Chapter 6: The Fourth Commandment: Loving the Family–Review

1. Chapter 6: The Fourth Commandment: Loving the Family–Review Introduction: This chapter discusses the family and the respect and responsibilities that relate to it, as it is taught in Sacred Scripture and in teachings of the Catholic Church. Understand the values that the fourth commandment promotes: honor, respect, and obedience. Apply the values given to the family, to the extended family, and to other relationships such as pupil and teacher, citizen and civic authorities. To consider the duties and responsibilities of children toward their parents, and the duties and responsibilities of parents toward their children. Acknowledge the respect that is due to civil authorities

2. Overview: • The fourth commandment protects and values the family. It speaks to the relationship between children and parents, the most vital of all human relationship. • The chapter begins by defining the family as the foundational community of human life. • This commandment promotes the values of honor, respect, and obedience that are at the heart of the relationship bonding children and their parents. • Respect and honor create within us a sense of duty and responsibility. • Both parents and children have duties and responsibilities toward each other. • Children obey their parents when they ask them to do what is good for them and the family. • When children obey parents, they are acknowledging God, the source of that authority.

3. Parenting is a privilege. Parents have the duties and responsibilities to give a good example, treat their children with profound respect, and do their best to create an environment in the home that fosters and nurtures their children’s growth. • Christian parents have the primary duty and responsibility to help guide their children to Jesus Christ, to live lives of faith based on the commandment to love God and neighbor. • The fourth commandment also guides the relationship between civil authorities and citizens in other communities. • Civil authorities have a responsibility to support and protect family life and married life. They do this by creating laws and other civic institutions that guarantee the basic human rights families need to prosper and live in harmony. • Citizens, on the other hand, are to honor, respect, and obey all legitimate authority. They are to work with civil authorities by contributing to the common good in truth, solidarity, freedom, and justice.

4. Honor, Respect, Obedience • The fourth commandment is: “Honor your father and your mother.” • This commandment promotes the values of honor and respect, affection and gratitude, and obedience. • It first speaks to the relationship between children and their parents. • It also concerns kinship ties we have with our extended family –between pupils and teachers, employers and employees, citizens and civic authorities.

5. Honoring Parents • According to the book of Exodus 20:12…”Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you” • Peace and harmony will come about if we strive to live the values underlying this commandment. • On the other hand, if we neglect God’s command to honor our parents, great harm will befall both individually and the human community. • When we honor someone, we acknowledge the other person to be someone whom we love and respect. • Mutual honor puts love into practice / Living the commandment results in harmonious living that helps members of families and other communities live peacefully.

6. The Family in God’s Plan • The family s the original unit of social life. • It is the school for learning love and all virtues. • Children and parents have equal dignity and share in a variety of responsibilities, rights, and duties. • The family teaches us how to be human and live as children of God. • The family sheds light on all of our relationships in society. • We learn how respect others and how to value them as persons, children of God who are worthy of our respect and attention. • We learn how and why to care for the young and the elderly, the sick and disabled and the poor.

7. The Domestic Church • The Christian family is the domestic church. • It is a communion of persons living in faith, hope, and love; it is an image of the communion that is the Holy Trinity. • We learn as children to pray and listen to God’s Word.

8. Governments and the Family • Civil authorities have a serious obligation and responsibility to support family life and married life. • By creating laws and other civic institutions that guarantee human rights such as: • The right to private property, decent housing and employment. • The right of individuals to marry and have children and to profess and hand on their religious faith to their offspring. • The right to health care • The right to a safe and healthy environment that protects families from such evils as illegal drugs and pornography. • The right to associate freely with other families to obtain adequate representation in the political order.

9. Duties and Responsibilities • Duties of Children: Respect, honor and gratitude are the foundation of the relationship between parents and children. • Our respect for our parents flows from their giving us the gift of life. This respect includes a willingness to be guided by our parents as our first teachers. • Honoring and respecting our parents does not stop after we reach adulthood. As adult children we honor and respect our parents by continuing to seek their advice and learn from their experience. • We show our gratitude by supporting them financially, psychologically, and spiritually in time of sickness, distress, and loneliness. • We also honor those who have shared the gifts of faith, baptism, and the Christian life with us: • Priest 2. religion teachers 3. And other friends of and teachers • A wonderful way to show our thanks is to live the Christian life that our spiritual mentors have taught us.

10. The Duties of Parents • The fundamental duty and responsibility of parents is to “regard their children as children of God and respect them as human persons. • Parent have the privilege and duty of handing on the Christian Faith to their children. • Respecting their grown children’s right and duty to choose their own profession and state in life. • Parents should joyfully support children whom God calls to serve him as a professed religious or in the ordained ministry. • The good example of parents’ wholehearted participation in the Eucharist and parish life will help children grow in faith and holiness.

11. The Duties of Civil Authorities and Citizens • All authority in a society is a sacred trust from God, the source of all authority, and is in service to the good of all citizens. • Those in position of authority must protect and defend fundamental human and political rights. • They must never order anyone to do anything contrary to human dignity or the natural law. • They have the responsibility to treat all citizens equitably , keeping in mind the needs and contributions of each member of society. • We have a moral obligation to pay taxes, vote, and defend our country.