Chapter 9 The Family and Beyond

1. Chapter 9The Family and Beyond Mr. Salter Morality

2. Ch 9 Plan • Know the answers to all the “For Review…” questions: • Thurs – Review • Fri – Test Ch. 9

3. Family Matters p 162 • The desire for someone to love us and watch over us is universal • Families point to and help us understand the love of God • Children lacking parental care and concern have difficulty understanding God as love • It is important to remember that God is our ultimate parent who never deserts us, abandons or forgets us

4. Family Matters p 162 • The family is referred to as the domestic church • Families are holy communities (set apart for God), • where children first encounter God, • are educated in prayer, and • supported in their faith (a microcosm of Church, ideally a faith community) • Our families, as the domestic church, model the Holy Trinity, one God three divine persons

5. A Christian Vision of Family: Trinity as Model p 163 The Holy TrinityExplained Trinity – is a complete relationship within • The Father and the Son eternally know one another intimately and perfectly, are eternally attracted to the infinite goodness truth and beauty of the other, that they completely and totally give themselves to one another so that that absolutely nothing is missing or lacking in that their self-gift, that their self-gift is God, Himself, the 3rd Person of the Blessed Trinity

6. A Christian Vision of Family: Trinity as Model p 163 • Thus the Church refers to the Holy Spirit as “the love between the Father and the Son.” • The Trinity thus is a community of persons constantly interacting in knowing, loving and giving themselves completely over to the Other

7. A Christian Vision of Family: Trinity as Model p 163 • The Greek word perichoresisis used to describe the Holy Trinity (where the English word choir is derived from) • Meaning - dancing around, i.e., harmonious, intermingling, dancing around of melodious voices • The vision of family presented in the text – family as “domestic church,” is modeled after the Holy Trinity

8. A Christian Vision of Family: Trinity as Model p 163 • “A family that prays together stays together” • Daily prayer and reading scripture will help strengthen families in charity

9. Responsibilities p 165 • Parents have the following responsibilities toward their children (CCC #2222): • Educate in the ways of faith, prayer and virtue • Appreciate their children as daughters and sons of God and respect them as human persons • Respect and encourage their children’s vocations • Provide a good example • Create a home in which tenderness, mutual affection, forgiveness, respect, fidelity and service are the norm

10. Responsibilities p 165 • Growing children can show respect, obedience, and gratitude to their parents by anticipating their wishes, willingly seek their advice, and accept their just admonitions (CCC #2217) • Also, where following the “golden rule” is a good starting place for making the home a “holy,” more of a Godly place

11. Responsibilities p 165 • Adult children should continue to show respect toward their parents. • Continue to give emotional, moral and material support necessary to maintain their dignity as they age • Emotional = stay in touch with when leave home for college; • Moral = give encouragement in their difficulties • Material = material, financial help

12. Family in the Information Age p 169 • When T.V.s became widespread in the 60’s, it was proposed that they’d be a boom to family life • Watching a good show for an hour or so together would be “Family time” (Same with VCRs) • Clare of Assisi was designated as the patron of TV

13. Family in the Information Age p 169 • Watching too much TV before age 3 hard-wires the developing brains of infants, in some cases leading to attention problems • Certain programs have been shown to lead to increased aggressiveness [steady diet of “pro-wrestling”] • Also is a factor in obesity among children, development of laziness, and apathy

14. Consumerism p 174 • Two problems that can result from a consumer mentality: • We come to view consumption • buying and owning things – as a cure-all • It can prevent us from developing other dimensions of our personality • developing relationships, helping those in need, and realizing that one’s dignity is not measured by how much we own or by the brand we wear