WITH the Feast of the
Holy Family, we should take time to
examine how our own families conform to the model family
of the Holy
Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We should never take
this occasion
and duty for granted. Our families, like each one of us,
are still a
work a progress. They are still on their way to their
perfection as
exemplified by the life of love within the Holy Family.
We cannot deny that
the world and the families in general
are drifting toward godlessness. Right now, we are
witnessing a more
aggressive type of secular humanism, that is, a humanism
that excludes
God and that only depends on some human consensus,
however it is
derived.
Many of our public
officials are now espousing their own
theories and ideas, based more on what is practical and
popular,
rather than on what our faith teaches us. They believe
more in these
theories than in the doctrine of our faith, and sometimes
put
them—their theories and the faith—in direct contrast.
We now have to grapple
with the many manifestations of
practical atheism, like relativism, materialism,
commercialism,
hedonism, agnosticism, etc. We have to be familiar with
their causes
and symptoms, their reasons and other factors that give
some life to
them. More importantly, we have to know the appropriate
weapons to use
for the combat.
Definitely we cannot
be blind to the many challenges and
difficulties that the contemporary family faces. The
number of broken
and dysfunctional families is increasing. Its nature,
purpose and
requirements are getting vaguer and vaguer to many
people, especially
the young.
Many developments
today, while offering some good, are also
creating havoc on the family because they are not
understood well nor
assimilated properly to the needs of the family. There’s
so much
concern for the economic viability of the family at the
expense of
taking care of its spiritual and moral vitality which is
more
important.
The main challenge now
is for parents to educate their
children properly. Precisely as parents they have the
primary duty to
bring up their children properly. And this responsibility
is not only
in the material aspects, like feeding and clothing, but
more in the
spiritual and moral aspects that in the end are a matter
of education
and formation.
That’s why parents
should first of all realize very deeply
that they need a good and ongoing human and spiritual
formation. Let’s
remember that this aspect of formation serves as the
foundation for
any education and training parents give to their
children.
The practical aspects
of learning can only be truly
effective if they rest on a good, solid and consistent
human and
spiritual formation. Obviously, the basic human and
spiritual values
and virtues are learned by giving the children the
appropriate basic
responsibilities, like greeting or kissing parents to
instill the
virtue of respect, doing some household chores to
inculcate the idea
of responsibility and concern for others, etc.
Parents should also
realize that to create a proper and
conducive atmosphere of learning, they should try to
create and keep
an atmosphere of peace and cordiality at home. Since
there will always
be differences and conflicts, not to mention, mistakes
and failures,
parents should know how to handle these events without
compromising
that air of peace and cordiality at home.
Also very important
for parents to carry out is to introduce
their children as early as practicable to a life of
piety. The
rudiments of prayer and faith should be planted in the
children as
early as possible. This is a very important aspect that
should not be
regarded as only secondary in the priorities of what to
teach the
children.
In dealing with their
children, parents should try their
best to put themselves in the level of their children.
Friendship,
affection and intimacy should be fostered, such that
there is trusting
openness between parents and children, even if the right
to privacy is
also respected and, in fact, promoted.
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