In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
My dearly beloved in Our Lord,
On the Sunday after the Epiphany, Holy Church celebrates the Feast of the Most Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It has been inserted into the canon of feasts by Pope Benedict XV in 1921.
Let us repeat a few fundamental principles and thoughts about the Christian family.
Whenever parents give orders to their children, they must mean it. Not doing so, is acting as liberals.
The liberals are by definition the enemies of their own salvation. For there is only one name in which we can be saved, the Holy Name of Jesus. This name gives orders, it commands with the highest authority possible, the divine authority, and under pain of not only temporal, but of eternal punishment. So it is pure lunacy to think or to act in a “liberal” way.
“Liberal” in its original meaning (lat. “liberalis”) is a very positive word. God is the most “liberal” of all, giving freely and out of pure love and mercy. “That which is good, tends to spread its own goodness. - Bonum est diffusivum sui.”
But modern-day “liberalism” is man-centered and thus ungodly. God is no longer the first point of reference, and mostly He is no reference at all. His very existence is denied. Man is claiming “freedom – libertas” for himself, freedom without any limitation except that of “not harming the other one”. Such a concept of liberty is, of course, an expression of “modern man’s” confused thinking which will always lead him into absurdity. All men are equal; but some are more equal…
With regards to the family for example, no one is less “free” than the “modern couple” who by means physical, chemical, biological etc. seeks to “freely” choose the number of children it will have. They must be pitied, at the end of the day, because their behavior is less dignified than that of animals. But they are convinced that they are doing well; and they are, in terms of applying a senseless and aimless concept of “freedom” to their actions.
“Liberal man” justifies his senseless and aimless behavior by referring to his “conscience”. Here again, he claims, he is “free” to act according to the light and guidance of his conscience.
What else is conscience but the faculty to act according to the objectivenature and goal of a given act? “Conscience”, just as “freedom”, is no free-floating entity. It must always be referred to something.
Whatever we do “in accord with our conscience”, or “freely”, makes us to be responsible for the effects of these deeds. But “modern man” does not like the idea of being held responsible. So whatever way we turn the question, we end up in something absurd. Thus clearly the concept of modern liberalism does not make sense.
Catholic parents certainly do not intend to follow such a disastrous pattern. But they must be aware that their minds are influenced if not infected by the ambient and ubiquitous liberalism. So while they firmly reject its principles, they must be watchful in order not to follow its footsteps in practice.
The only real remedy against acting in a liberal way is to keep in mind the notion of the common good – bonum commune. It is opposed to the individual good of each human person. The whole being more than just the sum of its parts, a family is not only there to provide the individual good of each one of its members. It also has its common good: the good march and order of the family, the home, the education of the children… which in return guarantees the individual good.
So there is no way to play out the individual against the common good; but both must be pursued simultaneously. This is yet one more feature of the Christian life which makes it so interesting... and so difficult.
Only individual souls go to Heaven (or to Hell). There will be no more family or state (or facebook group!) in eternity. But it is part of our earthly sojourn that we cannot make our way to salvation just on our own since God has given a social aspect to our human nature. This is why there is no way around the interaction between the individual good and the common good of the societies, structures etc. we are living in.
So you need to see to it that you achieve your individual good, and the individual good of each member of your family through the pursuit of the common good of the family.
The ultimate good is, obviously, the salvation of all souls involved. This leads us to a better understanding of the importance of Christian charity: “Omnia vestra in caritate fiant. - Let all your things be done in charity” (1Cor 16:14). Only the bond of mutual charity – grounded on the virtues of faith and hope – makes it possible to do all this, without conflict.
Conflicts of interest between the individual and the common good, and any other conflicts originate in the inclination of our will towards evil, the second worst consequence of original sin after ignorance in the intellect. Since the will of each family member is inclined towards evil, but each one in a different manner – one more inclined to pride, another more towards lust etc. – this is a very entangled web indeed. The rights and duties of parents and children are situated on different levels, and this makes it more interesting still.
But because this is so complicated, and far above our human faculties, God endows our souls with supernatural virtues. By enacting them – by putting them into action, bringing them to life – you must weave on this web as best you can, day after day: Fighting your own individual faults and evil inclinations; helping the others to fight theirs; laying the foundation for an increase in virtue…
The more an individual renounces its own self, the fitter he becomes to be Christ’s disciple: “Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself” (Mt 16:24). Catholic parents have to renounce themselves in many ways, day after day. They must also take care to instill this principle of the Christian life into their children, as they grow up. With great strength of conviction, with firmness and kindness administered opportunely, they have to set their children on the right path, the path to Heaven.
May the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary and Joseph – and all the Saints – they have all been raised in a family! – help you to always better fulfill your duties: the parents towards their children, and the children towards the parents.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
P. Arnold Trauner (paterarnold@hotmail.com), njemački i engleski
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