His Holiness Pope Tawadros II delivered his weekly sermon at Wednesday’s meeting this evening, from the Church of the Virgin Mary and Saint Bishoy at the Papal Residence in the Abbaseya Cathedral. The sermon was broadcast on Christian satellite channels and the C.O.C channel of the Church’s media center on the Internet.
His Holiness concluded the series “Stations of the Journey of Great Lent and Connecting It to Family Life”, and discussed a part of chapter 18 of the Gospel of our teacher St Matthew (verses 1 to 7), and referred to the topic of next Sunday, which is “Palm Sunday”. In the Coptic Church, it is considered the annual feast of childhood, and the interest of our Lord Jesus Christ in childhood, because who will be allowed to enter heaven are children. “and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 18:3)
H.H. gave examples of personalities chosen by God from childhood for great tasks, such as Samuel the Prophet, John the Baptist, and Timothy, and God chose children especially because the only way for us to have heroic men – whether they or they – is to have small children.
His Holiness the Pope set basic milestones in raising our children to grow up as good children, through:
1- Make your home a church
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20 )
The father and mother must make the atmosphere of the house a ecclesiastical one by reading the Bible and the lives of the saints, singing hymns, and paying attention to Sunday schools.
2- Link your sons and daughters to the liturgy and church attendance, and teach them the value of icons, readings of the liturgy, prayers, and the rosary, and devising means to encourage them.
3- Teach your son or daughter service in all its forms, and plant in them the spirit of service from a young age, and teach them to relate to society and serve it, because service means a person’s departure from himself and becomes permanent joy.
4- Keep a library in your home with simple books that attract children, because paper reading takes energy from a person and gives him calmness.
5-Be your children’s friends and share their interests with them, and be their best friend, because the best method of education is the direct method from the father and mother.
His Holiness pointed out that the family that did not have children, God gave them a message to provide care and services, provide time for anyone in need, and use its special skills in service, because any family should be a productive and fruitful family.
This page is also available in: العربية