Today is our parish feast day. Its full title is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Pretty impressive, huh? Let’s remember the lesson of our stained glass windows: Christ’s kingship begins in daily life. The first window on the right shows Christ the King presiding over a table at which a married couple is sharing a meal.
I can’t say it enough: marriage and family is the foundation of our society. The first topical chapter in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church is titled, “The Family, the Vital Cell of Society.” I like to call marriage God’s peace plan. Strong families mean a strong society. That’s because families have more power to form people than any other institution. The Compendium says this, “It is in the family, therefore, that the mutual giving of self on the part of man and woman united in marriage creates an environment of life in which children ‘develop their potentialities, become aware of their dignity and prepare to face their unique and individual destiny’” (no. 212).
When Church law describes the responsibilities of pastors, it includes the duty to support family life: “Therefore [the pastor] is to visit families, sharing especially in the cares, anxieties, and griefs of the faithful, strengthening them in the Lord, and prudently correcting them if they are failing in certain areas” (canon 529 §1). The clergy should support families so they can support society.
In our parish, I think Walking with Purpose and That Man is You are are important contributions to supporting family life. Although they are intended to generally form women and men into better disciples of Christ, there is focus on their roles as wives and mothers and husbands and fathers. If you are married, mark your calendars for Friday, February 2. We’ll have Mass at 7 PM, then a reception at 8 to celebrate marriage. I thank George Hutchinson and his team for planning this event.
What else can I do to support our families? Send me an email – jthomas@ctkhaddonfield.org.
Happy Feast of Christ the King!