From the Pastor
Fr. Mike Comer shares his thoughts on Scripture, spirituality and the challenges of living the Gospel.
faith is caught, not taught
April 26, 2026
A few weeks ago, I began writing about the fact that we are all sent out by Christ to bring the message of salvation to all. I believe that the most important evangelizers in the Church are parents and grandparents. Passing on the message of Christ to young people is one of the most significant ways in which the faith of the Church is handed on to new people. The baptism rite stresses that parents are the primary teachers of their children in the ways of faith. Grandparents and others in the family support and assist parents in this responsibility.
Many, perhaps most, parents feel very inadequate in fulfilling this role of evangelizing their children. What can they do to feel more comfortable in sharing faith with their young ones? I want to make some suggestions that can empower you.
An old saying tells us that, “Faith is caught, not taught.” In handing on the faith of the Church, there are two components. There is the content of the faith, but there is also the act of faith. Someone may know the Catholic faith very well. They may know the Catechism of the Catholic Church front to back. That is great, but it is not faith. Faith is the act of trust that we make in the content of the Church’s teaching, and primarily, it is placing our trust in a person, Jesus Christ. We do not want our children to become very catechized but unbelieving Catholics.
Many, perhaps most, parents feel very inadequate in fulfilling this role of evangelizing their children. What can they do to feel more comfortable in sharing faith with their young ones? I want to make some suggestions that can empower you.
An old saying tells us that, “Faith is caught, not taught.” In handing on the faith of the Church, there are two components. There is the content of the faith, but there is also the act of faith. Someone may know the Catholic faith very well. They may know the Catechism of the Catholic Church front to back. That is great, but it is not faith. Faith is the act of trust that we make in the content of the Church’s teaching, and primarily, it is placing our trust in a person, Jesus Christ. We do not want our children to become very catechized but unbelieving Catholics.
Parents are to pass on the content of the faith, but maybe more importantly, they need to become models of faith themselves. Do your children see you pray? Do you take them to Mass and allow them to see you participating, by singing, by responding to the prayers, focusing your attention on what is going on? Insist that they join in the songs and the prayers. Let them know that as a Catholic parent, you have expectations of them.
What about around the house? Are there pictures or statues that make it obvious that yours is a believing household. Especially when they are children, when you buy books for them to read, or to color, do you buy books that tell Bible stories, especially stories about Jesus? Do you do meal prayers and night-time prayers? These are important moments of spiritual formation for children.
All families go through difficult times, and children are usually aware that something is happening, even if they don’t know what it is. Pray with them at those times. Teach them to turn to God when they are having a problem, asking God for guidance, strength and healing.
These are just a few suggestions. I will be making more as we go along.
—Fr. Mike Comer
What about around the house? Are there pictures or statues that make it obvious that yours is a believing household. Especially when they are children, when you buy books for them to read, or to color, do you buy books that tell Bible stories, especially stories about Jesus? Do you do meal prayers and night-time prayers? These are important moments of spiritual formation for children.
All families go through difficult times, and children are usually aware that something is happening, even if they don’t know what it is. Pray with them at those times. Teach them to turn to God when they are having a problem, asking God for guidance, strength and healing.
These are just a few suggestions. I will be making more as we go along.
—Fr. Mike Comer
