Homeschooling Mass
Tuesday 21st Week, Year II
O’Dwyer Retreat House
August 25 2026
There’s No Place Like Home
Devotees of The Wizard of Oz will remember what Dorothy kept repeating when she awakened from her vivid dream: “There’s no place like home,” she said, “There’s no place like home.” We can travel around the world, we dream of far away places – but, as that classic movie reminds us, true happiness and contentment can be found “in your own backyard.”
To many people today, that movie and its message seem outdated. It comes from a simpler time, a time when hearth and home meant everything. These days, many families are no longer a close-knit. Roles are reversed or confused. Schedules are frenetic, leaving little time for family togetherness. And when family members are finally at home, they are absorbed by I-phones and social media. It’s as if family members are strangers living under the same roof.
The Church’s Vision
But this isn’t the case universally. As priest and bishop, I am privileged to know many strong and loving families. Of course, I wish there were more of them. In fact I pray and work for that. For as St. John Paul II said, “The future of humanity passes by way of the family.” And the Church continues to teach the truth and beauty of family life. Recently, Pope Leo XIV called the family “the first school of humanity, where children first learn trust before calculation, generosity before competition, dialogue before division, and love before power.” He has reiterated that the family is “the domestic church” where faith is shared like food at the family table and homes become “a light of hope” through daily prayer, worship and dialogue.
In a world that sometimes seems bent on destroying the nuclear family, the vision of the Church of healthy family life coupled with the Church’s teachings on the truth about human life are a welcome antidote. But for that vision to become reality and for those teachings to be lived, you, as parents, must make a fundamental choice: to root your love for one another and their family life in Christ’s love. In his love, you discover anew how much God the Father loves them. In his love, you discover the depth and beauty of human dignity. And you desire to see the light of Christ’s love shine on your children. Thus, you take seriously the charge the Church gives to parents when their babies are baptized: “You are the first teacher of your children in the ways of faith. May you be the best of teachings, bearing witness to the faith by what you say and do.”
Catholic homeschooling is not merely an alternative to other forms of education. It grows out a vision of the home as the first school of humanity. It grows out of the truth that the home is to be a domestic church: a place where the faith is transmitted and nurtured by prayer, where character is formed principally by good example, and where life’s most fundamental lessons are learned. It is a way of exercising your natural right as parents, a right that is confirmed by the teaching of the Church, namely, to oversee and provide for the religious formation and education of your children.
You know and understand your children as well as their needs and talents. You accompany them daily to become followers of Christ and young and vibrant members of his Church. You also seek to develop their God-given gifts and talents, their knowledge of history, literature, math, and science. You teach them to think critically and deeply about human life, and to use technology well and wisely. This is a point that Pope Leo stresses in his encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. Technology, no matter how sophisticated, does not replace persons.
Family Not a Closed Circle
When I was growing up, it was common to speak of the family circle. It was and is a way of speaking about the warmth and closeness of family life. But the family circle is not a closed circle. It must be open to the wider Church, It must be a place of hospitality and friendship. It must also be a place where the needs of others, especially the poor and the vulnerable are addressed. Add to that that the family plays an irreplaceable role in the Church’s mission of evangelization. A happy, faithful, loving, church-going family attracts others to the faith, not always by words but more often by the persuasive power of good example.
In saying all this, I am aware that family life is not always easy. Getting everyone ready to go to Church, for example, can be a chore. Getting everyone to settle down for a lesson can be a challenge. And to put it mildly, not everything goes smoothly all the time. Yet, here you are, in the arena, ‘fighting the good fight, running the race.’ Keeping your minds and hearts steady, as Paul urges us today, and exercising your responsibilities with sincerity and integrity, as Jesus urges. Thank you! Thank you and God bless you for what you are doing!
A Word to the Young
Let me finish my homily with a word to you, our young people here today. I’m sure you know that your moms and dads really love you a lot. I’m sure you know that they are working hard to give you what you need and to help you be healthy, happy, and holy. Don’t forget to thank your mom and dad every day for what they’re doing. And one of the best ways to thank them is to do what they ask – cheerfully!
I’ll bet that’s what you do – most of the time! And when your mom and dad talk to you about Jesus and about the faith, I hope you will listen to them and see how important the faith is to them and how important it is to you. Most of all, I hope you will come to know and love Jesus. You can have no better friend in life.
Finally, I entrust your parents and yourselves to Mary and Joseph. Together, they helped Jesus grow up in their home at Nazareth. May you also grow up in a home made beautiful by faith and love, as followers of Christ and members of his Church all the days of your life. God bless you and keep you in his love!