Everyone loves a superhero – Wonder Woman, Batman, James Bond and the list goes on. Superheroes may be great fictional characters, but they too have flaws. As we know, exposure to green kryptonite greatly weakens Superman, robbing him of his powers and prolonged exposure can be fatal. 

I’m sure you as a parent or carer are a superhero in the eyes of your children. However, just as Superman had his “kryptonite,” we also have a flaw which is really, just human nature.

In our church we call our superheroes saints. November is the month when we remember the deeds of the saints who were chosen because his/her life was an example of the way Christians are encouraged to live out a good life. Australia’s only saint is Mary Mackillop of the Cross who was an ordinary woman who did not want to be separated from God’s people despite being a member of the Josephite community.

Mary is a real superhero and role model for parents and carers who affirmed that we must teach more by example than word and never see a need without doing something about it.

Throughout November why not have a family conversation about saints and superheroes? Talk around the dinner table about which saint you admire or ask your child/children what are the outstanding acts they carry out that are saintly? Conversations such as these continue to remind us that whatever we see on TV or Netflix or even YouTube are not removed from what we talk about in faith conversations. The ideas are the same it’s just the words that are different.

The final message goes to Mary Mackillop - ‘find happiness in making others happy.’