For Parents

"The duty of fostering vocations pertains to the whole Christian community, which should exercise it above all by a fully Christian life. The principal contributors to this are the families which, animated by the spirit of faith and love and by the sense of duty, become a kind of initial seminary, and the parishes in whose rich life the young people take part." -St. Pope Paul VI, Optatum Totius 2

Helping your child to discover the will of God in their life forms the heart of good parenting, for it leads them to follow the most secure path to heaven and fills them with a deep joy on earth! This is, in fact, a parent's greatest responsibility and central to the covenant that is Holy Matrimony. But how is this done? Since ancient times, the Church has taught that this occurs through the formation of the "Domestic Church", or, more simply, the Church "in miniature", the "church away from Church", the first and most important "school" of prayer, love, forgiveness, sacrifice, discipline, and self-gift, in short, the school of holiness. The home is meant to be, in addition, the place where formation in the eternal truths of the Faith occurs, where minds, hearts, and wills are "stoked" to persue the eternal and Beloved Face of God, encountered in Jesus Christ through His Body, the Church.

So how does this formation occur, how does your home become a "Domestic Church"?

First, it begins with you, parents, seeking these things for yourself...you cannot give what you do not have. Am I a disciple (is Christ the center of my life)? Do I have a regular life of prayer? Do I know how to pray? (If not, see the resources on prayer on this website) Do I live a disciplined life? Do I study the faith?

Secondly, it begins with fostering in your home what you are convicted about in your heart. Is Jesus the literal and visual center of our home (or our other activities)? Do we pray together and attend mass every Sunday as a family and set Sunday aside as a day of rest and family time? Do I take them to confession regularly? Do I teach my children the faith? Do I discipline them and teach them the value of sacrifice and self-gift? Do we eat together as a family? Am I vigilant about what my children watch, who they spend their time with, and where they spend it? Do we make sacrifices as a family to reach the glory of heaven?

Thirdly, fostering the devotional life at home is important. Do we have a family altar or "prayer corner", a sacred space in the home where the family can pray? Are there Crucifixes and sacred images of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints to raise our hearts and minds to heaven? Are we fostering friendships with the saints and seeking Our Mother Mary's protection and help?

By doing the above things, you will experience the joy of being a Holy Family united deeply in the Love of God, and your children will seek his will, having tasted the grandeur of His Life and wishing to give of themselves totally to Him who first did so for them. If you are a disciple, when they begin to ask about a vocation to the priesthood and religious life, you will be prepared to support them and encourage them to seek his will!

Please see some resources below in fostering the Domestic Church and in aiding your children to discover their vocation, as well as what it is like to be a parent of a seminarian, priest, or religious.

Go set the World on Fire!!