Wednesday, August 1
Liturgical Color: White
Today is the Memorial of St. Alphonsus
Liguori, bishop and Doctor of the Church.
St. Alphonsus received his law degree by
16, but abandoned his career for the
religious life. He founded the
Congregation of the Most Holy
Redeemer in 1732.
Why are families irreplaceable?
Every child is descended from one father and one mother and longs for the warmth and safety of a family so that he may grow up secure and happy. The family is the basic cell of human society. The values and principles that are lived out in the small circle of the family are what make solidarity in the life of larger society possible in the first place.
Why should the State protect and promote families?
The welfare and future of a State depend on the ability of the smallest unit within it, the family, to live and develop. No State has the right to intrude on the basic cell of society, the family, by its regulations or to question its right to exist. No State has the right to define the family differently, for the family's commission comes from the Creator. No State has the right to deprive the family of its fundamental functions, especially in the area of education. On the contrary, every State has the duty to support families with its assistance and to ensure that its material needs are met.
How does a child respect his parents?
A child respects and honors his parents by showing them love and gratitude. Children should be grateful to their parents in the first place because they received their life from the love of their parents. This gratitude establishes a lifelong relationship of love, respect, responsibility, and obedience, rightly understood. Especially in times of need, sickness, and old age, children should lovingly be there for their parents and care for them faithfully. (YOUCAT questions 369-371)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (2207-2220) and other references here.