FAMILY. . . .

Seedbed of Vocation

 What

is a Family?

 We

used to define family based on blood relationship ( mother, father, children , grandparents, aunts, uncles and relatives) , exclusive definition

 Family-

group of persons with significant relationship with one another.

INTIMACY AND LOVE IN THE FAMILY

It is in the family that one learns to truly live, to value life and health, liberty and peace, justice and truth, work, concord and respect. Pope Benedict XVI

 most important element in the personality

development of the Filipino and his day to day behavior as an adult. (Guthrie and Azores)
Provides

emotional security and support, and a feeling of belonging. (Guthrie)

According to CFC . . . . .
 In

the family we find strong support and environment for our growth. continue to value marriage highly.

 We  We

firmly believe that children are treasures given by the Lord to be loved and nourished.

We extend extraordinary care at home to our elderly.

What is Happening to the Filipino Family?

The family in the modern world, as much more than any other institution, has been beset by the many profound and rapid changes that have affected society and culture (FC, 1). The family "is the object of numerous forces that seek to destroy it or in some way to deform it" (FC, 3). this fundamental institution is experiencing a radical and widespread crisis (Novo Millennio Ineunte, January 6, 2001, no. 47).

PRESENT FAMILY SITUATIONS AND CHALLENGES

A. CHANGING ROLE STRUCTURE OF THE FAMILY; RISE OF MATERNAL DAD

Womens roles have changed at home and in the workplace. Most women now hold jobs outside the home either to supplement their husbands earnings or to be the main and sometimes, the only breadwinner in the family. There are now more women OFWs.

This has led to the phenomenon of househusbands. How are the men taking on this role? many dads are learning to do things they normally would have considered feminine, imbibing maternal values ( nurturance, presence, household chores ). . . (sexy
women in noontime shows.. . .)

When the adjustment does not go well, women become overloaded and fatigued in trying to fulfill their duties as breadwinners working outside the homes and as housewives still taking care of the household and even parenting from a distance. The widely McCannErickson Youth Study of 1992 states that the youth are increasingly parented by television. This has led to unclear expectations and pressure, and a generation gap between children and parents.

This is the challenge for working wives and mothers. . . adjustment in parental roles so that women do not become overburdened and burn out. Time management quality time for the family, esp. for the growing up children and for the needs of the husband.

2. DECLINE IN THE FAMILY VALUE SYSTEM

Absentees OFW parents, compensate their absence and lack of time spent with children with material gratifications, through modern technologies, internet, cellphone etc. This lead to consumerism, materialism and hedonism, the worship of pleasure and commercialization of the human person. o a great impact on the value system among the children . . . they have nobody to talk with, to model with especially to teach values that must be learn inside the home.

 it

is more important for the parents to communicate and express their loving feelings on a regular basis. Regularity of communication and its reliability is very important to the children because in doing so, the children will know when their parents will call and they were able to have a sense of emotional security that comes with predictability.
As an effect we have A CULTURE OF OVERCOMPENSATORY BEHAVIOR and THE GRATIFICATION-DRIVEN GENERATION.

3. SOLO PARENTING
a. Marital separation They may be separated by divorce or legal separation. The increase in number is an indication of weak foundation of the sacraments of marriage, assertion by women of their own rights because of irresponsible husbands. b. Global and Urban Migration There is now more single-parent families, motherheaded, father-headed and child-headed families, children becoming seasonal orphans.

Families have become smaller. In the past, the Typical Filipino family household would consist of extended family system ( including the grandparents, aunts, uncles and so forth ); now the families are more nuclear.

C. Illegitimacy unwed mother and her child, or a mistress and her children by a married man. Again this indicates a problem in our values system especially on the sacredness of sex within the sacrament of marriage. 4. THE TRAGEDY OF INFIDELITY y Having a mistress continues to be a status symbol for many men, pagkalalake syndrome proof, positive of virility, manhood and the ability to provide. This is also due to the increasing permissiveness and availability of contraceptive devices .

