SESSION 5: The Christian

1. cf. Gaudium Et Spes, 47

2. Familiaris Consortio, 17.

Family
INTRODUCTION – Slide: Anchor Verse
Each family is the home of God, and
its members belong to God.
Love begets love, and it begins in the Parents must regard their children
family. The family is life’s first school. In a bigger as children of God and respect
and general sense, the family is the building them as human persons.3
block of society, of the Church, and is the
“cradle of every vocation.” “The fundamental task of the
*Begets – give rise; bring about
*Vocation – a strong feeling of suitability for a
family is to serve life, to actualize
particular career or occupation. In a religious in history the original blessing of
context, it is how God calls you to serve Him. 4 Cat the Creator — that of transmitting
of Christian Voc; Priesthood, Marriage, Single-
Blessedness and Religious Life
by procreation the divine image
As an institution, the family is under from person to person.”4 It was
serious attack in many fronts. Marriages are meant to be so from the very
being broken and the traditional definition of beginning. (Gen 1:27-28, Gen 2:18-
family is being challenged. Many have claimed 24) It made sense therefore that
to redefine both marriage and family that God created man male and female,
causes great confusion in our society and world with their physiology so formed as
today. to enable man to increase,
In almost all countries, except in the multiply, and fill the earth. God
Philippines and in the Vatican City, the seat of intended man and woman to be
the Roman Catholic Church, divorce is legal. In one, not independent individuals
many countries, abortion and same-sex unions producing babies, but husband and
are recognized, accepted and legal. wife raising a family.

The family is imperfect yet a beautiful

gift from God. Pope Francis affirms us in Amoris b. (Slide)The family is a place for
Laetitia (2016): teaching children and training
leaders.
“I thank God that many families, which
are far from considering themselves The family is a place to transmit
perfect, live in love, fulfil their calling wisdom and values of life.
and keep moving forward, even if they
fall many times along the way. The The overall education of children is
Synod’s reflections show us that there is a “most serious duty” and at the
no stereotype of the ideal family, but same time a “primary right” of
rather a challenging mosaic made up of parents. This is not just a task or a
many different realities, with all their burden, but an essential and
joys, hopes and problems.” (AL 57) inalienable right that parents are
called to defend and of which no
I. GOD’S PLAN FOR THE FAMILY - Slide one may claim to deprive them.5

“Parents have the first

a. (Slide)God
has intended the family for responsibility for the education of
the transmission of life. their children. They bear witness to
In God’s plan, the Christian family this responsibility first by creating a
is a community of life and love.1 It home where tenderness,
has a mission to to guard, reveal forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and
and communicate love. 2 disinterested service are the rule.”6
Teaching is not formal, but rather
 comes in the everyday activities in
the home. – ex. Giving them Chores
a. (Slide)God has lost his central place in the
It is of utmost importance to help family.
mold children to grow in maturity
through an outpouring of love, Parents no longer bring up their
discipline and education in virtues. children in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord. (Eph. 6:4)
They look more and more to
c. (Slide)The family is a domestic church. psychology as a source of wisdom for
The spirituality of family love is raising their children. (Corporal
made up of thousands of small but Punishment?)
real gestures. 7
Husbands and wives do not follow
One of which is for men to rediscover God’s order for them. There is
their God-given roles as fathers. confusion of roles. (Eph. 5:22-25)
Their commitment is shaky. They
cannot be depended on and the
3 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2222
4 Familiaris Consortio, partners become insecure.
5 Amoris Laetitia, par 66
7 Amoris Laetitia, par 315
There is too much importance
given to acquiring material
possessions and having an easy and
Parents, especially the fathers, are comfortable life.
to be the priests in their families.
They present God to their families
—by their example of a living b. (Slide)The family itself is losing its
Christianity, by diligently teaching importance
Scripture, (Deut. 6:7) by the use of
symbols. (Deut. 6:8-9) They present The pace of modern life has
their families to God—by family become very fast, making it
prayer, by blessing the children. difficult for lasting relationships to
develop. The culture of busyness
“The family, like the Church, ought where we fill our schedules with
to be a place where the Gospel is too much take us away from what
transmitted and from which the are essentials. Moreover, many of
Gospel radiates. In a family which the family’s responsibilities have
is conscious of this mission, all the been taken over by groups in
members evangelize and are society—education in schools,
evangelized. The parents not only livelihood in offices and factories,
communicate the Gospel to their recreation in malls.
children, but from their children
they can themselves receive the The traditional family has become
same Gospel (a cycle of love vs a vicious dispensable—separations and
cycle) as deeply lived by them. As
divorces becoming easy to obtain,
such a family becomes the living in is not only acceptable but
evangelizer of many other has become “normal”. The throw-
families, and of the neighborhood away culture is evident even in the
of which it forms part.” way we deal with each other. “We
treat affective
Evangelii Nuntiandi, 71

