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God has no grandchildren

Short essays about observed trends in Roman Catholic life - Pastoral trends

As children of God, we either have a personal, direct relationship with God or not. We can never get such a relationship merely be inheriting it from parents who were children of God! Every person, every generation must make a choice to respond to God’s grace, or not. This observation comes from a theologian, David Bosch, but it really goes right back to the scriptures. Just because one was part of God’s Chosen People was no guarantee that one would not become faithless or worse. Don’t we make the same mistake today? Aren’t we somehow surprised when our children are not “grandchildren” of God merely because we live as “children” of God? Inserting children into an institution, even a church school or other church programs, is never enough. It cannot “make” them children of God! It might even lead them to reject what they find there, particularly if they sniff hypocrisy or manipulation along the way. What is helpful is something else: remembering that being a “child” of God is first and foremost a relationship. To what degree do we model such a relationship with our children? To what degree do we help them see that it is God’s love that they are experiencing? To what degree are they able to connect with a community of disciples sharing what it means to be a child of God? Everything else is merely an adventure in missing the point.

Authors Bryan Froehle

relationships children of God inheritance Community

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Homily stories

30 Dec 2018 - Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Cycle C

I remember when one of our daughters got lost at an amusement park. She was 4 or 5 years old, and I remember how terrified my wife and I were. She was gone from us only a short time, but in those moments my heart raced and my imagination was filled with disturbing thoughts about what might have happened to her. And so I can feel for Mary and Joseph who were naturally frightened when they discovered Jesus was missing. They searched three whole days in a strange city before they found him. I can only imagine their sense of terror. Having kids opens you up to the possibility of loss and separation. Loving anyone leaves you vulnerable. And so it is always hard to hear Jesus’ seemingly snippy retort to his parents, “Did you not know that I would be in my Father’s house?” But it’s an important lesson as we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. From early on, Jesus was aware of his identity as a child of God and not just of Mary and Joseph. And that identity was not to be denied. If they had remembered this, Mary and Joseph would have known where to look for him. As parents and grandparents and friends of the family, it’s important for us to be mindful of our children’s deepest identity. They, too, are children of God.

Authors Tom McGrath

children of God

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Homily stories

30 Dec 2018 - Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Cycle C

“Jesus advanced in wisdom” the last line of today’s gospel tells us, and it’s a good thing, because worrying his parents the way he did was not very wise. He had his reasons to stay in Jerusalem, to be sure, but a simple note—”Mom, Dad, catch you later”—would have saved his parents a lot of heartache. But as any scripture scholar will tell you, Luke’s attention wasn’t focused on the domestic life of the Holy Family. His main concern was to place Jesus in the right time and the right place for his coming of age, namely in Jerusalem at the Temple. And Jesus’ apparent disdain for his parents’ concern was equally telling in that it signaled his blossoming awareness of who he was and what he was called to do. It’s like a parent’s fussing when kids go off to college or start their first real jobs: The kids can’t understand why the parent is upset—”Isn’t this what you’ve wanted and what we’ve been preparing for the past 20 years?” The parent, on the other hand, is thinking, “Is it that time already? How can that possibly be?” The truth is none of us is ever quite ready for our mission; even Jesus asked that the cup be passed if at all possible. All we can hope for is to be faithful and commit to faithfulness come what may, including the suffering and death of one you love. That is what being a child of God requires, whether your name be Jesus, Mary, Joseph, or your name here.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

coming of age Faith children of God

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Homily stories

26 Dec 2021 - Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Cycle C

I remember when one of our daughters got lost at an amusement park. She was 4 or 5 years old, and I remember how terrified my wife and I were. She was gone from us only a short time, but in those moments my heart raced and my imagination was filled with disturbing thoughts. And so I can feel for Mary and Joseph, who were naturally frightened when they discovered Jesus was missing. They searched three whole days in a strange city before they found him. I can only imagine their sense of terror. Having kids opens you up to the possibility of loss and separation. Loving anyone leaves you vulnerable. And so it is always hard to hear Jesus’ seemingly snippy retort to his parents, “Did you not know that I would be in my Father’s house?” But it’s an important lesson as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. From early on, Jesus was aware of his identity as a child of God and not just of Mary and Joseph. And that identity was not to be denied. If they had remembered this, Mary and Joseph would have known where to look for him. As parents and grandparents and friends of the family, it’s important for us to be mindful of our children’s deepest identity. They, too, are children of God.

Authors Tom McGrath

children of God

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