| God ordained the Christian family to have
| |
| | such methods are morally unacceptable
|
| a specific design - a man and a woman
| |
| | (CCC #2370).
|
| united in marriage, together with their
| |
| | It is impossible to live the sacramental
|
| children. The family is called the
| |
| | life while actively engaging in any
|
| domestic church because it is a community
| |
| | contraceptive practices, for we knowingly
|
| of faith, hope and charity. Within the
| |
| | defraud God of the result of a loving act
|
| family, we first learn to respect the
| |
| | due to our selfishness and sinful
|
| sanctity of life from conception to
| |
| | pride.Upon assuming the role of parents,
|
| natural death. This means welcoming
| |
| | we must remember that we have the
|
| children into the marriage through birth
| |
| | "primordial and inalienable"
|
| or adoption but also learning to show
| |
| | responsibility for the education of our
|
| reverence for the life of others such as
| |
| | children (CCC #2221-23). While we can
|
| the elderly, the infirm, the poor, the
| |
| | delegate certain educational duties to a
|
| disabled, and the imprisoned.
| |
| | formal school, we cannot delegate
|
| Every member of the Christian family has
| |
| | responsibility for oversight of our
|
| a God-ordained function. Though equal in
| |
| | children's education. The term
|
| the sight of God, men and women have
| |
| | "education" means more than just secular
|
| entirely different responsibilities. As
| |
| | studies, for home must be the place for
|
| stated so clearly in the Catechism:
| |
| | evangelization and catechesis. First, we
|
| "Divine fatherhood is the source of human
| |
| | must give our children a solid grounding
|
| fatherhood..." which reaffirms the
| |
| | in the virtues. Second, we must offer
|
| importance of man's function as the head
| |
| | apprenticeship in self-mastery,
|
| of the family. Though equal (as God) to
| |
| | self-denial and sound judgment, so they
|
| the Father, Christ himself lived and died
| |
| | can learn to forego pleasures in the
|
| in supreme obedience to the will of the
| |
| | spirit of Christian discipline. This
|
| Father. Throughout faith history, men
| |
| | helps widen their focus outside of the
|
| have been called to leadership roles by
| |
| | family in order to see the needs of
|
| God, from Adam to Noah to David to Moses
| |
| | others. Third, education in the Catholic
|
| to Paul to Peter. This call to leadership
| |
| | faith means creating an environment of
|
| does not necessarily infer perfection,
| |
| | personal and family prayer, participating
|
| capability or skill, but the call is
| |
| | in devotions (such as Enthronement,
|
| nonetheless intrinsic to manhood.
| |
| | Adoration, Novenas, Stations of the Cross
|
| Pervasive gender-role confusion in our
| |
| | and the Rosary), attending Parish
|
| society today makes it is easy to dismiss
| |
| | Missions, and ensuring thorough
|
| or compromise this primordial function of
| |
| | Sacramental preparation. Fourth, we must
|
| men to lead their families to God.
| |
| | guide children in exploring potential
|
| To carry out their responsibility, men
| |
| | vocations, especially being open to God's
|
| are to be servant leader of all in their
| |
| | call to the priesthood or religious life.
|
| charge. Leaders provide a clear vision,
| |
| | All of these efforts point to the only
|
| set a solid example, and help others in
| |
| | true goal in the education of our
|
| their pursuit of holiness. Fathers must
| |
| | children - to make them holy people.
|
| ensure that their children are brought up
| |
| | All of this responsibility may seem
|
| in the faith, the beginning of which is
| |
| | daunting to the average Catholic parent.
|
| their own life being one of Christian
| |
| | Like any task, however, we can create
|
| holiness. Men who abdicate their
| |
| | hope by building a strategy for success.
|
| leadership responsibility under some
| |
| | Consider the following as a guide:
|
| mistaken notion of "sensitivity" bring
| |
| | A. Set and Honor Priorities - Make it
|
| disorder into the family and the society.
| |
| | known that God is first in your life and
|
| A simple review of crime statistics in
| |
| | let your decisions consistently reflect
|
| our land reveals the terrible impact of
| |
| | God's preeminent place. Ensure that the
|
| fathers who ignored or minimized their
| |
| | family's choices regarding books,
|
| prescribed role.
| |
| | magazines, entertainment, and clothing
|
| Woman's role as wife and mother differs
| |
| | all reflect proper Christian values.
|
| from but complements that of the man. St.
| |
| | Ensure that attendance at Mass on Sundays
|
| Paul reminds us of God's intent to
| |
| | and Holy Days (and especially while on
|
| provide a helpmate and partner to man,
| |
| | vacation) is a family priority. Let the
|
| "For man was not made from woman, but
| |
| | family home proudly exhibit signs and
|
| woman from man. Neither was man created
| |
| | symbols of our faith.
|
| for woman, but woman for man."(1 Cor 11:
| |
| | B. Distinguish between Vocation and
|
| 8-9).
| |
| | Occupation- Understand the distinction
|
| Modeling themselves on the Blessed
| |
| | between "what we are" versus "what we
|
| Mother, women are called to support and
| |
| | do." Success in our vocation (married,
|
| honor their husband's role asleader of
| |
| | single or priest/religious) is our life's
|
| the family. In her function as wife and
| |
| | goal. Our occupation, on the other hand,
|
| mother, a woman brings wonderful
| |
| | is merely what we do to pay the bills.