5. POWER OF MEDIA
some detrimental effects on the lifestyle of our young people, such as lack of physical exercise, exposure to aggression and violence and information overload. A consumer electronics and computer technology become more commonplace in the lifestyle of family members, the adverse impact of these services are starting to emerge ( ex. Overaddiction to the internet/games) THERE IS A

NEED TO ADVOCATE RESPONSIBLE USE OF

TECHNOLOGY to ensure the introduction of

these products to the family are handled with more care.

 young

people today are demanding more freedom and autonomy to make decisions for themselves. In these sense authority and control of the elders is gradually declining

5. OTHER SOCIAL FORCES WORKING AGAINTS THE FAMILY

A. Children witness adult lying children are natural truth-tellers until adults teach them to lie or they learn to lie because everybody is doing it. It is the family that we can count on to preserve childrens truth telling. B. Family violence or domestic violence done by the father to the mother or children To respond to these increasing number of victims, an NGO organized Bantay Bata to safeguard the children from domestic violence.

The main reason that children left their homes was the abuse, neglect and violence they experienced in their families by family members themselves. Their deepest wishes and most fervent prayers

to belong to a nurturing family that could take care of them;  wished that their parents would change their ways, so that they could return to their birth families and be taken care of.


EFFECT:

Psychological harm to the children. . . . POOR SELF WORTH/SELF CONCEPT. . . how they value themselves constitutes their self-esteem.

2. TEACHINGS OF FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO

Family, Become What You Are !



An intimate community of life and love The mission to guard, reveal and communicate love Sharing in Gods love for humanity and the love of Christ for the Church his bride.

Following the 1980 Synod of Bishops on the Family, Familiaris Consortio emphasized four general tasks for the family (FC, ibid.): a) forming a community of persons; b) serving life; c) participating in the development of society; d) sharing in the life and mission of the Church.

A. FORMING COMMUNITY, SAYING NO TO DIVORCE

The

first task of the family is "to live in fidelity the reality of communion" (FC, 18) between husband and wife, between parents and their children. Communion is founded on love. Marriage is a covenant of love between husband and wife. By such a covenant, they "are no longer two but one flesh." Thus, from the beginning, marriage is indissoluble. "What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder" (Matthew 19:6).

B. SERVING LIFE, REJECTING ANTI-LIFE MENTALITY AND POLICIES.

The

second task of the family is to serve life. Husband and wife are cooperators in the love of God the Creator. They cooperate in "transmitting by procreation the divine image from person to person Parents also serve life by educating their children. They have the primary responsibility of educating their children "in the essential values of human life" (FC, 37), The family is the first and fundamental school of social living"

"responsible parenthood" has to be exercised. Parents "should strive to beget only those children whom they can raise up in a human way. ), faithfully respecting "the inseparable connection between the unitive and procreative meanings of human sexuality" (FC, 32).

C. PARTICIPATE IN BUILDING A JUST AND HUMANE

SOCIETY

The family is the basic unit of society, its where the transmission of life and educating them into responsible citizen happens. As a family you are called upon to live a life based on the values of truth, freedom, justice and love. Imitate Christ compassion to the poor especially the sick, the elderlies and those families suffering from all kinds of poverty. In the work of transformation families are encouraged to commit themselves to work for justice and humanization of peoples with preference for the poor and marginalized.

D. SHARING IN THE LIFE AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH

Families ought to be a place where the Gospel is transmitted and from which the gospel radiates ( Evangelii Nuntiandi, 71) As members of the Church, families have the responsibility to proclaim the Word of God by word and deed: the whole church is missionary and the work of evangelization is the basic duty of the people of God. (PCP II 432) Centered on the Eucharist, the life of the family must reflect Jesus love for the people of God most especially the poor, the lowly, the oppressed and those without status in society. As the Domestic Church, the Christian family is the first community

THE FUTURE OF THE FAMILY

Pessimistic view of the family

high rates of delinquency,  separation ,  desertion, and  sex outside marriage are among the signs that the family is in danger of extinction.


