Day 289: Family, Society, and the Kingdom (2232-2237)

• It’s Day 289!!

• THE FAMILY AND THE KINGDOM

• Paragraph 2232 says, “Family ties are important but not absolute. Just as the child grows to maturity and human and spiritual autonomy, so his unique vocation which comes from God asserts itself more clearly and forcefully. Parents should respect this call and encourage their children to follow it. They must be convinced that the first vocation of the Christians is to follow Jesus: ‘He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.’”

• Jesus said, “I have not come to establish peace, but the sword…etc.”

• Our absolute primary allegiance is to the Lord Himself

• Paragraph 2233 says, “Becoming a disciple of Jesus means accepting the invitation to belong to God’s family, to live in conformity with His way of life: ‘For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.’”

• THE AUTHORITIES IN CIVIL SOCIETY

• Paragraph 2234 says, “God’s fourth commandment also enjoins us to honor all who for our good have received authority in society from God. It clarifies the duties of those who exercise authority as well as those who benefit from it.”

• DUTIES OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES

• Let’s pray!!

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, I ask you to please be with every one of us as we are listening to these words today. As we are reading these words today, please be with us. Lord God, help us to understand the true value of your good gifts, the true value of discipleship, the true value of family, the true value of the society in which you have given us, in which you have placed us. Lord God, help us to acknowledge the goodness we have received and to acknowledge the limits of every good thing, except for you, because you are the source of good itself. You are the ultimate good. Because you are the foundation of all being, and you are love. Lord God, help us to let you, you alone, be the number one, be the center of our gravity, be the one God in our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”

• So there we have it!!

• Paragraph 2232 says, “Family ties are important but not absolute. Just as the child grows to maturity and human and spiritual autonomy, so his unique vocation which comes from God asserts itself more clearly and forcefully. Parents should respect this call and encourage their children to follow it. They must be convinced that the first vocation of the Christians is to follow Jesus: ‘He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.’”

• The Fourth Commandment highlights the goodness of the family

• The more we highlight the goodness of the family, the more likely we are tempted to maybe make a good thing an ultimate thing, to make the good thing an idol

• How many movies are there of families being absolutely loyal even if they are criminals 

• Because of their loyalty, they will even lie

• Because of their loyalty, they will be corrupt because they are unwilling to tell the truth or be disloyal to their family for the sake of the common good

• We are called to allow our family to have a subservient role to the Kingdom of God

• This means that Jesus has the FIRST claim on our lives

• If Jesus is calling us to do something or of the Church is asking us to do something and our family tells us not to do that, we can take into account what our family requests, and we still do what Jesus asks

• Let’s listen to Fr. Mike talk about how yesterday he talked about a young man wanting to enter religious life…

• And a new example about sisters and their mom in the big city…

• Our first duty is to the Lord BEFORE ANYONE ELSE

• Both in big ways and in small ways

• We can disappoint our family in a small way because we belong to Jesus more than we belong to our family

• Jesus Himself said, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

• Let’s listen to Fr. Mike’s preview of what we will talk about soon in sexual morality…

• Some of us no longer attend to God’s commands for the sake of our children or parents or relatives who are in an irregular relationship

• Because of Jesus, families will be divided

• Family ties are good and important

• BUT…

• They are not absolute

• Just because we have someone in our families who may experience whatever they are experiencing does not mean that the Lord’s command has changed

• It does not mean that now we have to choose family over the Lord

• IN FACT…

• IT IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE

• There are those of us who accept all the Church’s teachings, except when it applies to family

• We choose family over Jesus and the Church

• That means we are allowing our family ties to become an idol

• It is a rival to our lives in God’s position in our lives

• Paragraph 2233 says, “Becoming a disciple of Jesus means accepting the invitation to belong to God’s family, to live in conformity with His way of life: ‘For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.’”

• Paragraph 2234 says, “God’s fourth commandment also enjoins us to honor all who for our good have received authority in society from God. It clarifies the duties of those who exercise authority as well as those who benefit from it.”

• Paragraph 2235 says, “Those who exercise authority should do so as a service. ‘Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.’ The exercise of authority is measured morally in terms of its divine origin, its reasonable nature and its specific object. No one can command or establish what is contrary to the dignity of persons and the natural law.”

• Jesus said, “I did not come to be served. I came to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many.”

• Jesus is the model for when it comes to leadership and authority

• Many of us have heard of the phrase “servant leadership” (I have not heard of this)

• The authority that comes from the Lord is the authority to serve

• If someone in authority is commanding is contrary to the dignity of persons or to natural law, that is a law that does not need to be followed

• Paragraph 2237 says, “Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person. They will dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone, especially of families and the disadvantaged. The political rights attached to citizenship can and should be granted according to the requirements of the common good. They cannot be suspended by public authorities without legitimate and proportionate reasons. Political rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of the nation and the human community.”

• The human person is greater, in many ways, than any society at large

• Let’s listen to Fr. Mike talk about Peter Kreeft and C.S. Lewis…

• Civilizations will end 

• BUT…

• Every human being will always exist forever all the way into Eternity either in glory with the Lord or in horror, separated from the Lord

• One human being is of greater value than any one nation

• At the same time, all of us are part of society

• So we do ask questions about the common good

• None of the commands of the common good can be a command that violates the dignity of any human person

• Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!

• Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!

• I cannot WAIT…