11. The family is, so to speak, the domestic church. In it parents should, by their word and example, be the first preachers of the faith to their children; they should encourage them in the vocation which is proper to each of them, fostering with special care a vocation to a sacred state. (Lumen Gentium)
Zeal. Sometimes it can be thought that religious education is something that the parish does for us. We send our children to classes and sessions, and that takes care of our obligation as Catholic parents. But this is not the way the Church thinks. Not at all.
In the document on The Church, Vatican II referred to the family as a domestic church. Understanding this, marriage is rightly called a vocation, that is, a call from God. Just as Jesus calls disciples in the Church, so too is a family geared to model the Church. The Church grows with more disciples, and the family grows with more disciples.
Parents are the essential means for this to happen. The role of a parish is to provide the necessary access to the sacraments. When we celebrate these faithfully, we gain access to Jesus, the divine Son of God, who desires nothing more than to save us from our sins.
Table of Contents
Make up materials for ZEAL
November 22, 2025
October 23, 2025
September 25, 2025
How can parents cooperate with Jesus in preparing children for Confirmation?
In anything parents want their children to learn, and to act upon, it is important to realize that children look first to their parents for the example. If parents see the value of education, and work with their children to learn at school, the child is more likely to be successful in school. It is often the case that the activities our children enjoy outside of school were introduced to them by their parents.
Nowhere is this more true than transmitting the values and examples of a life of faith. The children will learn the importance of a life of faith by looking to their parents for their example. Children pick up pretty quickly those things that are priorities for their parents. At the same time, they learn which things are not as important.
As parents, you assist your children the most by bringing them to Mass each Sunday, making prayer a regular habit every day, such as grace before meals or prayers before bed, and by your lived witness to seek to be a follower of Jesus.
The importance of going to Mass
Everything we do in faith arises from the Eucharist. This is why the Church refers to it as the source of our life. At the same time, it is the Eucharist that is our ultimate goal, as it is the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. Therefore, the Church refers to it also as the summit. Jesus comes to us truly every time we go to Mass.
Going to Mass is so important that nothing can take its place. We cannot go to Mass only some of the time, if we really want to experience the love, care and support of Jesus. It would be like your telling your children that they only have to be members of the family some of the time. And if they did that, they would lose out on the love and care you provide in your family. In the same way, when we do not go to Mass every Sunday, we lose out on the love and care Jesus wants to give us.
Be faithful in the At-home activities
By now you know that the success of the program is absolutely dependent upon your teaching and sharing your faith with your children. The Zeal box provides what you need to facilitate this. To increase the likelihood that your children will grow in faith, it is important to engage in the activities each week.
It is not uncommon for a teacher to see that students seek to cram their studying for a test into a few hours the night before. Even though they may do well enough to pass the test, it is also the case that most of the information they studied is quickly forgotten. By reinforcing what the children learn, engaging them in conversation, and modeling for them a life of faith, your children will grow in following Jesus, and you will as well.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
In the course of life, it can be the case that we get overwhelmed. Often we face so many demands for our time we can feel it is almost impossible to meet them all. You may have clearly understood the week’s activity when it was explained the first time, but when it came time to do the activity, you may not fully remember what it is you are supposed to do.
The catechists and the priests are here to help. The catechists will work to reach out regularly to “check-in” on how things are going. At its best, the Church is a community. And to be true community, we need to find the support and care that helps us to succeed.
The Objectives for each At Church Session
The Objectives for the At Home Sessions
On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update. You can subscribe to our podcasts on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
