Show Notes

(01:23) Rakhi and Nicole start by talking about April 26th being Pretzel Day, the 52 Sundays pretzel recipe, and some of the possible religious significance of the pretzel. They talk about the upcoming Gospel of the Road to Emmaus and why they find this reading so powerful. 

(05:38) Rakhi emphasizes how powerful it is that Jesus so gently engages with the people on the road, who had lost all hope, not realizing the resurrection had taken place. She highlights how, as parents, we can follow his example when we see our children going in an unfavorable direction. Nicole notes the balance of our obligation as parents to raise our children in the faith, and how complicated their questions and challenges can become as they grow. She shares a story of how a dad she knows handled this balance with his toddler son who lied in an attempt to avoid going to Mass. 

(08:52) They talk about how they need to find ways to help their children know they can be honest about their struggles, while fighting the impulse to hold the posture of “I told you so.” Rakhi highlights the many opportunities to grow in patience and the humanity of our kids. The two discuss how important it is to lead authentically with our kids, being honest about when we’re struggling to do the right things, but choosing to work through the struggle. 

(13:43) They discuss the reality of being tempted to take our kids’ questions or resistance to the faith personally, when in reality, oftentimes they’re rooted in feelings or experiences that they don’t have language for. Nicole offers some practical advice on how to navigate this challenging aspect of parenting. 

(16:47) Rakhi notes how it can be helpful to have some alternative ideas in mind when our kids are resisting something like Mass (i.e., some different Mass times, liturgy styles, etc.) in order to better respond to what they need. They discuss how important it is to be aware of what other messages and ideas our kids might come across that lead to bigger faith-related questions and help our children discern truth, goodness, and beauty. They highlight the importance of a strong community in order to help influence their children, in ways that parents can’t.

(21:52) They note the end goal is to express unconditional love and to ensure that our children know they will be loved no matter what, even as tough conversations arise. They talk about how Jesus, especially on the road to Emmaus is such a strong model for this type of loving and parenting. They talk about how Jesus never stops pursuing our children.  

(26:18) They invite listeners to pray for good weather in Michigan and some of their experiences of going  on walks with their children. 

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of An Adoration Treasury for Young Catholics. Help your little ones spend meaningful time before Jesus in the Eucharist with this book featuring a multitude of prayers, hymns, meditations, and ways to pray before the Eucharist, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this Eucharistic resource.