Faith and Family

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 12:04 am Post subject: Faith and Family

Faith and Family

Scripture:

Children, hear the judgment of your father, and so do that you may be saved. For God has made the father honorable to the children: and seeking the judgment of the mothers, has confirmed it upon the children. He that loves God, shall obtain pardon for his sins by prayer, and shall refrain himself from them, and shall be heard in the prayer of days. And he that honors his mother is as one that lays up a treasure. He that honors his father shall have joy in his own children, and in the day of his prayer he shall be heard.

Son, support the old age of your father, and grieve him not in his life; and if his understanding fail, have patience with him, and despise him not when you are in your strength: for the relieving of the father shall not be forgotten. (Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14)

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the depths of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord has forgiven you, so do you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection: And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as it behooves in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter towards them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to indignation, lest they be discouraged. (Colossians 3:12-21)

And his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the pasch, And when he was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast, and having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not. And thinking that he was in the company, they came the journey of a day, and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance. And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him.

And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers. And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why have you done so to us? Behold your father and I have sought you sorrowing. And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? Did you not know, that I must be about my the business of my father? And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them.

And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men. (Luke 2:41-52)

Reflection:

Within the commandments of God is the calling for children to honor their mother and father. If all follow His commandments to love one another, children become a blessing to their parents and parents a blessing to their children. It is through the example of love, which children experience first through God and their parents, that children learn respect for the commandments of God, the commandments of faith, hope, charity and love.

God has made it the responsibility of parents to provide for, protect and raise their offspring so that the children may know the blessings of the Lord and all which comes from His Word. With God within the midst of the family, parents will fill the hearts of their children with love such that the children reflect back to God and their parents that which they receive.

We should not be surprised and must be prepared that the evil one will seek to destroy the love within a family; for as the love between man and woman, parents and children, as well as the love for their Creator is dismantled, so is the fabric by which God seeks for all of the children of His creation to live. As families are destroyed by selfish desires, so shall the destruction flow within communities and nations. Suffering and violence will dominate the land where selfishness, incivility and evil desires are allowed to roam within the hearts of families and the communities in which they reside.

The solution to stop the ways of the world from corrupting our children cannot come through the laws of the land, for the evil one is happy to corrupt every heart. If the heart will not respect the commandments of God, it will not respect the laws of men. The only hope to keep light within the world is for parents to see the responsibilities God has placed before them and to seek His blessings and the guidance of the Holy Spirit through which to sow faith, hope, charity and love within their hearts and that of their children.

The strength of a society begins with the bonds of charity and love. It is the bond by which God desires for the children of His creation to live. Those who become blinded by selfishness, and the incivility it yields, become vulnerable to the designs of the evil one. It is in the moments where hearts fall to the temptations of the world that relationships become tested, wounded and torn.

Should a parent find themselves alone, physically or spiritually, in providing for the needs of their children, they should not despair. In prayer, they may ask God to guide them through their tribulations and to help them focus upon what is truly important for the blessings of their children. Communities of faith should also join in prayer and come together in charity to help care for families who may find themselves in desperation and need.

That which prevents the spread of darkness from heart to heart is the grace of mercy, forgiveness and love. The example of such grace is found through His Word, but each heart must make the choice as to what will come from them. Parents are called to pass this grace to their children such that each child shall be encouraged in faith and shall become prepared for the vocations to which they are called by God.

And so it was, the Son began the work to share the Word of the Father. Even as a child, the Son felt His calling and entered the house of His Father to listen and share. Through Him, the love of the Father is shared within a new covenant with the generations so that all might be blessed and all might have the opportunity to live with Him forever and ever.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier