Family: Live and Transmit the Faith - Pope Benedict XVI on the Family

The family, an institution that is under attack in American and across the world.  Since the paper is long the following is Part 1 of 3 of the paper that I wrote on our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI thoughts on the family.  The title of this blog post is taken directly from the Holy Father as well.  The family must be defended and as the following will show the Holy Father is leading the charge in the defense of the vital and fundamental cell of human society.

Pope Benedict XVI is the chief pastor of the Church, the Vicar of Christ and he has the title of the Holy Father.  Truly, the Pope is in the spiritual sense a father to the whole church.  In an age where moral relativism has crept into every aspect of society, including the family, it can be seen that “new forms” of the family are brought forth, that of same-sex parents, single parents, and unmarried parents.  There are many new radical ideas of what family can be, however we are cautioned by Pope Benedict on what the family truly is.  He describes the family as “a most important value that must be defended from any attack that aims to undermine its solidity and call its very existence into question.”[1]  The overall importance of the family can be summed up in one simple quote, “In the Gospel we do not find discourses on the family but an event which is worth more than any words:  God wanted to be born and to grow up in a human family.  In this way he consecrated the family as the first and ordinary means of his encounter with humanity.”[2]  There are many fundamental aspects to the family that must be examined but foundational to begin is that of the Sacrament of Marriage.

            The strength of a marriage is extremely important; Pope Benedict would call it foundational to the health of a family.  “God could take the history of love and of the union of a man and a woman in the covenant of marriage as symbol of salvation history.”[3]  How beautiful that a strong marriage, one based on love could be looked at as symbol of salvation history.  The spousal relationship between God and humanity examined from this wonderful idea of complete self-giving.  Pope Benedict defines marriage as, “this following of the other in love, thus becoming one existence, one flesh, therefore inseparable; a new life…is born from this communion of love that unites and thus creates the future.”[4]  When examining marriage it is important to point out that it is ultimately created by God and is “an institution of the natural law.  Which has been raised by Christ to the dignity of a Sacrament; it is a great gift that God has given to mankind: respect it and honor it.”[5]  The goodness of marriage can be known then in the natural law and because of its great importance Christ elevated it to a Sacrament that through marriage we might partake in our own salvation.  “Marriage is a Sacrament for the salvation of others: first of all for the salvation of the husband or of the wife, but also of the children, the sons and daughters, and lastly of the entire community.”[6]  Thus, the witness of a loving marriage is essential not only in the family nucleus at home but for the good of the entire community.  Marriage supports the community and edifies it through this witness of self-giving love.  Marriage as heard above is inseparable or as put by Pope Benedict and the Catholic Church indissoluble.  “The indissolubility of marriage does not derive from the definitive commitment of those who contract it but is intrinsic in the nature of the powerful bond established by the Creator.”[7]  It is in this powerful bond and the marital act that life is given thus, “the marvelous reality of the indissoluble marriage…is also the origin of the family.”[8]  There is then great strength in traditional marriage and from this grows family, it must be defended at all times from attacks that might weaken it, which in turn weakens society as a whole.  Many things in today’s culture attack traditional marriage.  “When the bonds between man and woman, and between parents and children, are dissolved, so that the very sources from which life springs are blocked up.”[9]  Accordingly, it can be shown the moral error in homosexual unions because by their very nature they are not open to life and the nurturing of that life.  Where can this all be traced to, Pope Benedict puts it succinctly; “At the origin of all these negative things lies the negation of the truth in favor of what is convenient-or rather, of what is profitable.”[10]  This negation of truth can be seen in so many ways and unfortunately most effectively in the detrimental effects it has on children and the spouses who are hurt by this negation of truth.  “Divorce and infidelity have increased, and many young men and women are choosing to postpone marriage or forego it altogether…together with an increase in cohabitation, in which the mutual self-giving is simply absent.”[11]  The prevalence of the absence of marriage has a detrimental effect on all of society but most especially on those most vulnerable children.  “In such circumstances, children are denied the secure environment that they need to flourish as human beings, and society is denied the stable building blocks which it requires if the cohesion and moral focus of the community are to be maintained.”[12]  It is in the foundation of a strong marital union that, “the family comes into being from the responsible, and definitive ‘yes’ of a man and a woman, and it continues to live from the conscious ‘yes’ of the children who gradually join it.”[13]  The family therefore is based on the openness of parents and from that openness comes a responsibility which must be based Christ.  “For them, the Lord is the center and heart of the family.  He accompanies them in their union and sustains them in their mission to raise children to maturity”[14]  God at his very center is love and so it is authentic, self-giving love that anchors a solid marriage.

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[1] Jean-Michel Coulet, ed., An Invitation to Faith: An A toZz Primer On the Thought of Pope Benedict, trans. Kate Marcelin-Rice (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2007), page 25.

[2] Pope Benedict XVI: Family, Angelus Dec 2006, Spiritual Thought Series (Washington D.C.: USCCB, 2009), page 88.

[3] Pope Benedict XVI: Family, Address to participant in the Ecclesial Diocesan Convention of Rome June 2005, Spiritual Thought Series (Washington D.C.: USCCB, 2009), page 7.

[4] Pope Benedict XVI: Family, Encounter with youth in Lazio, Rome, before the Twenty-First World Youth Day April 2006, Spiritual Thought Series (Washington D.C.: USCCB, 2009), page 8-9.

[5] Pope Benedict XVI: Family, Meeting with youth in Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 2007, Spiritual Thought Series (Washington D.C.: USCCB, 2009), page 18.

[6] Pope Benedict XVI: Family, Meeting with priests of the Diocese of Albano, August 2006, Spiritual Thought Series (Washington D.C.: USCCB, 2009), page 13.

[7] Pope Benedict XVI: Family, Address to members of the tribunal of the Roman Rota, Jan. 2007, Spiritual Thought Series (Washington D.C.: USCCB, 2009), page 15.

[8] Pope Benedict XVI, “World Congress of Families: What Parents Should Do (given as a Homily),” Catholic Insight 14, no. 8 (September 2006): 12-14.

[9] Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Christianity and The Crisis Of Cultures, trans. Brian McNeil (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2009), page 95.

[10] Ibid, pg 96.

[11] Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Benedict in America: The Full Texts of Papal Talks Given During His Apostolic Visit to the United States (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2008), page 47.

[12] Ibid, page 47.

[13] Pope Benedict XVI,  “Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict Xvi for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace,” The Holy See, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/peace/documents (accessed October, 27 2010).

[14] Pope Benedict XVI: Family, Address to participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family, May 2006, Spiritual Thought Series (Washington D.C.: USCCB, 2009), page 64.

Stay tuned for part two tomorrow

The Double Blessing of RCIA

Having been a life long Catholic, albeit not always as faithful as I should have been, I never had the oppurtunity to go through the RCIA or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.  I say oppurtunity because over and over again I have heard of the wonderful growth and new depth of faith that comes from going through the process.  The double blessing comes from the fact that usually it is not only the new catechumen/candidate that gains great amounts of respect and knowledge in the faith but also the sponsor who can be renewed in their faith.  I have heard stories from professors at Franciscan University where I am in Graduate school as well as from parishes in my home diocese where I sometimes give talks or volunteer in the RCIA process.  While I am usually only there for a day maybe two, I can see the interest from the sponsors sometimes more so than from catechumen/candidate.  I look forward to a time when I have the time to commit to being a sponsor or a director of an RCIA program. 

When a spouse converts

The above link is an article that regards when a spouse converts but it also highlights this important double blessing that RCIA can bring.  I encourage all those who maybe have the desire to learn more about their faith or feel as though they are lukewarm and want to grow more to consider being a sponsor at your local parish.  This will not only get you involved in the parish community but also might have the blessing of deepening your appreciation for the wonderful gifts that we in the Catholic Church have been given by Almighty God.
God's Peace be with you

Catholic IPhone App for going to Confession

Catholic-Confession IPhone App

I am very excited to see this app come out.  For a long time there has a been a lag between what our separated brothers and sisters use new technologies for and Catholics.  Our culture is so tech savy and rely so much on cell phones and IPads.  While the argument can be made and it is a valid one that there is too much reliance on technology and there is the loss of personal relationships in today's society.  On the flip side we need to make sure that those people who are using this technology all the time for work or our young people who have grown up with this technology.  There has been the large push to try to reach the young people of the Catholic Church and especially those on the fringes that are lost during those critical high school years.  Apps like this and ones that have the daily missal and office of readings on them are the ways that we can reach them.  Meeting them in their world which is that of cell phone/smart phone/tablets/laptops land.  The key idea that needs to follow the reaching out and getting them to start going to confession and coming to Church is to make sure that we as Church connect with them in a personal way, establish face-to-face relationships that show them the love of God in their lives

