MARCO, Miguel Angelo B.

1AR-9
THY2

In general, there are four tasks that is given to the family by the Church:

1. Forming a community of persons;

2. Serving life;
3. Participating in the development of society; and
4. Sharing in the life and mission of the Church

FAMILY AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION (1, 2, 3)

 The family is the first and basic unit of the society and it is the job of the parents to
teach their children to be a good and moral people, to be have correct attitude of
freedom with regards to material things by adopting a simple life style.

 Men and women have equal dignity.

 The family has a specific roles:

Men: As husband and father, the man should love his wife and children, do
his role in the family. They should also treat their wife with utmost respect and
not discriminate them

Women: As wife and mother, the woman should love his husband and children
and should be treated equally in the society.

Children: They should be revered and loved, especially in a Christian family.

They should also be educated by their parents to be loving and caring citizen of
the society.

Elderly: The elderly in the family should be specially venerated and loved and
still has a role within the family.

 Parents are ordered to procreate and educate their children about the essential values
of life: justice, love, and sex education. They should also transmit the fundamental
human values of acceptance, service, solidarity, service, and thus contributes to human
formation for community.
  The family should also participate in the society in a social and political manner. Parents
should be open-minded about issues and teach their children to be critical and make the
right things for the improvement of the society.

FAMILY AS A DOMESTIC CHURCH (4)

 The family is the first school of following Christ and the nurturing ground of faith.

 When two people are married, their love is the sign of their acceptance of Christ’s union
with the Church.

 The sacrament of marriage makes parents’ education of their children a true ministry of
the Church. Their celebration of the sacrament of marriage is the first proclamation of
their faith as a couple, which must then be prolonged in married life.

 The family becomes an evangelizing community if they have accepted the gospel whole-
heartedly. This evangelization concerns the children in the family, but also involves
cooperation with other evangelizing activities in the diocese and parish

 Being the Domestic Church, parents (especially Christians) are responsible to introduce
their children to God and make them feel his presence and grace through prayers and
the Word of God.

 The family is called to show a service of love towards God and towards fellow human
beings.