Mark and Maricel Sebastian have a collection of religious items on display in their living room. (HCH Photo: Anna Weaver)
EMBRACING FAMILY
It’s impossible to share the faith with our children without embracing it ourselves. “Well, that’s why I send them to Faith Formation or Catholic School!” Not quite! Sharing the faith is primarily the responsibility of the parents. We are the domestic church.
Take a moment and envision Jesus walking among us today. If he visited our homes, what would he think? If no one were home and he looked around our homes, would he feel welcome? Would he see that we have given him (and his mom!) a place of honor in our home? Or would he walk around and not see any sign of his presence? Sometimes we forget that he IS here walking among us. He IS in our homes. He lives in our hearts. When we receive him in the Eucharist, we become walking tabernacles. We bring him into our homes.
Let’s do a Catholic scavenger hunt as a family! Of course, honesty is the best policy! Consider dividing our families into teams and have each team select rooms in the house before giving the directions. Once teams are formed and rooms have been chosen, share the rules: take a picture or make a list of every VISIBLE sign of our faith. (Things inside cabinets, drawers, purses, etc. do not count!) On your mark, get set, go!
What was found? Holy water? Bibles? Crucifixes? Crosses? Statues of Mary or the saints? Rosaries? Holy pictures? Prayer corners? Candles? Prayer books? Picture of guardian angels? Baptismal candles? Lives of the Saints? Others? Was there any room lacking an outward sign of our faith? If so, let’s ask our family what they recommend we put in that room. Set a deadline as to when we will ensure that every room in our homes have visible signs of our faith and that they are given places of honor and respect. If possible, bring the family with you to select the item at the store or pick it out together online. If you wish, you can create your own faith symbol as a family activity. It is important to have these external signs because we are all busy and when we see a sign of our faith, it helps remind us why we are doing what we are doing and pray, asking for God’s help.
We might want to also do this scavenger hunt in our yards, our car(s), our workplaces. We should be proud of our faith and not keep it hidden. We must seek to strike the balance whereby we openly and lovingly live and share our faith while simultaneously respecting the beliefs of others, especially if they differ from our own. Jesus welcomed all and did not judge others. Instead, He ate with them and shared his love, compassion, and faith with them. We are called to do the same.
As we focus on making our home the domestic church, let’s think of what Jesus would want for our families and our homes. What do we like about our parish faith community? Kindness? Compassion? Prayer? Opportunities to serve? Then let’s model this in our own homes with our spouses and children. What do we wish we would see more of in our church? Whatever it is, let’s “be the change we want to see in the world” (Ghandi). It is in our homes that our children first learn to love, forgive, pray, collaborate as team members, and transform mistakes into learning opportunities!
If you have questions you would like addressed in “Embracing Family” please email them to Sarah and David at Success@EmbraceFamilyLearning.com and we would be honored to lift you up in prayer and respond, as well! If desired, you can remain anonymous.
Have fun being a Catholic parent until we meet again.
David and Sarah Herrmann are the coordinators of Marriage and Family Ministry for the Diocese of Honolulu.