Stand up, Be Heard, Defend Life

Life so simple and taken for granted by so many and yet here with this statistic in NYC 4 in 10 new lives are being aborted, their life taken away before they even have a chance to voice it.  Pause for a moment and consider that, 4 out of 10, 40 out of 100, and 400 out of 1000.  I try to wrap my head around those numbers and I cannot, it is so unfathomable that so many lives would be erased without even getting the chance to see the light.  Today we mark the passing of Roe v. Wade and the beginning of legalizing abortion in the US. 

http://www.nyc41percent.com/ 

The following is some quotes assembled from Popes and the documents of the Church on Pro-Life issues:

"We cannot but recognize that, in practical terms, defending human life has become more difficult today, because a mentality has been created that progressively devalues human life and entrusts it to the judgment of individuals.  A consequence deriving there from is lessened respect for the human person, a value that lies at the foundation of any form of civil coexistence, over and above the faith a person may profess."
~ Pope Benedict XVI, speaking to the Italian Movement for Life, May 12, 2008 ~

"The fundamental human right, the presupposition of every other right, is the right to life itself. This is true of life from the moment of conception until its natural end. Abortion, consequently, cannot be a human right -- it is the very opposite. It is a deep wound in society."
~ Pope Benedict XVI ~

"We are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, death and life, the "culture of death,” and the "culture of life.”  We find ourselves not only "faced with" but necessarily "in the midst of" this conflict: we are all involved and we all share in it, with the inescapable responsibility of choosing to be unconditionally pro-life.”  Gospel of Life #28 – John Paul II

CCC §2271 - Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion.  This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.  Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.  (see note 75)  God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves.  Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.

CCC §2274 - Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.  Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual. . . .  It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence."

Simply stated it is human life, when you look at an ultrasound and you see life growing within someone there is no greater thing.  There is no greater thing than life, the creation of and nurturing of is an act ordained by God and should never be so brutally or violently interrupted as is done during an abortion.

John Paul II's Closing prayer of Evangelium Vitae

O Mary,
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause of life
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.

Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilization of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

God Our Father, Giver of life,
we entrust the United States of America
to Your loving care.
You are the rock
on which this nation was founded.
You alone are the true source
of our cherished rights
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Reclaim this land for Your glory
and dwell among Your people.

Send Your Spirit to touch the hearts
of our nation's leaders.
Open their minds
to the great worth of human life
and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom.
Remind Your people that true happiness
is rooted in seeking and doing Your will.

Through the intercession of
Mary Immaculate, Patroness of our land,
grant us the courage to reject
the "culture of death."
Lead us into a new millennium of life.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord.
Amen!

Prayer to the Virgin Mary

O Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of us all, we turn to you today as the one who said "Yes" to Life. "You will conceive and bear a Son," the angel told you. Despite the surprise and the uncertainty about how this could be, you said yes. "Be it done unto me according to your word."

Mary, we pray today for all mothers who are afraid to be mothers. We pray for those who feel threatened and overwhelmed by their pregnancy. Intercede for them, that God may give them the grace to say yes and the courage to go on. May they have the grace to reject the false solution of abortion. May they say with you, "Be it done unto me according to your word." May they experience the help of Christian people, and know the peace that comes from doing God's will. Amen.

