What about Family?

Well, I just got home it's 1:15am, Saturday night. Where were we at this time of night? well, all of us (Herbie, Anthony, my father in law, myself, my sister, her hubby, the kids, my brother, his wife, my mom, my step dad and some friends of my brothers). We were all at my mom's house celebrating her birthday which was Tuesday Feb 6. My brother and some friends came into town for this wonderful celebration. Well, I know that I am rambling but I just feel in my heart that I need to blog about family.

I started reading this new book called "Nurturing today's children - cultivating the family of faith" by Gaynell Cronin and one of the things they talk about in this book is family. Being that tonight was such an amazing night, I thought I'd let you all in into what kind of evening we had.

My brother brought some old friends of the family to spend the weekend with my parents. We hung out, played dominos and had a wonderful dinner celebration which lasted into the weee hours of the morning. However, as God is so big and wonderful, he managed to be the topic of conversation with the people that my brother brought with him this weekend. These people happen to be very Christian and this man named "Juan" that was with us, well he is a christian singer, in which he sings at church. This man lead us into an amazing praise and worship evening, songs sung in both English and Spanish. We were glorifiying the Lord in such an amazing way, that it once again blew my mind. Here everyone at my mom's house was singing and praising the Lord. I just feel compelled to Thank my God for the family he has given me. Faith is so important and I feel so blessed and annointed to have the wonderful family that I have. Almost everyone in my family has been saved, I've seen their lives be transformed from living a life without Christ and now living a life with Christ. You should see the freedom this brings. Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of free will and for the gift of salvation.

In recent years, the church has spoken very extensively about the "domestic or "household" church. Paul VI writes:

" The beautiful name domestic church means that there should be found in every Christian family the various aspects of the entire church. The family, like the church ought to be a place where the Gospel is transmitted and from which the Gospel radiates. In a family, which is conscious of this witness and missions, all the members evangelize and are evangelized".

And John Paul II, in a homily, given in Australia in 1986 tells us:

"The family is the domestic church. The meaning of this traditional Christian idea is that the home is the church in miniature. The church is the sacrament of God's love. She is a communion of faith and love. She is a mother and a teacher. She is at the service of the whole human family as it goes forward toward it's ultimate destiny. In the same way, the family is a community of life and love. It educates and leads it's members to their full human maturity and it serves the good of all along the road of life. The family is the first and vital cell of society. In it's own way, it is a living image and historical representation of the mystery of the church".

Every couple, challenged by the rite of baptism, must become the "first" and "best of teachers" for their children. Our children need to "catch faith" from us through everyday family life. Being together in faith, listening carefully to one another's sacred stories, celebrating in our homes, and finding ways to reach out for the needy are the steps every family is challenged to take along the path of faith development. Even though, every family member may be moving in different directions at once, we must remain connected to one another, offering strength, hope, and launching a challenge to every parent and each individual in every home and household.

We are the church at home, the first church, and for some the only church that our children will ever know. Our children deserve our best effort. We as Christians need to reinforce our commitments to live faith one day at a time, making it a priority in our homes, neighborhoods, parishes and world.

Are you afraid to face this challenge? Fear not, for Jesus says. "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

I just had such an amazing time with my family tonight and I know it's because our Lord was the center of it all and I felt the need to just shout to the world, TREASURE YOUR FAMILY, it's the one that the Lord has united you with and make HIM the center of it all.

As I conclude this blog, I pray that you break open his word and anticipate that God will touch your heart. God is always standing by waiting, anxious to startle you with his love. Sometimes, God appears like a single rose or leaf, yet at other times, he appears as a laughing child, or a wise senior citizen. As Jesus reminds us, we have only to ask God to be with us, and he will hear and answer.

Faith is a wonderous gift designed to be experienced and celebrated. Let it wash over you like a cool summer stream., or strengthen you like a good night's sleep. God will be our guide, our peace and our advocate. Like a defense attorney, God will always stand by us challenging us to be quiet, confident and unafraid. We have only to enter into the life of Jesus to have everlasting life and have it to the fullest degree.

Holiness is not something we earn, but the purest of gifts from God, the one who loves us totally, and unconditionally. We have only to accept this gift, live it, celebrate it, and give it away to others just as freely as God gives it to us.

May the peace of the Lord be with you.