I want you to realise that this act of love by which a child is conceived, is a sacred act. After all, God Himself is taking a share in it. And so we must always treat it and talk about it reverently.

2. It is good to know all this
Some boys don't treat these things reverently. In fact, they have the idea that there is something secret and wrong about it all. You can tell that by the underhand way they sometimes talk among themselves. But there is really nothing to be ashamed of in knowing these things, provided we treat them reverently.

   (a) For example. Our Lady knew them, so there can't be anything wrong in knowing. Do you remember when the angel came to her to ask her to be the Mother of God. Our Lady said: 'How will this be done, since I know not man?'- meaning, since I have promised God not to receive the seed of any man'. So Our Lady knew how a baby is conceived and born.

   (b) Besides, we actually mention these things in our prayers and in church. For example: -

      (i) Every time you say the Hail Mary, you mention the word womb ': 'Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus'. That is, 'blessed is the child Jesus you carried in your womb'.

      (ii) And in the Angelus, we mention 'conception ': 'The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and she conceived by the Holy Ghost'.

      (iii) Perhaps you have heard the priest use the words 'seed of Abraham' sometimes, when he has been reading Out the Sunday Epistle. He means the children of Abraham, who grew up from the seed that Abraham gave to his wife.

      (iv) How long did we say a baby needed to grow up