral theology and prison ministry, shaped Don Bosco's preventive method of education, aiming to keep young people out of prison and off the gallows.