Chapter Eight:In the heart of family

Chapter Eight:In the heart of familyLesson One: Duties

“Family”

• We have mixed faith families, adoptive families, extended families, foster families and church families.

Duties of Parents

1. To care for their children, entrusted to them by God

2. To provide a home, food, clothing, education. Health and authority.

3. To give them a safe, secure, and loving environment in which to grow.

Thankful to Your Parents

• Your parents exemplify God’s attributes: his love, truth, generosity, care and goodness.

Chapter Eight:In the heart of familyLesson Two: Honor and Obey

What does it take to be a parent?

• What are the sacrifices, responsibilities and obligations involved in being a parent?

• How should we treat our parents?• How should we respond to their authority?

Terms:

• Honor – To respect and reverence someone or something • Obey – to following the rules that have been given to

you.

Authority

• What is authority?• To whom did God give

authority over us?• How should we respond to

those in legitimate authority?• Others who have authority

over us:• Clergy (authority given by

God).• Government authorities

( authority given by election)• Those to whom our patents

give authority over us (teachers, coaches, babysitters etc.)

What can I do as a child?

• Love my parents .• Obey my parents.• Living with the love that my parents instill in me.• Keeping a good name / reputation.• Praying and sacrificing for our parents.

Luke 2: 41-52

The Boy Jesus at the Temple:

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was

over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Luke 2: 41-52

The Boy Jesus at the Temple:

47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were

astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”[a] 50 But they did

not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his

mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Discussion Questions:

• How did Jesus respond to Mary and Joseph?• Was Jesus bound to the authority of Mary and Joseph?• How can we follow Jesus’ example?

In class assignment

• The hidden years was the period of time in the bible of Jesus’ childhood that we don’t know. Nothing is written down so we have no knowledge of what happened during that time.

• In one page, I want you to discuss the following. What do you think Jesus’ life would have been like during the hidden years? How could I follow his example?

• You can use our 3-5-5-5-3 method from last year.• 1st paragraph – What are the hidden year (Introduction)• 2nd, 3rd, 4th, paragraph – Pick one portion of Jesus childhood to talk

about (school, playing with others, following his parents, chores, growing up).

• 5th Paragraph – Conclude it all together (Conclusion)

Chapter Eight:In the heart of familyLesson Three: Role Changes

Changes in Duties:

1. Changing diapers and feeding with a bottle.

2. Teaching to walk and speak.

3. Getting them dressed in the morning.

4. Helping with homework.

5. Providing for their education.

6. Helping children to make good choices.

Example of Obedience:

• What is the wisdom (purpose) behind your parent decisions?• Parent tells a child not to play in the street.• Parent tells a child to do his homework.• Parent tells a child to have proper manners at the dinner

table.• Parent takes his child to Mass on Sundays.• Parent needs to know where the child is at all times.

Caring for the Elderly:

• Some seniors are very independent and active. We need to help them to maintain their activity and independence. Some, however need help getting around and do not drive anymore. Some need to change their diets. Some have physical demands that must be met, such as nursing care. What virtues should we develop to help them?• Patience• Long-suffering• Forgiveness

Chapter Eight:In the heart of familyLesson Four: Family Today

Pope John Paul Words

• “While it must be recognized that women have the same right as men to perform various public functions, society must be structured in such a way that wives and mothers are not in practice compelled to work outside the home, and that their families can live and prosper in a dignified way even when they themselves devote their full time to their own family” (#23).

• “The family, which is founded and given life by love, in a community of persons: of husband and wife, of parents and children, of relatives…with love the family is not a community of persons and, in the same way, without love the family cannot love, grow and perfect itself as a community of persons” (#18).

• “The Church must therefore promote better and more intensive programs of marriage preparation, in order to eliminate as far as possible the difficulties that many married couples find themselves in, and even more in order to favor positively the establishing and maturing of successful marriages” (#66).

Threats Against Families Today

• Cost of Living (a parent may not be able to spend much needed time with the children because of work)

• Unclear definition of family (we see children with same sex parents)

• Divorce• Life Issues• Crime (drugs, abuse)

In Class Assignment

• “A family that prays together, stays together”• What do you think that this phase means? Also, what are

some things that we as a society can do to make families stronger? How could we implement these practices?

THE END!!!