Transcript Chapter 6: The Fourth Commandment: Honor Your Father and

Chapter 6: The Fourth
Commandment: Honor Your Father
and Your Mother
Ms. DeMeuse
Xavier High School
Context of the Family
• Person’s physical and moral support are ideal in the
context of the family
• We are meant to be in relationship
• We naturally want to love other and seek their
good
• A couple must love each other and in turn, love
their children
• Parents act as representatives of God’s authority
over them
• For a family to be an oasis of happiness and charity,
each member must be rooted in Christ
Family Focus
•
•
•
•
Pray the family Rosary
Take time to restore family life
Family meals
A healthy family contributes good citizens to
society
Why do we respect our parents?
• We are given life by our parents
• We can never repay our parents for what they
have done for us
• Sirach 3:1-16
Role of Parents
• 1) Fairness and understanding
•
•
•
•
Each person is a child of God
Parents have a genuine concern to help their children
All children want a closeness and trust with their parents
Parents should give children freedom and teach responsibility
• 2) Discipline
• Age of reason is 7 years old
• A child cannot grow up lazy or insensitive
• “For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant;
later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have
been trained by it.” (Heb 12:5-11)
• 3) Instruction in the Christian Faith
• Train children in a lifestyle
• Reception of sacraments, prayer
Duties of Children to their Parents
• “Children, obey your parents in everything, for
this pleases the Lord” (Col 3:20)
• Respect derives from gratitude
• Children should respect their teachers whom
their parents have entrusted them
• Even when a parent does not act in an
honorable way, his or her position as a parent
requires respect
Respect of Children
• Extended family
• It is an opportunity to take care of a family
member
• A healthy spousal relationship encourages
respect from the children
• The spousal love has a direct bearing on their
children’s ability to obey and honor their
parents
Civil Obligations
• Authority comes from God
• Leaders must be obeyed in everything that is
not immoral
• To ensure harmonious relationships, there is
an established authority
Guidelines for Citizen’s Duty toward
Civil Authority
•
•
•
•
•
•
Authority has a divine origin
Christians must obey authority
Christians must use moral discretion
Disregard for just civil law warrants reprimand
Authority may impose taxes
Authority deserves respect
• * when directives are contrary to the moral order,
a citizen has the obligation not to follow it
Governmental Obligations to Citizens
• The nature of civil authority is not power, but
service
• It is obligated to respect the fundamental
rights of the human person
• Authority is necessary for the preservation
and advancement of the common good of all
• Principle of subsidiarity = the higher authority
must not interfere with the lower authority
without necessity (EX: state gov’t vs. parents)
Discussion
• “The success of all societies is based on the
success of the family.”