The Domestic Church

From the CCC: 

VI. THE DOMESTIC CHURCH

1655 Christ chose to be born and grow up in the bosom of the holy family of Joseph and Mary. The Church is nothing other than “the family of God.” From the beginning, the core of the Church was often constituted by those who had become believers “together with all [their] household.” ¹⁶⁶ When they were converted, they desired that “their whole household” should also be saved. ¹⁶⁷ These families who became believers were islands of Christian life in an unbelieving world.

1656 In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith. For this reason the Second Vatican Council, using an ancient expression, calls the family the Ecclesia domestica. ¹⁶⁸ It is in the bosom of the family that parents are “by word and example . . . the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children. They should encourage them in the vocation which is proper to each child, fostering with special care any religious vocation.” ¹⁶⁹

1657 It is here that the father of the family, the mother, children, and all members of the family exercise the priesthood of the baptized in a privileged way “by the reception of the sacraments, prayer and thanksgiving, the witness of a holy life, and self-denial and active charity.” ¹⁷⁰ Thus the home is the first school of Christian life and “a school for human enrichment.” ¹⁷¹ Here one learns endurance and the joy of work, fraternal love, generous – even repeated – forgiveness, and above all divine worship in prayer and the offering of one’s life.

These paragraphs give me a lot of things to think about. All too often I find myself falling woefully short in modelling love, charity and forgiveness! However, even in my own failings there is grace - life is messy, loving not easy, forgiveness a struggle at times, yet that's what the "school of human enrichment" is all about. If all were perfect, we'd be tempted to stagnate rather than always striving to grow closer to the Father. So don't get discouraged - know that our dear Papa in Heaven is always willing to pick us up and dust us off when we stumble and fall. Let's pray for one another!

In the peace of the Good Shepherd,

Beate