Rapid social change may also widen the rift between parents and children. Young people are more exposed and more open to modern ways and ideas, while older people tend to be more conservative. . . Parents may be seen as OLD Fashioned and obsolete in their values and attitudes while children are referred to a wild, spoiled, and disobedient. In some cases this generation gap has led to serious family conflict.

greatest strength as a social institution is its ability to adapt and change in the face of social and cultural changes. The family is not dying , but rather is changing, evolving and adapting. (Gelles .

The constitutions of the Philippines mandates that The state recognizes the sanctity of Family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution (Article II, Sect. 12) and The State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation. . . (Article XV, Sect.1)

Commission of the Family . . . formulate policies and recommend measures that will help strengthen the solidarity of the family and promote its total well being. Committees on Women and Family Relations . . . initiate and monitor bills affecting women and domestic concerns. Other organizations concerned with strengthening family life . . .

y y y y y

a. Episcopal Commission on Family Life b. Commission on Marriage and Family Life Ministries c. Couples for Christ Foundation d. Marriage encounter Foundation e. Christian Family Movement

THE BEST MODEL WE FIND IS THAT OF THE HOLY FAMILY.

its sole desire was to fulfil the will of God, incarnate in the adorable presence of Jesus. On the one hand, it is a family like all others and as such is a model of conjugal love, collaboration, sacrifice, trust in Divine Providence, industriousness, solidarity, of all those values safeguarded and promoted by the family, contributing in a basic way to the formation of the fabric of every society". Benedict XVI

The family molds the personality and character of young people. In shaping and developing individuals, the family produces people with certain values, attitudes, and skills which can influence the functioning of other institutions.

it is the family which launches young people into their adult occupations, and channels their initial contacts with the outside world.

Thus many of the changes the individual initiates in the community maybe traced back to the family which brought him up.

 Indeed

family life is very precious. It is the most natural environment for the growth and development of members especially children, and therefore the desire to create a stable family environment for themselves and their children runs deep and strong among people. (Boyden, 1993) As Cooley sums it up, the family as a primary group is the nursery of human nature. No other formal institution can ever take over this function

ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN NURTURING VOCATIONS

Seedbed is the literal translation of seminary from the Latin term semen meaning seed. the Pope refers to the family as the first seminary' for the formation of young people in the ways of faith. Parents, you are less the gardener and more the steward or caretaker laboring under the guidance and direction of the Gardener Himself.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARENTS AS STEWARDS OR CARETAKER. . .

a. to care for the seedlings and their development in the faith. b. to guide these seedlings towards full maturity, helping them to know and live their vocation. c. to provide the necessary conditions for their children to seek, know, and follow the call the vocation that God has for them. Every child has a vocation! Yes, everyone has a vocation to be a disciple of Jesus Christ that takes on a personally unique manifestation in the call to marriage, consecrated life, or priesthood.

There is much labor to be done in a garden that produces beautiful fruit. How much greater the care necessary for a family to produce the fruit of a beautiful vocation? Jesus says, The harvest is abundant but the laborers

are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out

( Lk 10:2). This harvest of vocations will be plentiful insofar as families live up to their calling as rich and fertile seedbeds of vocations.
laborers for his harvest

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARENTS AS STEWARDS OR CARETAKER. . .

a. to care for the seedlings and their development in the faith. b. to guide these seedlings towards full maturity, helping them to know and live their vocation. c. to provide the necessary conditions for their children to seek, know, and follow the call the vocation that God has for them. Every child has a vocation! Yes, everyone has a vocation to be a disciple of Jesus Christ that takes on a personally unique manifestation in the call to marriage, consecrated life, or priesthood.