Holy Family

Holy Family

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Feast of Saint Polycarp

Good morning. In today’s Gospel the Apostles get all upset because there are others doing God’s work who are not a part of their group and they don’t like it. Who do they think they are! Jesus admonishes the Apostles telling them more or less to let them be, they’re not hurting anyone. “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mk 9: 40) Sound familiar? How often as parents do we encounter feelings of jealousy or competitiveness with our children? Teaching a child that they are not the center of the universe can be tricky. Instilling in our children a healthy appreciation for their own God given talents while also appreciating the gifts God has bestowed upon others can at times be a real balancing act. Helping children learn to be complimentary and to appreciate the gifts of others is an important lesson for all children. Part of this lesson requires instilling in our children a genuine recognition and gratitude for the source of their own gifts. It is important to teach a child early that they need to be humble and appreciative of the gifts God has given them, and to be accepting and complimentary of the talents He has blessed others with. Certainly one way, and likely to have the most influence on our children is that of providing an example for them. It is important for our children to witness us being complimentary of others and we should avoid being boastful. Another way to instill a humble appreciation for the gift of others is to instill early on a sense of good sportsmanship, and learning to congratulate others when they’ve done well. Getting your child involved in youth group activities such as scouting, sports, or 4-H can be beneficial toward instilling a sense of team work and aid in the development of the social skills needed to be an effective member of a team. And, we can help our children learn to appreciate their own gifts and recognize the gifts of others by teaching them to reach beyond themselves and glorify the Source of those gifts through developing a habit of prayer and service for others. Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts and works of Saint Polycarp.

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