The family is the basic building block of society. As we celebrate the Holy Family, it is good to celebrate the human reality of family. The family should be at the center of our public policy because the family creates and forms our most important asset: our children. A society that does not value its children is a society destined for destruction. Through the centuries, the Church has promoted this natural institution.
Pope John Paul II Reflects on Marriage
St. John Paul II is one of the finest thinkers about the mystery and beauty of the family. His own experience was deficient. His mother and brother died, leaving him alone with his saintly father. Too soon, he passed away and left the young Karol Wojtyla alone. Nevertheless, Pope John Paul II always treasured the gifts he had received from his family. If anybody thinks that priests commit to celibacy because we do not care about the family, they are deeply mistaken. Rather, we live out our vocation as an encouragement to all of you to live yours. Pope John Paul II presents his thought on the subject most clearly and succinctly in the post synodal exhortation, Familiaris Consortio.
Knowing that marriage and the family constitute one of the most precious of human values, the Church wishes to speak and offer her help to those who are already aware of the value of marriage and the family and seek to live it faithfully, to those who are uncertain and anxious and searching for the truth, and to those who are unjustly impeded from living freely their family lives. Supporting the first, illuminating the second and assisting the others, the Church offers her services to every person who wonders about the destiny of marriage and the family (St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 1).
Attacks on the Family
While we would now consider 1981 to be relatively peaceful regarding family politics, Pope John Paul II was already able to discern many of the attacks that we now experience in full force. We experience tremendous confusion about the family and many families are unable to carry out their missions to be places of safety, wisdom, and love. Indeed, our society questions the very value and worth of the family as an institution.
Willed by God in the very act of creation, marriage is nteriorly ordained to fulfillment in Christ and have need of His graces in order to be healed from the wounds of sin and restored to their “beginning,” that is, to full understanding and the full realization of God’s plan (St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 3).
This reality is part of God’s plan and it is our responsibility as Christians to defend it. Msgr. Pope writes that
It is clear that the family is in crisis today, and it is also clear that it is children who suffer the most. The modern Western world displays a mentality that is both deeply flawed and gravely harmful to children (Msgr. Pope, “A Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family”).
Children at the Center of Every Family
What benefits would we reap if our families fulfilled their mission? Every discussion about the family should keep in mind that children are at the center. When we discuss what is best for the family, we always have to reflect on what is best for the children.
We see this centrality of children in the Biblical worldview regarding the family. The father enjoys a place of honor, so that he can serve them and form his children. At the same time, the family honors the mother as she serves those around her. We need to foster a society that honors mothers and fathers. Fathers and mothers instruct and admonish their children because of the love they have for them.
Challenges in the Family
Some families lack clear instruction. I always feel bad for these children, because they seem like wanderers without a map. Some parents want to always seem like the good guys and they never correct the behavior of their children. Once again, these children inspire pity because it is unlikely they will find the right path in their lives. God wants to teach us through other human beings. The first ones he gives to us are our parents. When parents fail in this most fundamental responsibility, the children suffer.
Families that instruct and admonish their children have much to learn from the Holy Family. Through the mystery of the Incarnation, the spiritual union of Joseph and Mary produced the first, and really, the only priest: Jesus Christ. As we reflect on the beauty of the family, we should also reflect on the wonderful role of families in promoting priestly and religious vocations. Strong families produce strong priests and religious. Strong priests and religious foster holy families. Pray together so that each child discovers and follows the path that God has marked for him or her. You could do a daily Bible reading or read the lives of the saints. Inviting each member to contribute a reflection is a great way growing in holiness and prepare them for their own vocations in life, whether it is to the priesthood or married life, or wherever God is calling them.
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