II. WHY GOD’S PLAN FOR FAMILIES IS NOT

HAPPENING (Vid: Bless this Home)
 relationships the way we treat table, or a mobile phone, and do
material objects and the not talk to each other, this is not a
environment: everything is family, it is like a boarding house.”
disposable; everyone uses and 12

throws away, takes and breaks,

exploits and squeezes to the last Eating is a symbol of
drop. Then, goodbye.”9 togetherness. At the table, we
c. (Slide)The family is under attack talk and listen to one another. We
by evil forces. (1 Pet 5:8) nourish our relationships in table
Marriage and family life have fellowship with the members of
always been under attack, but our family.
threats in the recent years have
reached extraordinary heights. 9 Amoris Laetitia, paragraph 29

The devil wants to break up the 1^ cf. Amoris Laetitia, paragraph 33 11J

family and promotes many things II , Familiaris Consortio, #17

to undermine the family, such as 12 Pope Francis, Catechesis of the Holy Father: General Audience, 11 November 2015.
secularism (taking God out of the
picture in everyday life including
educational systems and
government), relativism (belief b. Pray
that there is no absolute truth, and
Consecrate our family to God.
that truth is subjective *cognitive
Pray as a family. Fr. Patrick Peyton
dissonance), and viral indifference,
reminds us: “The family that prays
among others. Pope Francis notes
together, stays together.” Pray
that rampant individualism makes
the rosary as a family. Pray over
it difficult today for a person to
your children. Pray for healing of
give oneself generously to
family members. Intercede for
another.1
each other’s needs.
III. WHAT CAN WE DO? (slide)
Celebrate the Holy Mass by
St. John Paul II exhorts families: attending regularly together as a
“Family, become what you are.”11 family. This does not only apply to
It is imperative that as parents, as young families but also to families
husband and wife, together we with adult children. This is one
make a decision to make God the way we pass on our Christian
center of our family. People will Catholic faith to them.
know that we are Christians by the
love in our hearts expressed in Commit to serve the Lord together
our homes. through Couples for Christ, its Family
and Social Ministries, and through
ANCOP.
a. Eat

Pope Francis reminds us: c. Love

Make time for the task of building
“A family that hardly ever eats a strong family. Unless the Lord
together, or that does not talk but builds the house, those who build it
watches television, or looks at the labor in vain (Ps 127:1).
smartphone, is a ‘barely familial’
family. When children are The Lord’s presence dwells in real
engrossed with a computer at the and concrete families, with all
 their daily troubles and struggles, may all who have been hurt or scandalized find
joys and hopes.13 Examine your ready comfort and healing. Holy Family of
daily life to ensure that your Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the
family has enough quality time sacredness and inviolability of the family and its
together. Be ready to reduce your beauty in God’s plan.
other activities if necessary. Plan
regular family recreation, vacation Jesus, Mary and Joseph, graciously hear our
and other activities. Create prayer. Amen
opportunities for love to flourish.
GIUDE QUESTIONS:
Know, understand and fulfill 1. For the men: Have I assumed full
your role as parents. Fathers, be responsibility for the spiritual and
the pastor, provider and material needs of my family?
protector of your family. Model 2. For the women: Have I supported my
after St. Joseph and his example husband in his role and done my share
of spiritual fatherhood to Jesus in building up a Christian family?
and his steady parental
presence. Mothers, look to
Mother Mary for inspiration,
that you may be a constant
nurturer and life-giver in your
home. Light your home with
unconditional love, as “all family
life is a ‘shepherding’ in mercy ”14

Sharer – Wife: Mel Lopez (Slide)

CONCLUSION

Every family, despite its weaknesses, can become

a light in the darkness of the world. 15
We look to the Holy Family for inspiration (slide).
Pope Francis, in Amoris Laetitita, says: “Nazareth
teaches us the meaning of family life, its loving
communion, its simple and austere beauty, its
sacred and inviolable character. May it teach how
sweet and irreplaceable is its training, how
fundamental and incomparable its role in the
social order.” (AL 66)
*Play Vid: Unbroken Family – Sarah Kroger feat. Matt Maher

(slide) Prayer to the Holy Family

(The speaker may end with this prayer.)

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate
the splendour of true love; to you we turn with
trust. Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our
families too may be places of communion and
prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and
small domestic churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never

again experience violence, rejection and division;