NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small groups that gather in the home weekly to discuss and pray through the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. Find out more at Christ in Our Neighborhood – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix (dphx.org)
This coming Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. The question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection asks us is: How does a Christian parent differ from parents who are not Christian?
Back in the 1970s, a publicist came up with a memorable slogan to describe the Peace Corps. It’s a slogan that seems very applicable in describing parenthood as well: “The toughest job you’ll ever love.”
Most people (especially parents) would agree that raising a child is a challenging enterprise. Christian parents, however, have an amazing gift that assists them in this vocation and carries them and their child through the difficulties of this life. It’s called baptism.
Through baptism, a person becomes a beloved adopted son or daughter of God. While all persons are made in the image and likeness of God and belong to the human family, it is only by baptism that we become heirs to the kingdom of heaven and partakers in the divine nature. Baptism is crucial and it’s something Christian parents deeply desire for their children, at least if they are aware of the effects of baptism and its centrality in the Christian life.
If you or someone you know hasn’t been baptized yet, why not reach out to your local parish and ask the priest, deacon or lay minister about receiving this sacrament of initiation?
Watch the video of the weekly podcast segment featuring Christ in Our Neighborhood with Bishop Dolan by clicking here.
To sign up for our weekly Christ in Our Neighborhood newsletter that has everything you need for your next meeting, visit: https://phoenixdiocese.flocknote.com/CION
