WHAT IS MY CHILD LEARNING THIS MONTH?
This month, your child learned about how to make moral decisions informed by their faith. If we don’t have a foundation to base our decisions on, our standards will always be in flux and make making good decisions more difficult. We touched on the 10 Commandments as they help us have a healthy and loving relationship with God and with one another. In addition, we discussed what it means to have true freedom—being able to choose the right thing—and how with greater freedom means greater responsibility to keep others and yourself safe. Greater responsibility also means you have greater accountability for the decisions you make.
BRINGING THE SESSION HOME
→ Luke 15:11-32 (Parable of the Prodigal Son)
Then [Jesus] said, “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”
Questions to Reflect on:
- The story of the Prodigal Son shows us the endless and radical love and compassion God has for His creation — especiallytowards those who we think do not deserve it. Have you ever been in a situation where you forgave someone who you did not think deserved it? What happened, and how did you feel?
- Do you find yourself in the position of the Prodigal Son, or the Son that remained with his father? Why do you think that is?
PRAYING TOGETHER
The best way we can practice making good decisions is by:
1.) Learning more about our faith through reading scripture, praying, and finally the sacraments.
2.) Creating good habits leads us to making good decisions. We can start by learning more about what the Church teaches about morality so that we can form our consciences better. Here are some resources for your family to start thinking about:
