Effective Parenting: Nurturing Rich Soils in Kids.

Homily for July 26, 2017


Last weekend, something rather disheartening happened in Edo State. It was the day fixed for the Primary School leaving certificate examinations. The Governor of the State decided to pay surprise visits to some of the centres.  

Lo and behold, the Governor caught some Teachers right inside the examination hall copying answers to the children. In fact, in another centre, he saw parents struggling to enter the hall by force to help their children copy.

How can a whole father or mother go as far as accompanying their child to an examination hall to ensure they assist the child to pass through examination malpractice? Is it not shameful enough that a child could even conceive of malpractice? That parents would now go all the way to “block,” even to jump fence on their children’s behalf is just beyond comprehension.

This incidence really calls to question the nature of parenting in our society today. How are we bringing up our children? Do we realize that the future of our country depends on the sound moral and spiritual foundation we lay in our kids?

If as parents we now teach and encourage our children to commit malpractice in examinations, how do we make them understand that kidnapping, prostitution, bribery, armed robbery, telling of lies and other vices are wrong?

Today we celebrate Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That this feast exists at all shows that no children can ever be successful without the cooperation and assistance of good parents. Yes, Joachim and Anne brought up their daughter very well such that God was so pleased with Mary and decided to make her his own mother.

A child who is well brought up is the glory of his parents. As our Gospel passage today explains, the nature of the soil determines the nature of the harvest. Let us bear in mind that our role as parents is to cultivate and constantly manure good soils in the heart of our children so that God can work mightily through them.

We should never teach our children to complain and murmur like the Israelites did in our first reading today. Instead, we should teach them how to pray for their needs in humility with deep trust and faith in the power of God to provide.    

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, pour your grace out on parents everywhere. Amen.

St. Joachim and Anne, pray for us.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of the 16th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Exodus 16:1-5.9-15 and Matthew 13:1-9). 

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