LESSON for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God

Following Mary's Wise Example

My dear brothers and sisters, as we know all children take after their parents; their parents' example teaches them how to be human. The same thing goes for our spiritual life.

St Paul reminds us today that through God's grace we have all become brothers and sisters of Christ and, therefore, children of God. This is what happened at baptism. At that moment we were born again, supernaturally; God infused his divine DNA into our souls. The spiritual life consists of the gradual spread and development of that DNA, until each one of us becomes a mature, wise, and fruitful follower of Jesus Christ.

Today's Solemnity reminds us that if we have become Christ's spiritual brothers and sisters, we have also become spiritual children of Mary. She was his mother in the flesh, and she is our mother in grace. And just as we learn from our natural mothers how to be good human beings, so we learn from Mary how to become mature Christians. She is the living school where we learn every virtue that leads to happiness and holiness.

In today's Gospel, she teaches us one of the most important virtues of all: wisdom. St Luke tells us how Mary responded to the wonderful things that God was doing in and around her: "Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart."Just as Mary's womb was open to receiving God's living Word at the moment of Christ's Incarnation, so her heart was constantly open to receiving God's ongoing words and messages as he continued to speak through the events of her life.

This capacity and habit of reflecting in our heart on God's action in our lives is both a sign and a source of wisdom. And we can never become mature, courageous, and joyful followers of Christ unless we develop it.

Family is a Domestic Church

What does the Church mean when she calls the family the domestic church? The term "Domestic Church" refers to the family, the smallest body of gathered believers in Christ. Though recovered only recently, the term dates back to the first century AD. The Greek word ecclesiola referred to "little church." Our Early Church Fathers understood that the home was fertile ground for discipleship, sanctification, and holiness.

St. Augustine of Hippo. He preached that father of families, like bishops and clergy, have an ecclesial role, being responsible for the care of the souls under them. St. John Chrysostom does not use the term "domestic church" but does call the home a "little church." In a commentary on Genesis, he encourages parents to "make your home a church to put the devil to flight" and to work towards the conformation of the family to Christ. Unlike Augustine, who thought that the domestic church flows from Baptism, Chrysostom stresses the effort parents need to take to turn their homes into little churches.

Despite its use by the Church Fathers, the term fell out of use for more than a millennium. After Vatican II, it has become more common, securing a place in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states: "The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion, and for this reason it can and should be called a domestic church" (no. 2204); this term is explained in greater depth in the section of the Catechism discussing the sacrament of Matrimony (see nos. 1655-1658).

According to the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: "The family is so to speak, the domestic church." (Lumen Gentium #11) This means that it is in the context of the family that we first learn who God is and prayerfully seek His will for us.

Lumen Gentium ("Light of the Nations"), describes the family as the 'domestic Church' because it is the first place where young, baptized Christians learn about their faith. It states, "From the wedlock of Christians there comes the family, in which new citizens of human society are born, who by the grace of the Holy Spirit received in baptism are made children of God, thus perpetuating the people of God through the centuries" (Lumen Gentium, 11). You may have heard it said that families are the fundamental 'building block' of society; similarly, families provide a foundation for the continuation and strength of the Church among the lay faithful.

Lumen Gentium goes on to explain that this domestic Church has a particular role and responsibility in leading souls to heaven: "In it, parents should, by their word and example, be the first preachers of the faith to their children; they should encourage them in the vocation which is proper to each of them, fostering with special care vocation to a sacred state" (Ibid). Through this letter, the Council Fathers intended to emphasize that Christ is the Light of the Nations, and that, as the Church, we each have a responsibility to bring the Light of Christ to others. Within the domestic Church, this means that parents are to cultivate a family life that is centered on Christ.

In the following bullet points you will find some suggestions on how to build your "domestic church" through a life of prayer that can help all the members of your family.

Begin praying as a family and reading from Scripture daily, certainly before meals, but also first thing in the morning or before bed. Find a time that works for your family. Use the liturgy of the Church as a model for prayer, and try to include heartfelt unstructured prayer as well.

• Pray a Family Rosary (each member leads a decade, and everyone shares intentions).
• Have a crucifix in a prominent place in the home, and in every bedroom.
• Make the Sacraments a regular celebration – take the whole family to Confession and Mass!
• Begin family traditions based on the seasons celebrated in the liturgical calendar.
• Make your vacation a holy pilgrimage by visiting the shrines and saints of our land and the world.
• Make worshiping God a priority. Never miss Mass, even while traveling.
• Teach stewardship and charity to your children, through word and example.
• Demonstrate love for your spouse, your children, your neighbors, and the world. Remind their children that they are loved by God and have been given gifts to serve others.
• Talk freely about the presence of God in the joys and sorrows of your life.
• Welcome into your home and support priests, brothers, sisters, deacons, and lay ministers in the Church.
• Participate in the lay ministries and activities of your parish community.
• Allow your children to witness you in private prayer. Encourage your children to pray daily on their own, to listen for God's call, and if heard, to respond.

The Catholic Church recognizes that grace builds upon nature. Family is one of the most basic, yet important gifts that God has given us. Through a firm marital commitment between men and women, and through their active participation in the faith and their pledge to raise their children with a love for Christ and his Church, the domestic Church is one of the first places that young Catholics experience the light of the faith in their own lives.