If you are a Christian, it is your duty to teach and to confront, at times. It is your duty to teach family, friends, and other Christians. We heard from Ezekiel and we heard from Jesus that we are to teach and to confront. I don't believe the Gospel or Ezekiel's message is intended for other peoples who aren't Christians. If you noticed how Paul approached those who are not of the faith, he didn't begin by teaching them what to do and what not to do, he began by letting them know of God's love and mercy in the person of Jesus Christ. After they accepted that good news, they were ready to learn the ways of Christ. We live according to the ways of Christ. One of the things I love about the pueblos, our native pueblos is that they talk about the "Santa Clara Way", the "San Felipe Way". They love their culture. They love their history and they do everything they can to preserve their "Way". We as Catholic Christians also have something well-worth preserving and passing on to our children, the "Catholic Way" and it's up to us to do that. For sure if you do, if you do teach, and if you confront in the name of Jesus you will be opposed.

I heard recently someone had said "Children don't like to be corrected", and as we get older we like it less. Some don't like to be taught and most don't care to be corrected, especially today in this post-Christian era. Theologians refer to this time that we live in as the "post-Christian era". From the 5th century when Constantine became a Christian until somewhere in the middle of the 20th century, the last century, Europe was Christian and as America developed this was more or less a Christian nation but it is no longer Christian and certainly Europe no longer identifies with its Christian heritage to a very, very large extent. As a matter of fact, the EU, European Union, is constantly trying to mitigate or take away any links to their Christian past. It's a real problem. We're seeing this. This happened on my watch. I was born in 1946 and things have changed since then. First, I went to Catholic schools. I went to St. Anne's Grammar School and Holy Cross High School and Providence College. How many of you went to Catholic School? Put your hands way up. Wow! If I ask that question thirty years from now, how many hands will be raised here? That's the point, isn't it? We used to live in a culture where the faith was important to us. Tony is from Yonkers, New York. What parish were you from, Tony? Our Lady of Mount Carmel, good Italian parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. I played baseball for St. Anne's. We went three years without a victory. I got one hit and I was ducking.

If you're from Louisiana you still live in a parish. There are no counties in Louisiana. There called parishes. A lot's changed, well, not Louisiana politics but we live in a very different era, even in terms of things that we take for granted today in terms of our entertainment. I can think of the movies I saw as a kid in the 1950's and the movies today. The violence we see in the cinema is unbelievable and we have become immune to it but it's effected us greatly. I remember as a kid coming home from Church one Sunday and one of the people living a block up from us had gone hunting in upstate New York and had killed a deer and he hung the deer in his garage for a couple of days. It was the first dead animal I saw. I became sick. I was a kid and I wasn't used to seeing any animal that had died and today that wouldn't faze a kid. They're used to going to the movies and how many heads were blown off in the last twenty minutes of the flick. Not to mention sexuality. Holy smoke! I mean you got to this with your kid (cover their eyes) if you take your kids to the movies constantly. Things have changed. This is a post-Christian era and that gives us as Catholic Christians, as Christians some very, very special challenges. First we need to teach the faith and confront our sisters and brothers in the faith who are not living the faith. If you're not living the faith, if you're living in opposition to Christ's way you must be confronted for your own sake. "If you do not warn the evil man to change his ways, I will hold you responsible." Edmund Burke said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

I'd like to, kind of, change directions, just a little bit. I think it's related and talk to parents and godparents and grandparents today, especially the parents. School has begun again and we are all back to Church. We lose about 15% of our parish in the summer. I know they're going to mass somewhere else but I don't know where and every other priest tells me the same thing. Anyway, I'm glad you're home from wherever you were.

Parents are responsible to teach and lead their children in our faith and that responsibility cannot be delegated to anyone including the Church, including the parish. We have about 500 children in our catechism, many dozen young people in our youth group and many catechists and teachers. The responsibility for the training of the child is yours, mother and father or at least it is the responsibility of the Christian parent. Now the secular world, the school, the community, our nation is not responsible to teach religious values. They're not allowed to. It's beyond their competence. They teach other values, honesty, accountability, sportsmanship, physical ed., teamwork, all those good things that are related to Christian values but they do not teach your children the values of almighty God and of everlasting life. That's your job. The secular world will not teach your children about the sanctity of life. It will not teach your children about the sanctity of sexuality. The reason we have so many problems today with promiscuity and cohabitation and adulterous relationships; those are all really not causes but effects; the cause is, is that we lack an understanding and an appreciation of the sanctity of the human person. "Male and female, He created them." "Each man and woman is sacred in their sexuality", is an aspect of that sacredness. When our young people understand that, they lead good and chaste lives. When they know how sacred their body is, that it's a temple of the Holy Spirit and that sexual relations are to occur in marriage and only in marriage then they will lead a chaste life. Also, the secular world will not help your child to develop a Christian conscience. That's your job.

Now I say it's your job, if you actually had a child baptized, you made these promises. We ask the parents, the priest or deacon, "What do you ask of God's Church?" You said, "Baptism." Then the priest or deacon said, "You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training her in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring her up to keep God's commandments as Christ taught us. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?" You said, "Yes." "Godparents are you ready to help these parents in their duty as Christian mother and father?" You said, "Yes." "Then, dear parents and godparents you have come here to present this child for baptism. On your part you must make it your constant care to bring him up in the practice of the faith. See that the divine light that God gives him is kept safe from the poison of sin. If your faith makes you ready to accept this responsibility, renew now the vows of your own baptism." Then a baptism candle was handed to the godfather or to the parent and the priest said, "Receive the light of Christ, parents and godparents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ. He is to walk always as a child of light. May he keep the flame of faith alive in his heart." Finally, the baby was covered by a white baptism garment. "My dear child you have become a new creation of and have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example bring that garment unstained until your final resting." Remember those pledges and promises that you made. Today's a good day to renew them in your heart.

You know, you love your children. You want the best for them. You want the best nutrition, the best shelter, clothing, education. All those things will pass away. The one thing that lasts forever is faith in Jesus Christ. If your child has that then he or she will be with you in eternity forever. That's the most important thing you can give them.

The question today we have, and it's a relatively new question in terms of Christianity is: Will the holy faith that we have received be passed on to future generations? Will our God be their God? Will your children and grandchildren know Jesus Christ? Will they call him Lord? That's up to you and today's a good day to recommit yourself to that.

Let us pray. If you'd bow your heads, "Most loving Father our example of parenthood, we thank you for our children. Through us you gave life to them. From the womb you knew and loved them. Give us the wisdom to guide them, patience to teach them, vigilance to accustom them to the good. Teach us what to give and what to withhold. Show us when to reprove and when to praise. Make us gentle and considerate yet firm and watchful. Keep us from weak indulgence or from great severity. Give us the courage to be disliked sometimes by our children when we must set limits and require standards. Give us the imagination to enter into their world in order to understand and guide them. Give us all the virtues we need to lead them by word and example in the path of righteousness. Teach us and help us, oh good God, through the merits of your son Jesus, who is Lord and God, forever and ever."