God is the giver of all life, human and divine.
May he bless the father of this child.
He and his wife will be the first teachers of their child in the ways of faith.
May they be also the best of teachers,
bearing witness to the faith by what they say and do,
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

            The Rite of Baptism reminds parents that they are the first teachers of the faith to their children. It is their responsibility to introduce their children to Jesus and to teach them about his commandment to love God and neighbor. Put another way,  parents are reminded that their family is now the “domestic church.” They are united to Christ through the waters of baptism and as such their lives must be about proclaiming the Kingdom of God at hand.
            Just as our parish is a community of believers seeking to help one another reach our exalted destiny, to become holy, to live an extraordinary life, so are our families called to be the same. Husbands and wives are to be like sandpaper to one another wearing off the rough edges, and polishing cloths revealing the luster of one another’s dignity as beloved children of God. Through their love and respect for one another, parents reveal to their children how to treat other people, how to live well in society. Children bless the family with curiosity, they help their parents grow in patience, generosity, and most importantly, help parents to love unconditionally.
            Lest you think I am being naïve, I am aware that most families deal with dysfunction. It is a sad reality that families are under attack by so many things in our culture.  Plus, every member of the family is being pulled in different directions so much so that a family meal is a quaint memory. With all that families must deal with, with the many challenges that are foisted on families from outside influences how can families prepare themselves to be the light of Christ that our world so desperately needs.
            The first step, as always, is to commit to placing God at the center of our hearts, our homes, our families. As easy as this sounds it is going to take some planning and hard work. The competition for our time, attention, and loyalty is fierce, so each morning we will need to commit ourselves to living well our vocation as beloved children of God. Realizing the goal of being the domestic church is going to involve every member of the family sharing the commitment and doing their part.
            Parents will need to be head of the church at home. It is their responsibility to set the priorities for the family. When it comes to passing on of the faith, fathers, studies show will have the most influence. If the faith is a priority for the father, if he is committed to living his relationship with Jesus Christ generously and openly, there is a much better chance that faith will be passed on to the next generation. So step up dads!
            To build the domestic church, there are some very practical things that families can do. Pray together. Pray before meals, pray first thing in the morning, at bedtime, before undertaking a journey or project. Find a time of day that works for the family and commit to it every day. Pray the rosary, pray the Psalms, have each member of the family lead a time of prayer.  The key is to pray every day as a family.
            To remind us of who we follow, and the depth of God’s love for his “church” place a crucifix in a prominent place in the house. Revive the tradition of having a crucifix in every bedroom.
            As we attempt to make our homes and families the domestic church, we must take advantage of all that the Church has to offer. Attending Mass as a family, even when traveling, going to Confession together, taking an active role in the life of the parish are all ways in which we learn skills to build and strengthen the church at home.
            These are but a few of the ways in which we can make our families true witnesses to the light of Christ, the love and mercy of God, and the victory of good over evil. When we actively commit to living as the domestic church, our homes become a sanctuary from the culture of darkness and death that is so prevalent in our society these days. In the domestic church each member learns their dignity and value as a beloved child of God and enters the world bearing the light of Christ and the gifts needed to reveal the Kingdom of God present in our midst.

For additional tools for building the domestic church check out: https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/parents/tools-for-building-a-domestic-church
www.Familiesfullyalive.com