Light of Christ - We are called to be light in the darkness

“For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.”  – Ephesians 5:8-14

We are but mirrors for the light of Christ to shine in the darkness.  Let Christ reflect off our mirrors and shine through our brokenness.  As I think about this, I wonder for how long has my mirror been shattered, damaged, broken pieces some on the ground, some still clinging to the frame, and others half off ready to fall.  My light instead of shining forth in fullness was weak and just slivers of what it could be.  I knew I needed to allow Christ to repair it.  However, I was deep in sin and yet Christ reached out, pulled me out of it, and guided me into his light.  In turn I saw the brightness of the light and desired it and to share it more fully.  God asked me if I wanted him to repair the mirror and I did but I was afraid.  Jesus came, calmed my fear, and told me to trust in him, it might be painful at times but he would be gentle as possible and always be holding my hand.  I saw the light of Christ burst through the darkness, as a beacon in the night, a lighthouse whose beam pierces the fog.  I was shown the light of Christ like never before, through friends, family, those that I served, and those that served me.  I realized then just how shattered and damaged my own mirror had become and truly wished it to be healed and made complete.  Slowly Jesus started to gather up the shattered pieces that lie on the path that was behind me, the path that I had walked.  Sometimes the shards were sharp and cut him, sometimes so deep that I see the red blood dripping from his hands.  I go to reach out and He looks up and says fear not for the price has already been paid; I love you so much that it pains Me so much more to see you so broken.  This is blood that I sacrificed freely for all and he continued to gather up pieces.  Sometimes He would find a piece that would belong perfectly to my mirror and would reach up to put it in its place.  I shied away in fear but he echoed the words, “Be not Afraid.”  Trust, not that it would not hurt but that He would be there always holding my hand.  He reached up again to place it and I surrendered to him and believed He could heal me.  I felt His hand touch my heart and felt pain and heartache, both physically and spiritually, I cried out and He was there.  I received the healing of the Lord and He healed the piece to where it belonged and helped me through the pain, the memories that came with it, and the forgiveness that must be given and received.  He was so gentle, so loving, and his hand caressed my face as I cried out in pain.  When I felt alone in my pain, He assured me was there and it would be over soon for He had already experienced most of the pain for me.  However, I needed to experience that piece of my life, that piece of darkness and while I would feel the pain of it, then I would be healed from it.  Through this, I always felt the love of God piercing through my pain, a reassurance of light in my darkness.  Finally a light burst forth from His hand and He pulled it away and that small piece was once more a part of the whole and it shined a little brighter than before.  Jesus reached for another broken piece, this one seemed jagged and with lots of sharp edges.  I could see how it pained Him but before he brought it to my heart to be healed, He took the sharp edges and made them smooth with His hands, redeeming my sin and brokenness.  Then bringing his hand to my heart, once more I gazed into His loving eyes and trusted him, surrendered my fear to Him, believing that He could heal me and received His healing touch.  I knew it would hurt but that His love was greater than my pain and I trusted Him to always be there for me.  There were many broken pieces and I saw in them much pain and sorrow but I knew that He would heal them all, but only as I was able to receive them.  That I would be purified through Him and made whole so that I could be the beacon in the darkness shining forth with the light of Christ, for a city on a hill shall not be hidden.  We are called to shine forth with one light and as each shard is healed that I come to know Him more and reflect the light of Christ that little bit more.  In the words of John Paul the Great, “Be not Afraid.”  Therefore, I am no longer afraid of my broken pieces of mirror and everything they hold, but embrace them as I can allow myself to be healed through them and the love of Christ.

New Year, New Thoughts, New Choices, Same God - Always Faithful

New Years is always a time for looking back, reflecting on the year, looking forward, and resolving to do better in the New Year.  This process of reflecting and resolving seems to be an inevitable part of the human experience.  Many times this involves doubting oneself, feeling guilty for things not accomplished, complaining about all the bad things that happened, and rejoicing about all the good things.  In all this reflecting and resolving are you taking into account God and thanking him and asking him for help in the new year and what He wants to do for you in 2011.  The following are some thoughts and questions that made me think about what occurred and what did not occur in the past year and how God’s plan was perfect even if I didn’t seem to see it then.

Did you take time to thank God for all the blessings in your life or just grumble to Him about all the not so great things that happen? 

Did you see the little blessings even in the most irritating of moments?

Know that God has a plan and that at that moment you were exactly where he needed you to be

How did you serve others over the past year?  Your family, friends, co-workers, people you saw that were in need?

Did you keep your promises?  When you give your word, do people believe or just blow it off?

