Back To School

It is back to school time if you can believe that! This week the kids will start coming back to school; it is wonderful to see the excitement on their faces as they begin the school year. This year we will have over 300 kids here at St. Luke’s school with over 350 in the RE programs.

The first day is always challenging, trying to get the kids where they need to be, get them calmed down and ready to learn again, and all of the other things that go along with the start of school. There is a nervousness that happens with kids at the beginning of school, most especially the younger ones. Sometimes we run into those children who just do not want to go back to school and would rather stay home, they have what I sometimes call the “I want mommy meltdown”, but parents tell them that school is good for them and that they have to go.

Sometimes I also hear that parents do not bring their children to Mass because they don’t want to go either, they would rather stay at home and sleep or play games, so they let them. What is the difference, while school gives them an education to get through this life, the Mass gives them an education to get to eternal life. We bring our kids to school even if they do not want to go because we know that it is good for them, we should also do the same with Mass and their faith. We ourselves should be a joyous example for our children in the practice of the faith, even in these challenging times. When our children ask us questions about the faith or why we go to Mass, we should help them to find the answer even if we do not know it. This is something that will help us with our own faith life. We want our children to be the best that they can be and with the help of God, they can be, but we need to help them to see that gift that God is for them, by showing them our own love for God.

Yes, these are challenging times and there is a fear for many around the coming together, whether it be for school or church, but we can also be reminded of the joys that are around being together, most especially to pray together the highest form of prayer that we have in the Church and that is the Holy Celebration of the Sacred Eucharist, in which we receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ into our bodies. As we are entering into the new school year, take the time to pray with the kids and also to bring them to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist so that we can all be drawn close to God. Also, on Thursday at 8:30, we will have Mass for the kids and then every Wednesday at 8:30 as well as our usual 7:00 Mass.

God bless,
Fr. Ken