Our responsibility to protect children finds it foundation in Holy Scripture. 

Below are some Bible verses that you can reflect upon throughout Child Abuse Prevention Month, as well as the rest of the year.

  • Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (EX 20:12)child-praying-in-church-montage

  • Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching;
    A graceful diadem will they be for your head; a pendant for your neck. (PV 1: 8-9)

  • Train the young in the way they should go; even when old, they will not swerve from it. (PV 22:6)

  • At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And  whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me." (MT 18: 2-6)

  • "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." (MT 18:10)

  • Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me." (MK 9: 36-37)
  • And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them. (MK 10: 13-16)

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