Catholic Movies for Families: Paddington Teaches Gratitude

I love this month for many reasons, but I think I love it because it's a reminder for me to slow down and practice gratitude. I remember learning about months in my kindergarten class and the Month of November always had a turkey or a cornucopia, reminding us of Thanksgiving. November will always remind me of Thanksgiving and the necessary art of practicing gratitude in my own family.

The cold weather also makes me want to snuggle up with my kids on the couch with a warm beverage in my hands to watch great movies! Movies don't have to be explicitly Catholic in order to illustrate the beauties of our Catholic faith. The name Eucharist comes from the Greek eucharistia, meaning “thanksgiving.” This month's movie for catholic families about gratitude, Paddington, does a great job of illustrating the art of practicing gratitude and how to be a Eucharistic Family.

Optional Snacks:

• Honey Teddy Grahams: Super easy to grab at the store and kids love them!

• Orange Marmalade sandwiches: Just marmalade on bread, cut crusts off and cut in triangles. Eat pinky up, of course!

• Tea and or hot cocoa: If you have a tea set, bust it out too!

Catholic Family Movie on Gratitude

Gratitude as the Heart of the Story

This movie just makes my heart happy. Paddington is so loveable and warm, it's easy to like him. I think one of the reasons he is so likable is how grateful and positive he is. He's not just polite, but open to the life and adventure around him.

• Tell the kids: Notice Paddington’s attitude: Even after losing his home and family, he remains thankful, curious, and kind. He notices small blessings — a warm meal, a safe place to sleep, the kindness of strangers.

  • Then ask: What are some ways this family can practice gratitude and small blessings like Paddington?

• Tell the kids: Notice how the Brown family’s transformation illustrates a pro-life message: They learn to see Paddington not as a burden but as a blessing. Their hearts shift from fear and inconvenience to gratitude for his presence.

  • Then ask: Do we ever see one another as a burden? Let's take the Brown's example and look for ways EACH member of our family is a blessing to us and why. Ask the Holy Spirit to point out why each is a blessing, even if it's hard for you to see at times.

Hospitality as Eucharistic Living

The Browns’ decision to welcome Paddington into their home echoes the Eucharistic call to communion. At Mass, Christ welcomes all — especially the lost, the lonely, and the outsider — to His table.

• Tell the kids: Notice Paddington as the stranger, the odd guy out: Christ says, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35), Paddington is the outsider in need of love and belonging.

  • Then ask: Is there anyone in your life who is an outsider? Like a kids no one talks to at school? or a person at church who sits alone? Ask God to inspire you to show them kindness and include them somehow.

• Tell the kids: Notice how the Brown family open their home: Their growing hospitality reflects what Pope Francis calls a “culture of encounter,” where gratitude becomes action. Each act of sharing, a meal, a coat, a place to belong, becomes a reminder that love multiplies when given.

  • Then ask: Do you struggle with sharing what is yours? Why or why not? Ask God to help you in sharing what is yours.

Eucharistic Gratitude and the Transformation of Hearts

The Eucharist is both thanksgiving and transformation. Have you heard the phrase, "You are what you eat."? It's one of the reasons why Eucharist is so important because the Eucharist helps to slowly transform us to be more like Christ. Also, at Mass, bread and wine, ordinary gifts, are transformed into Christ’s Body and Blood. Likewise, the Browns’ ordinary home and routines are transformed by generously sharing what is theirs with when they welcome Paddington.

• Tell the kids: Notice how bad things transform to good in the film: What begins as inconvenience becomes joy; suspicion becomes trust; a household becomes a family.

  • Then ask: Is there anything in our family that needs transformation? Do we treat one another badly? Are we impatient? Let's ask God to help us transform our family to be joyful, patient, kind, etc.

The Table as a Place of Communion

Meals are central to Paddington. Sharing marmalade sandwiches is his signature gesture — simple, sweet, and full of love. In our Catholic faith, shared meals reflect the heavenly banquet and the table of the Lord where strangers become family at Mass, and families grow in connection at home.

• Tell the kids: Notice how the marmalade becomes a playful sign of communion. Each time he requests or talks about marmalade, he really talks about connection and gratitude.

  • Ask the kids: Do we eat family meals together at home? Do you like when we all eat together? Why or why not? Consider making it a family rule to have no screens at the table.

To end the night

Paddington reveals a Eucharistic vision of life: an attitude of gratitude that receives every gift with wonder, hospitality that makes space for the stranger, and love that transforms ordinary life into communion.

When we live with Paddington’s grateful heart and the Browns’ growing openness, we practice Eucharistic gratitude which is giving thanks for God’s presence among us, even in the most unlikely of people in our lives... maybe even an annoying little sibling.