Thursday, September 18, 2014

Explaining love to kids: Daily Mass Homily--Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 (School Mass)


            I hope you have your thinking caps on again.  This includes our adults as I want to ask them a question.  Don’t worry, it’s an easy one.  How many of you had our first reading—1 Corinthians 13—at your wedding?  [Several hands raised up].
Now to the kids.  There was one word that was repeated several times in our first reading (1 Corinthians 13).  Do you remember what it was?  Love.
And what does it mean to love?  We care for someone.  We hug our parents.  We are nice.  Good ideas.  Does it mean we clean our rooms when we are asked?  Or are kind to our siblings?
Who are we called to love?  My grandma.  Our parents.  Our teachers.  Who are we called to love the most?  God.  As Catholics and Christians we must love God and others.
I want you to know something.  Love is not a feeling.  It may include feelings—when we love someone we should be happy because they are near, but there are times when loving someone doesn’t always feel good. 
Here is an example for you.  But first, who here has a little brother or sister—a baby in your family?  [Several students raise their hands.  One girl raises her hand and says her baby sister is at Mass with their mom].  So here is the situation—when your baby sister wakes up crying with a dirty diaper, who cleans her up?  Do you?  No!  Your mom does, though!  (By the way, I have never changed a diaper and never will!)  Do you think your mom is pumped to change a diaper in the middle of the night?  Does she think, “Yes, I can’t wait to clean a stinky diaper at 2:00am!”  No!  Exactly.  But out of love for your little sister, your mother changes her and puts her back to bed.  This is love even though it didn’t feel great to have to do.
We are blessed to come to Mass again thankful to God for loving us.  May we all grow in love of God and each other today.  

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