|
| attributes such as nurturing care,
| |
| | God cares deeply how we embrace our
|
| tenderness and compassion to family life.
| |
| | chosen vocation, whereas it matters
|
| As with her husband, a wife is called to
| |
| | little to Him what field we choose to
|
| a life of holiness and Christian example.
| |
| | earn our daily bread. As any committed
|
| Children are called to proffer respect
| |
| | Catholic parent will affirm, it is
|
| for parents out of gratitude for having
| |
| | infinitely harder to live one's vocation
|
| given them the gift of life (CCC
| |
| | than it is to succeed at a chosen
|
| #2216-2218)*. Respect is shown by
| |
| | occupation. Why? Because our vocation
|
| docility and obedience to parents during
| |
| | demands that we give everything of
|
| one's childhood. Obedience ceases with
| |
| | ourselves, a notion that runs contrary to
|
| emancipation, but respect does not. Grown
| |
| | our culture. Does the next rung of the
|
| children are reminded to assist their
| |
| | career ladder undergo prayerful scrutiny
|
| aging parents as much as possible with
| |
| | for its impact on our chosen vocation or
|
| material and moral support, as well as in
| |
| | is it weighed solely for its occupational
|
| times of illness, loneliness and
| |
| | benefits?
|
| distress.
| |
| | C. Embrace a Vigorous Sacramental Life -
|
| Sacramental marriage is the foundation of
| |
| | Continue to foster a love of the
|
| the family. It is the gift of self, a
| |
| | Sacraments in your children once they
|
| gift that is freely given and total in
| |
| | initially receive by having the same
|
| nature. The perpetual and exclusive bond
| |
| | level of commitment yourself. Demand of
|
| of marriage creates the sanctuary wherein
| |
| | yourself an ever-higher standard of
|
| the security of the family rests. The
| |
| | Christian behavior rather than simply
|
| sacred covenant finds its physical
| |
| | remaining at the same level year after
|
| manifestation in the sexual intimacy of
| |
| | year. Start a relationship with a
|
| the marriage act between man and wife
| |
| | spiritual director.
|
| (CCC #2360; also Tob 8: 4-9). Reflecting
| |
| | D. Surround Yourself with Committed
|
| this covenant, the spouses' physical
| |
| | Catholic Families - Americans love
|
| union honors the twofold end of marriage,
| |
| | "support groups," so why not as part of
|
| which is to serve the good of the spouses
| |
| | our faith journey? Have the courage to
|
| (the "unitive") and to be open to the
| |
| | discontinue relationships if certain
|
| transmission of life (the "procreative").
| |
| | friends do not support your moral values.
|
| Children are the supreme gift of
| |
| | Make an active effort to be involved in
|
| marriage, in contrast to our societal
| |
| | parish life beyond the Sunday
|
| view which considers them a "right." In
| |
| | "obligation." Be willing to be challenged
|
| our zeal to conceive a child at all
| |
| | by others more advanced in the faith to
|
| costs, medical science offers us numerous
| |
| | delve deeper into its mysteries.
|
| techniques that attempt to produce a
| |
| | E. Continue Your Education in the
|
| child by the disassociation of husband
| |
| | Catholic Faith - Consider the last 10
|
| and wife or the involvement of a third
| |
| | books youhave read. Did they support or
|
| party (such as donation of sperm or ovum,
| |
| | conflict with your faith values? Ensure
|
| surrogate uterus, or in-vitro
| |
| | that your faith education includes doses
|
| fertilization). These actions violate the
| |
| | of Scripture, Catechism, Lives of the
|
| child's right to be born of a loving act
| |
| | Saints, Papal Encyclicals, Council
|
| of father and mother. All such techniques
| |
| | Documents and works of Spirituality.
|
| are morally unacceptable (CCC # 2376-77).
| |
| | F. Actively Demonstrate Christian Service
|
| It is impossible to live the sacramental
| |
| | - Remember that, "...a contented
|
| life while engaging in such practices,
| |
| | Christian does not exist." We are called
|
| for we knowingly introduce other persons
| |
| | to mix it up with society and fearlessly
|
| and processes into the loving act of
| |
| | speak out against injustice, poverty and
|
| procreation, an act that belongs rightly
| |
| | wrongdoing. In short, being Catholic
|
| to husband, wife and God.
| |
| | means being countercultural, just as
|
| The intentional spacing of children, if
| |
| | Jesus was countercultural. Our family
|
| undertaken for just reasons, also demands
| |
| | life must reflect the admonition of St.
|
| that we observe moral norms. Periodic
| |
| | James that, "...Faith without works is
|
| continence (methods based on
| |
| | dead." (Jm 2:14) and render Christian
|
| self-observation and the use of infertile
| |
| | service in a truly selfless way. Sincere
|
| periods, such as Natural Family Planning)
| |
| | actions will instill in our children the
|
| respects the individual spouses and
| |
| | importance of a life focused on service
|
| offers a mutually supportive, natural
| |
| | to others.
|
| means of spacing. On the other hand,
| |
| | "We are not called to success, just
|
| artificial birth control or any action
| |
| | faithfulness."
|
| which frustrates or thwarts the normal
| |
| | Mother Teresa
|
| outcome of the procreative act defrauds
| |
| | *Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second
|
| God and falsifies the marital act. All
| |
| | Edition.
|
