Šeimos kaip „namų Bažnyčios“ ugdymosi principai

Abstract

Christian marriage according to John Paul II creates natural environment, in which persons integrate into the big Church family and create the Church. The family is able to create the Church only when it turns into the so called “miniature church” or “domestic church”. The Pope Paul VI has said that various aspects of the whole Church have to be found in every Christian family. Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses the Church as the People of God, the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Family as the People of God. Spiritual relationships are more important than natural ties and are earlier and deeper than the relationship of benefit. Apostles and theologians maintain that love is most important in the spiritual life of the family. To achieve that, love has to be based not only on natural ties; it is important to help each other in the road to holiness. This stimulates the emergence of relationships of common good and common goal that relate persons. Domestic church carries out its mission by: a) integrating into the family of the Church; b) being “a small oasis of love” for all of its members; c) acting as an apostle in the world. Family as the Body of Christ. Three characteristics of the Church as the body of Christ are particularly distinct: Unity of all of its members through uniting with Christ (with the help of sacraments). Unity requires a certain sacrifice: “Like Christ, we have to give ourselves, die for our hostility every day, and share our dee­pest subsistence with others”. The family can grow only if its every member grows, if the needs of everyone, particularly of the one who lacks the most, are considered; Christ as the Head of the body . In the Christian family, which acknowledges limitations of its members, the most important place is given to the Creator. This approach helps parents both to bring up children ba­sed on the authority that is higher than theirs, to perceive mistakes, to seek perfection, and to acknowledge the importance of learning from children themselves; Domestic church as the bride of Christ. St. John of the Cross, Saint Teresa of Avila and others speak about the man’s spirit as the bride of Christ. F. J. Parrella discloses this relationship discussing the essence of the sacrament. The family is understood as a sacrament only when relationships of its members are discussed as a visible expression of relationship of Saint Trinity which is love. Love, which creates the community of the family, turns the family into bride of Christ. The family as the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Script states: “That what remains in me and me in it, gives many fruits” (Jn 15, 4, 5). Acknowledgement of human weakness and limitation, which encourages relying on the divine mercy, seeking theological virtues, seeking to ground life and activities on obedience, trust and search for God’s will, acquires particular importance in every family. All of this enhances spiritual relations within the family and between the family and the Creator. The main purpose of the community is to help one’s personality grow. Personal and communal im­provement, approaching sanctification and salvation, can take place only in natural medium. R. Leitner, A. Steinbock describe the family as an ideal “feeding medium” for developing religious behaviour and per­sonality. The family that nourishes Catholic values creates natural conditions for development of children’s spirituality and its likely improvement. Such insights enable formulating guidelines of Catholic education for the family. This is a short presentation of them: The family is naturally united for sanctification and salvation of one another. Catholic education is based on care for every family member’s dignity and freedom. Unconditional love teaches to rule, and not to be ruled by things. Children’s love, respect and obedience to parents are important. Religious education is based on general conditions: parents’ relationships, common psychological at­mosphere, attention to and time spent with every child, endeavour to recognize everyone’s personal pecu­liarities. But religious education requires much more – to integrate faith into family’s life as inseparable part is to find a personal relationship with God. Common prayer creates unity and Christian spirituality in the family. The family is liable for education of autonomic, responsible, able to choose, and seeking for truth per­sonality. Educational exchanges should occur in the family between parents and children under Christ’s autho­rity. Domestic church should be built on the foundation of peace, confidence, and joy. Religion in the family should be used as creative learning and neighbourhood evangelization, but not as an instrument. According to all those guidelines, the family should be discussed not as existing domestic church, but as the one that is turning into a domestic church.