THE FAMILY AS A DOMESTIC CHURCH IN THE LIGHT OF LUMEN

GENTIUM
ABSTRACT
Right from the time of the earliest Christians, the notions of marriage and
family life have been seen as a second class way of life in the Church. This
is premised on the fact that those called to real holiness were priests and
religious, meaning the married couples were not considered bearers of
holiness. But with the dawn of recent findings and taking a leap from the
experiences of the Churchs life, this faulty and groundless understanding
has been corrected, in particular through the Churchs emphasis on a
universal call to holiness, a call to the fullness of sanctity for all the
members of Christs Body. The term domestic church has been
resurrected from its ancient use to indicate the intrinsic holiness of
marriage, and the marvelous means family life is for attaining the heights of
holiness. This depicts a strong affirmation of the familys identity. It explains
the whole idea that the family itself is a Church according to its own way of
life. Nevertheless, the implications of this teaching are momentous. It is a
whole new way of thinking about and experiencing family life.The aim of
this work is to engage ourselves into the realm of intellect family hood.
INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS A DOMESTIC CHURCH?
What is a domestic Church? A domestic Church is a family. If a domestic
Church is a family, what then is a family? A family is where we get down to
the nitty-gritty of living out the Catholic faith. The family shapes us
spiritually from our earliest days, providing our first school in Christian
living. Little wonder, then, that the Second Vatican Council, echoing the
words of many ancient Christian writers, described the Catholic family as
the domestic Church. This is because it is here that our children first hear
about God, about right and wrong, about the Bible in particular. It is in the
home that they teach them their first prayers and model for them the
sacramental life; it is from a home that a child comes to have that sensum
ecclesiae. At home a child learns many of their most profound lessons by
example as well as by words about love, commitment, work, sacrifice, and
forgiveness. And at home they find daily occasion to practice the virtues and
resist the vices. A family (domestic Church) is a place where different
generations come together and help one another to grow wiser and
harmonize the rights of individuals with other demands of social life; as
such it constitutes the basis of the society. By Domestic Church, Blessed
Pope JohnPaul II meant that the family should be a place where the parents
teach their children about God and that they should all live God-centered
lives. Just as every member of Church is a part that makes up the one
Church, so should it be with the family. Parents should not just rely on the

childrens schools or their Church to teach their children about God---this

should be a normal part of family life.
The Fathers of the Church and the Second Vatican Council teach that the
family is the domestic Church. The Church is a community dedicated to
continual conversion on ongoing mission. As the basic unit of the Church,
the family is where the call to holiness and apostolic mission are first heard,
and where the reponse to that call is encouraged and directed. The family
is the original seminary or greenhouse where vocations sprout and are
sheltered until they grow sturdy enough to survive and bear fruit in the
world.
So healthy Catholic families are designed to produce not just "nice people"
but saints, evanelizers, leaders. This talk outlines the vision of the goal and
purpose of the Catholic family, and shows how God's grace can make it
happen despite the inevitable shortcomings of even the best parents.
THE FUNDAMENTAL MISSION OF THE FAMILY
FAMILY AS A DOMESTIC CHURCH IN THE LIGHT OF LUMEN
GENTIUM
From the wedlock of Christians there comes the family, in which new
citizens of human society are born, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit
received in Baptism, those are made children of God, so that the
People of God may be perpetuated through the centuries.
The Church fathers of the Second Vatican Council describes the family as
the domestic Church because it is the first place where young, baptized
Christians learn about their faith. This is clearly expressed in one of the
documents of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium. However, this
domestic Church has a particular role and responsibility in leading souls to
heaven. The document went further to buttress this point when it states:
In it parents should, by their word and example, be the first
preachers of the faith to their children; they should encourage
them in the vocation which is proper to each of them, fostering
with special care vocation to a sacred state.
Through this letter, the Council Fathers intended to emphasize that Christ is
the Light of the Nations, and that, as the Church, we each have a
responsibility to bring the Light of Christ to others. Within the domestic
Church, this means that parents are to cultivate a family life that is
centered on Christ. Christ should be the focus of the activities of the family.
The parents are to carry out this task. They are to foster the vocation which
is proper to each child and this with special care if it be to religion. They are

to help them appreciate the faith (sensus fidei). It is in this light that the
family carries out the following characteristics features:
FAMILY AS THE FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCK OF THE
SOCIETY: As I have earlier cited, families provide a foundation for the
continuation and strength of the Church among the lay faithful. Little
wonder, Pope JohnPaul II avows that it is from the family that the future of
the world and the Church passes through.
THE FAMILY AS THE GREENHOUSE OF CHRISTIAN VOCATIONS
THE FAMILY AS PARTICIPATING IN THE MUNERA OF CHRIST
Since the Catholic family has such an important role to play within the
Church and society; I thought I would take a brief look at how the family
shares in the three-fold mission of Jesus Christ as priest, prophet and king.
The Family as Priest: The family shares in the priestly mission of Jesus
through the reception of the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and
the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Eucharist, the source and summit of
Christian life, will help the family grow in sanctity, while the Sacrament of
Reconciliation restores the family's relationship with God and with one
another. Along with receiving the sacraments the family is called to be a
community of prayer. What type of prayer should the family embrace?
According to Church documents the prayer of the family is the most Holy
Rosary. Every Pope from Leo XIII to John Paul II has recommended that the
family pray the rosary together. Lastly, the family is called to offer spiritual
sacrifices to Our Lord. This simply means that the work we do, whether it
be great or little, can be offered to Our Lord for His glory and the salvation
of souls.
The Family as Prophet: The family is called to welcome and announce
the Gospel message. Like the Church, the family must constantly be
evangelized and evangelizing. This means the Gospel message must be
put into practice within the home and carried to others outside the home,
especially other families and the unchurched. Our actions, even more
than our words, can be more effective in reaching those who have no other
means of hearing the Gospel. As Pope John Paul II mentioned in an address
in 1979 the future of evangelization in great part depends on the Church
of the home.
The Family as King: Through this office the family is called to follow the
second half of the greatest commandment love your neighbor. The family,
like a king, is called to serve. Service is a form of charity, which must dwell
within the home and be practiced outside it, especially through hospitality
and helping those in need.

The family as the domestic church is called to be priest, prophet and king.
Through prayer, evangelization, and charity the Catholic family can
participate in the new evangelization and help contribute to the restoration
of our society and culture.

Family as a people of God in worship

Family as serving evangelization
Family as an image in the Mystery of the Church
RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW FAMILIES ARE TO LIVE OUT THEIR
VOCATIONS AS DOMESTIC CHURCH
praying as a family daily,
keeping physical reminders of faith (such as a crucifix) in the house,
celebrating the liturgical feasts of the Church.