Call to Family, Community, and Participation
The FAMILY
- Basic unit/ microcosm of society
- The very first community we are born into
- Parents- first teachers
“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.”
(CCC 1656.166)
Persons who grow up in:
1 .Nurturing and Affirming Families (Healthy
Families)
-Solid sense of worth
-Communication and respect are present
2. Dysfunctional Families
- When healing does not happen, persons grow up
with unresolved issues which they carry with them to
school, to work and places of involvement
3. Psycho- spiritually Stable Families
- More resilient in a variety of ways, and are more
easily able to triumph over obstacles in life.
Human formation
- An ongoing process for each of us, and it comes
through different avenues
- One of the effective channels is the PSYCHO-
SPIRITUAL FORMATION which involves HEART
FORMATION
The Story of Louis Martin
-french man
-got married to a lacemaker Zelie Guerin
-had 9 children 4 died in infancy 5 survived and
become nuns
▫ How much does the family influence us?
The lessons that our parents teach us will create a
powerful imprint on our character.
It is our duty to obey our parents as they pass on
these chunks of wisdom to us.
(Proverbs 6: 20- 23)
20
My son, keep your father’s command
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
21
Bind them always on your heart;
fasten them around your neck.
22
When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.
23
For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and correction and instruction
are the way to life
Proverbs 23;24
“The father of a just person will exult greatly; whoever
begets a wise son will rejoice in him”
Design of God for the family
1666 The Christian home is the place where children
receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this
reason the family home is rightly called "the domestic
church," a community of grace and prayer, a school of
human virtues and of Christian charity.
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."
Thus the home is the first school of Christian life and "a
school for human enrichment." 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.
Growing up in an unhealthy environment
Book: Healing the Eight Stages of Life
“At each stage of development, our image of God can
be distorted by whatever ways we were not loved, and
these distortions will be the roots of those patterns of
sin to which we become vulnerable.”
Growing up in a broken family or in one that is beset
with many trials, one that seems far from the ideal
pointed out in the Catechism
It is essential for one to have the ACCEPTANCE and
HUMILITY to undergo a healing process.
CHURCH
- Bigger family
- No ordinary social organization
- Christ is the HEAD and the CENTER.
Serving one another involves corporal works of mercy,
but this also involves listening to one another, making
an effort to extend our patience and understanding
toward one another, forgiving each other,and most of
all, helping each other become more like Christ.
– John 10: 10
“
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I
have come that they may have life, and have it to the
full.”
Fullness of Life
-Being in a beautiful, loving relationship with God and
one another.
-Cooperating with His graces to live righteous lives and
in doing so experiencing the longer- lasting kind of
happiness.
-We need our communities.
-God calls us to be instruments of affirmation and
healing.
AFFIRMATION
- The action of validating the goodness that is in each
one of us.
HEALING
- The process of being made whole- spiritually,
psychologically, physiologically, and financially- in the
various concerns of life.
RESPECT
SUPPORT
SERVICE
FORGIVENESS
Amoris Laetitia, 324 (The Joy of Love)-
ACCEPTANCE OF IMPERFECTIONS AND
Pope Francis, March 19, 2016
FLAWS Social love, as a reflection of the Trinity, is what truly
unifies the spiritual meaning of the family and its
Practicing forgiveness and charity toward them pleases mission to others, for it makes present the kerygma in
God. all its communal imperatives. The family lives its
spirituality precisely by being at one and the same time
John 13:34 a domestic church and a vital cell for transforming the
“As I have loved you, so you also should love one world.
another” - St. Therese of Lisiuex
Hebrews 10:24 -The Little Flower
“We must consider how to rouse one another to love -died at 24
and good works.” -reminds us to look for the good in people, and to help
(1 John 4;19-21) them practice it more
“This is the commandment we have from him: whoever - Jesse Robredo
loves God must also love his brother” -former DILG Sec
-humble man who was quick in action
Story of a Soul, St. Therese -embodied the verse (1 John 4;19-21)
“I know that true charity consists in bearing all our “This is the commandment we have from him: whoever
neighbors’ defects- not being surprised at their loves God must also love his brother”
weakness, but edifies at their smallest virtues.” – - Lyris Bacay
“Miss no single opportunity of making some small -established a foundation Child Zero
sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; -provide educ and literacy to children
always doing the smallest right and doing it all for -puts her prayer life into action,for poor
love.”- St. Therese
For Those Who Have Power, Protect Those Without.
Theme: Rights and Responsibilities
SUFFERING
-It is part of our human context to experience
difficulties.
-In all our experiences in life, we have instances where
we feel helpless.
-These matters of pain and suffering may lead us to
question our faith and our own selves, causing us to
fall into despair. It is in despair that we really need
salvation.
-For all our sufferings, we try to fight and alleviate
ourselves from the situation.
-Since we cannot always solve our problems alone, we
seek help from others.
-Our faith has always led us to God, who has wanted
nothing more than to help us.
While our ancestors have faltered in their loyalty
and belief in Him, God always called them back just
as He calls us today.
In our suffering, we are able to feel the love of God
even more. In our desperation, we seek God and
ask Him to deliver us from pain.
God did not create suffering. Suffering is the result of
our own selfish actions and those of others around us.
How we Sin:
When we think only of ourselves, we fail to see how
others suffer because of our selfish actions.
We fail to love others by doing whatever we want, to
get whatever we want.
Jesus proved that we are capable of overcoming
our temptations to sin.
-Our call to follow Jesus is not just in self- sacrifice. We
can also do the works that Jesus did; we can participate
in doing works of charity and works of mercy.
-When we are subjected to the selfishness of others,
we tend to be selfish as well. This is why we have the
Christian mission to be there for those around us.
-We have been saved to be able to alleviate the pain of
those around us. Our call is to be Christ to others, as
Christ saves us.
Christian Mission: Love Others
-one of the 2 greatest commandments given to us by
Jesus: to love God wd all ur heart,mind and strength
and to love ur neighbor as yourself.
We are able to communicate our love for the
people around us by doing acts of service and aid.
We love others when we do selfless things for them
Christian social responsibility begins when we see
the people in need.
When we give of ourselves without expecting
anything in return, we are able to share the love
God bestows upon us with others.
Jesus is our greatest exemplar of loving others.
Judgment of Nations (Matthew 25: 31- 46)
Jesus shows us that the way back to the Father is
through acts of loving others.
It is our responsibility to fight against the abuse of
the rights of others. People suffer when their rights
are abused.
Pacem in Terris # 30
Reciprocity of Rights and Duties Between Persons
30. Once this is admitted, it follows that in human
society one man's natural right gives rise to a
corresponding duty in other men; the duty, that is, of
recognizing and respecting that right. Every basic
human right draws its authoritative force from the
natural law, which confers it and attaches to it its
respective duty. Hence, to claim one's rights and
ignore one's duties, or only half fulfill them, is like
building a house with one hand and tearing it down
with the other.
“Keep Giving Jesus to the people, not by words but by
your example, by being in love with Jesus, by radiating
holiness and spreading his fragrance of love
everywhere you go. Just keep the joy of Jesus as your
strength, be happy and at peace.” –Mother Teresa
Loving others is an act of overcoming the
selfishness we have that may keep us from caring
for these less fortunate brothers and sisters od
ours.
To turn away from sin is to follow in the footsteps
of Christ.
Gawad Kalinga
-addresses the needs of those who have no homes by
providing them wd suitable housing and a good
community
Acts of Solidarity help us to become one with the
sufferings of others.
WHATEVER WE DO FOR OTHERS, WE DO FOR
CHRIST.