Is your word as good as a bond, do people respect that when you give your word things will get done or do they blow it off as he/she says it will happen but we will see.  When you make a promise keep it, your word is your bond make sure it has value

Where did God fit in, was He first every day, or was He squeezed into those few spare moments

God wishes to be a part of our everyday and every minute, never forget that He is always there even when it seems like you are the desert places with no one around

Did you fight for life, and for the culture of life, and most importantly for those that do not have a voice, the unborn, and the elderly?

Life is precious and every life has dignity imbued by God in creation, I challenge everyone to be a voice for the voiceless and to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves

As we make resolutions for the New Year, resolve to put God at the center of whatever you do and in this knowing that whatever you do is part of His plan for you.  Suffering and struggles in this world are passing and cannot compare to the Joy we will have in the next life.

Final Reflection:

On this day, God wants you to know... that tonight you can turn your worries to God, and have a good night's sleep.  You have been worrying too much about the future lately.  So tonight, go ahead, put your faith in God, and just have a peaceful evening and a restful sleep.

Numbers 6:22-27

“The LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron and his sons, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you:  The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you:  The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.  "So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them."

Family – Service, Sacrifice, Sharing

               Some of this is borrowed from a homily I heard on the Feast of the Holy Family and some is my own reflections on the importance of family.  When looking at the word family take a minute and consider it, what comes to mind.  For some it is a wife, children, grandparents, an extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and I could go on forever.  Yet how often do we think of the Church as family?  “The Church is nothing more than the family of God.”  (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1655)  The believing Church in its entirety is our family, our refuge and our strength.  When our strength fails or frustration sets in over family issues, where should we turn…?  To God and to the Church which helps us foster familial bonds.  In Baptism, we become part of the family of Christ and that never goes away.  Baptism leaves the seal of being part of something greater, bigger and that is being a part of the family of God.

                The family is the foundation of society, as can be seen today, as the “traditional family” deteriorates due to relativistic ideas that have permeated our culture, society has started to unravel and chaos slowly takes over.  While we are not in danger of this happening completely there are warning signs that the family needs to be defended in this hostile world before it is too late.  Pope Benedict said it best, “The family, founded on marriage, is the ‘patrimony of humanity,’ a fundamental social institution; it is vital cell and pillar of society…the family is an intermediate institution between individuals and society, and nothing can completely take its place.”  The Catechism states, “The family is the original cell of social life (society).  It is the natural society in which husband and wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of life.  Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society.  The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom.  Family life is an initiation into life in society.”  (CCC 2207)  “The family is irreplaceable for the personal serenity it provides for the upbringing of children.”  (Pope Benedict XVI)  The family is the primary societal foundation that allows for the growth of society but in the direction of solid faith and morals orientated towards God without which the family would cease to exist.

                The family is many things, first place of evangelization, where morality is taught, and where one learns how to love.  However, I would like to reflect on the three words in the title of this post, Service, Sacrifice, and Sharing.  I heard these three words used in a homily and they seemed to me to symbolize a great deal of what family is all about.

                Service, how much is encompassed in this one word.  How we serve others is important but how we serve our families, our parents, grandparents, our children are of exceptional importance.  Whatever stage of life you are in as you read this think how you serve those in your family?  Do you serve those in your family?  We are all called to life of service to others and most especially our families.  The book of Ephesians 6:1-4 tells us, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.”  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”  While this could be seen as you must do what I say when I say it.  Upon further reflection, we see it says, “Obey your parents in the Lord.”  How did the Lord obey his parents, he served them.  Children serve your parents.  Ephesians 5:21-25 tells us, “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its savior.  As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”  What is called for here is service to each other out of love.  Serve and love each other, through sacrifice for each other.

                Sacrifice a simple word, can be defined, "to do zealously, to serve God, to offer sacrifice.”  Therefore, it is through sacrifice born out of love that we serve those in our families.  This sacrifice, self-giving or the giving of oneself is born out of love, the love to serve those in our families.  Then through this sacrifice, we share of ourselves with the ones we love.  We give up things that we desire for the betterment of the family and all family members young or old are called in their own small way to contribute to the betterment of their family.

                The best example we have for this is to turn to the Holy Family and examine how Mary served Joseph, Joseph served Mary and how Jesus as a child submitted himself to their authority.  The family is vital and must be protected and cultivated in this society that seemed to be so hostile to traditional family life.