The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

Today we see in the Holy Family the solicitude that parents must have for their children. And we see the obedience that children must have for their parents.

Parents must watch over their children with the understanding that they will have to render an account for the souls of their children before the throne of God.

And children must understand that they must love honor and obey the parents that God has given them.

Parents have an obligation to watch over the company that their children keep. Children should not be permitted to keep company with evil people, or intimate company with people of the opposite sex. Not only must parents watch over the physical company that children keep but they have an obligation to watch over the "virtual" company that they keep also. Parents must watch over the books, magazines, radio, television, theater, internet, etc. that are so often used to "entertain" them. Because we are so inclined to evil due to original sin, children are easily led astray by the evil influences of bad company.

We would not allow our children to play around with dangerous explosives, or in toxic waste, or with people with very dangerous and contagious diseases, because we realize the physical dangers to their bodies. We must be even more vigilant in the things that concern our children's souls.

There is too much insistence today for children's right to privacy, but there is little said for their obligation to modesty, chastity, and virtue in general. Parents should try to instill in their children the Divine presence. We should know that all that we say, do, think, and even omit is seen by God and will be eternally remembered by Him. Children could not sin if they truly loved God and habitually had the thought of God standing right there next to them watching over them.

Parents have the obligation of taking God's place in this operation until the love of God and necessity for obedience to Him have been deeply implanted into the minds and hearts of their children. Parent's especially fathers are God's representatives in the family.

On the other side of the family there are the children and their responsibility to obey their parents as the Christ child obeyed His parents.

Children must obey their parents in doing their share of the domestic (household) chores that must be done around every house. Jesus worked at home, getting water, bringing in wood for the fire, cleaning up the dishes, dusting, sweeping; He helped St. Joseph in the carpenter shop. He did everything that was asked of Him cheerfully and without complaint. How sad it is today to see children who think that they are being "abused" because their parents make them clean their own room! Such children do not think of themselves as members of a family but as princes and princesses that have parents only to act as servants to their every whim.

Children also owe obedience in regard to Christian discipline and good morals. When parents forbid certain parties, drinking, gambling, certain places or company, children are bound under pain of mortal sin to obey. For, to disobey in such a situation becomes a double sin. The first is the sin against God and the good morals that He expects us to live by. The second is the sin of disobedience to our parents.

Lastly, children owe obedience to the last will and testament of their parents. Parents have our best interests at heart and especially in their dying moments they are solicitous for our well being. Their last wishes therefore should be very dear to us. It does not matter if no one else does their will, we are still bound to the best of our ability to fulfill their wishes to the best of our ability. Even if their wishes are only spoken to us directly and are not part of a legal document, we are bound to obey.

Children are excused from obedience (actually forbidden to obey) to their parents whenever the parents command something that is against the law of God. It is better to obey God rather than man.

Parents have no right to force their children into a state of life that their children have no inclination for. But at the same time children have an obligation to listen to the reasons of their parents, because the parents generally have the best interest of their children at heart, and the parents have much more experience than the children have in choosing a state in life. Parents may never step in the way in the attempt to destroy a child's vocation to God. For this is a terrible abuse of the authority that God has given them.

Franciscan Benefactor Seraph Subscription Electronic copy of the December Seraph ($2.00)in Adobe Acrabat format. Vocations Have you remembered God?