Best practice for having a good marriage and family

Dear brothers and sisters, this prayer that the Church puts in St. mass, teaches us on the one hand about the great humility of God and on the other hand the great dignity of the human family. Our Lord chose the family as the place in which he wanted to be born. He wanted to have an earthly mother and he wanted this one to have an earthly bridegroom, St. Josephs. The Lord wanted to live a hidden life in this family for thirty years and voluntarily wanted to be nourished and educated in his most holy humanity so that he would be as similar as possible to us humans.

What was the meaning of this time? It wasn’t because Christ needed it. He himself is the one who gave all the meaning and all the virtues of the home of Mary and Joseph – could not really learn anything from them because he possesses the highest perfection. He chose family life to show us the importance of family, because family is the place where children are born and where they prepare for their mission in life, similarly, how Jesus himself was preparing.

Let’s notice what order reigned in the holy Family. At its center stood Christ, who gave the family its own meaning. Virgin Mary and St. Joseph lived in a true marriage, it was completely penetrated by a supernatural spirit, but it existed because of the child Jesus. Both led a family life, worked, took care of the household – because of the divine child Jesus. God’s word about marriage is beautifully fulfilled on them: „And there will be two in one body.“ This only „telom“ was the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. He connected them.

If we consider each and every one of the members of St. Families, neither was equal to the other. Christ – God, Virgin Mary – without original sin chosen as the mother of God, St. Joseph – righteous, attentive, perfectly subject to God and his mother. Nevertheless, she ruled in St. The family’s wonderful unity, harmony, overflowed with the fullness of love, immense tact and attention to each other. Because it was important to all that he loved in the other what was Divine.

This is also proven by today’s gospel, in which we hear that the boy Jesus disappeared from Mary and Joseph’s sight and they could not find him for three days. How much anxiety did both holy parents experience? They lost Jesus. What could be worse? When they found him sitting among the scholars, they themselves will receive divine instruction: „Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I should be where my Father is concerned?“ And the evangelist adds: „But they did not understand the answer he gave them.“ But still „im was obedient“ and his mother „nad thought about all this.“

This is a wonderful example of humility and love. No one accuses anyone, loves and seeks, thinks to see in another what is Divine. This is a true example. Although the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph possessed special graces and gifts, they were not detached from life, and therefore it is not right for us to romanticize them, as if they were living a fairy-tale life, different from ours. They were like us in everything – except sin. And that is a fundamental truth. If people want to live in families, similar to St. To the family, it is important for them that each and every member of the family draws from the sacraments, lives constantly in sanctifying grace. Because it is sin that destroys the hearts of individuals until it finally destroys entire families. Especially the sin of pride – reluctance to admit failure, weakness, constant ranting about this or that.

The basis is the crisis of marriage. Many young people join the family as individualists, longing for the fulfillment of their own dreams. They often look at their spouse as the „ filler of my happiness“. They do not accept the fact that they do not become spouses for themselves, but for others. St. Thomas teaches that the first goal of marriage is openness to life – to bring children into the world. The second goal is mutual conjugal love and help in worrying about children and each other. Both spouses should live virtuously – build good habits – and raise children in this way as well. That’s the meaning of marriage.

Conjugal love is a specific kind of friendly love and this love grows when both „everything together share“, but especially what is difficult. But what does it mean to truly love another? St. Tomáš says that in true love it is about „to love in the other what is Divine (…) to love the other in God.“ In this sense, it is necessary to love in the other what is good, virtuous. Not one of the spouses can love in the other what is bad, what is vice-like, or downright sinful, as well as bad habits and mistakes. Here they are both helping each other. Vices, mistakes and sins should help to reveal, tactfully and lovingly name and help to eliminate them.

However, Christian spouses know that their marriage, which alone is the framework of the common life of a man and a woman – no other cohabitation, no other forms, all of them are not virtuous, they are sinful and therefore do not lead to true happiness – that this Christian marriage is deeply connected with the most holy sacrifice of our Lord. Therefore, both must return to the sacrifice of St. mass, regularly confess your sins with humility in St. confession. In this way, it is actually as if their marriage vows and obligations are renewed, they get help and strength for family life. Only through the help of the grace of God can they properly raise children. They are a joyful gift from the Lord, not a burden. Parents should have their children baptized as soon as possible, not wait for a suitable moment, for a family celebration. Supernatural life is more than worldly joys. Parents then teach children prayer first and foremost, they are the first heralds of the faith.

Dear parents, are you telling your children about God? Do you pray with them? Now that children spend a lot of time at home, are you investigating whether they also know the truths of faith? Do you have many conversations, this also includes conversations about our holy faith, spiritual life, sacraments, the person of the divine Savior? You are the first teachers of religion. That is your serious duty. This will one day be required of you in the last judgment. From this springs virtuous education. Teaching children virtues means teaching them magnanimity, not egoism, teaching them to admit a mistake, because it is bad, not to be happy that the child cleverly hid the mistake and no one revealed it. Teaching children responsibility, not superficiality. Parents should not smile at children’s „malých“ or „zlatých“ mistakes. They should correct them with love, because they should also love what is God’s in them.

It should not be forgotten to draw children’s attention to the choice of profession – even for this clergyman. Parents can and should consciously lead children to choose the priesthood or consecrated life. Finally, there are families over whom, despite their good will, dark clouds of difficulties, disagreements, malice, personal mistakes and injuries spread. Here the divine medicine of the sacraments and the closeness of friendly families are most needed. To him who sincerely wants and asks, the Lord will never refuse help and the necessary grace.

Today, especially, dear brothers and sisters, let’s ask for families – for our own, for families in trouble, and for young families. So that they always look at St. Family as your role model. Virgin Mary, queen of the family, pray for us. St. Joseph, protector of St. Churches and families, pray for us.