The family is the first and fundamental school of social living: as a community of love, it finds in self-giving the law that guides it and makes it grow. The self-giving that inspires the love of a husband and a wife for each other is the model and the norm for the self-giving that must be practiced in the relationships between brothers and sisters and the different generations living together in the family. Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 1981
It is in the heart of the family that life comes into being. In the heart of the family the joys, hopes, sorrows and worries of life are shouldered and shared. This intimate community provides our first experience of love, rejoicing when a child is born, educating and guiding little ones as they grow. It is where we learn the importance of sharing, overcoming disagreements and offering forgiveness. In the family we learn compassion and care for those who are ill, in need or in trouble. In the family we draw on the wisdom of generations and pass on the faith. These are some of the aspects of family life that each person longs for and that prepare us to take our place in society and meet life’s challenges.
Families can be a beacon for a more compassionate and just society. Through the words and actions of their parents, a child will learn and emulate either an attitude of selfish insularity or an outlook of openness, kindness and inclusion. A child’s heart will be richly blessed by a family’s spirituality that teaches a genuine reverence for all people as sons and daughters of God. Nurturing a family is a vocation, and not an easy one. It requires commitment, sacrifice, love and generosity of spirit. In this Year of Grace, we celebrate and thank God for the gift of families. The
family is the domestic Church, the basis of our community of faith. In the family we see the expression of God’s love and the unique gifts of the Spirit to be fostered in each member so that each can contribute to the common good by serving and sharing with others. Read more
Sources
- The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Social Justice Statement 2012 — 2013
- Andrew Hamilton in Eureka Street
- Image: Drama Beans