Day 286: The Family and Society

The family should live in such a way that its members learn to care and take responsibility for the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped, and the poor. There are many families who are at times incapable of providing this help. It devolves then on other persons, other families, and, in a subsidiary way, society to provide for their needs: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (Jas 1:27). CCC 2208

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses the family and society. The former is "the original cell of social life," wherein we "learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom" (CCC 2207). It is also our first step into society and can be rightly called the "building blocks" upon which society is built. Therefore, society has a duty to "support and strengthen marriage and the family" (CCC 2210). 

The Catechism Compendium summarizes this duty of society towards families:

Society, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity, has the duty to support and strengthen marriage and the family. Public authority must respect, protect, and foster the true nature of marriage and the family, public morality, the rights of parents, and domestic prosperity. (#458)

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some good commentary on this:

A steady family environment is crucial for personal growth. When you have a good, solid home, you have a foundation for avoiding enslavement and being safe. Families play a significant role in teaching right and wrong and faith. Living in a family prepares us to live the larger community... Communities are composed of persons. And those persons have immortal souls. They will live forever, reunited with their bodies someday, either in glory or in damnation. Treating people with dignity is vital for individuals and societies alike. They are human beings. They have a mom and dad. They have been willed into existence by God. (p. 88) 

Day 285: The Nature of Family

The conjugal community is established upon the consent of the spouses. Marriage and the family are ordered to the good of the spouses and to the procreation and education of children. the love of the spouses and the begetting of children create among members of the same family personal relationships and primordial responsibilities. CCC 2201

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses the nature of the family in God's plan. Everyone came from two parents, who "became one flesh" (Gen 2:24) in bringing us into this world (Ps 127:3). Our parents may or may not be good ones, yet we are still called to honor them (Ex 20:12). We may or may not have siblings, but if we do should treat them with brotherly affection and honor (Rom 12:10). Family. The most important thing is that family is supposed to help each other in following Christ, and the way we treat each other should match this (Jas 1:19). Difficult as that can be at times.

The Catechism Compendium gives a summary of the nature of the family in God's plan:

A man and a woman united in marriage form a family together with their children. God instituted the family and endowed it with its fundamental constitution. Marriage and the family are ordered to the good of the spouses and to the procreation and education of children. Members of the same family establish among themselves personal relationships and primary responsibilities. In Christ, the family becomes the domestic church because it is a community of faith, of hope, and of charity. (#456)

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some good commentary on this:

Everyone in a family, including parents and children, are "equal in dignity," reflecting the value of all individuals created in God's image (CCC 2203)... Families have imperfections, but they are still called within the Church to witness to the gospel. In the Church, the family is meant to point toward the Trinity. Families contribute to the growth of the Church primarily through friendships and family connections. Families and friendships play an important role in evangelizing, highlighting the importance of self-sacrificial relationships. (p. 86) 

Finally, Cardinal Burke has a great video on the family as a little church:

Day 284: The Fourth Commandment

The fourth commandment opens the second table of the Decalogue. It shows us the order of charity. God has willed that, after him, we should honor our parents to whom we owe life and who have handed on to us the knowledge of God. We are obliged to honor and respect all those whom God, for our good, has vested with his authority. CCC 2197

Today's reading from the Catechism is brief, consisting of just four paragraphs that introduce the Fourth Commandment (Ex 20:12). Honoring those who gave us life and cared for us is not only about respect, but also about caring for them in return should the need arise. The respect we show them also extends to "all those whom God, for our good, has vested with his authority". Christ Himself had a mother, the Blessed Theotokos Mary, and what do we see in relation to this commandment? An example for us of honoring our parents: He "was obedient to them" (Lk 2:51).

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some good commentary on this:

Every person's first and most fundamental relationship exists within the context of the family. Each one of us has a dysfunctional heart. None of us have perfect parents. None of us are perfect. So virtually every relationship that we touch is going to be dysfunctional. God gave this commandment knowing that people would receive it while in the midst of dysfunctional families and a broken world... We need to ask God for the grace of discernment, the grace of being able to know what to do. It is hard to live in this world of brokenness. That is why we need each other, and we need God's grace. (p. 84)

Finally, Fr. Mike Schmitz has a great video on this:

Day 283: The Day of Rest

On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. Family needs or important social services can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health. CCC 2185

Today's reading is short, consisting of a few paragraphs on honoring the Day of Rest (Sunday), just as the Lord did after finishing Creation (Gen 2:2), and also an In Brief reviewing what has been covered on the Third Commandment. On this day, we are to worship Our Lord at Mass and "refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to" Him, as quoted above. Yes, we should do ordinary tasks (laundry, cooking, etc.), but as much as possible, we should dedicate time to the Lord, our families, and charitable works for our neighbors. To use modern cultural language, Sunday is a "mental health day" that God has given us, a day to "recharge the batteries" after a long week of work and stress.

The Catechism Compendium summarizes why it is important for the civil recognition of Sunday as a feast day:

It is important so that all might be given the real possibility of enjoying sufficient rest and leisure to take care of their religious, familial, cultural, and social lives. It is important also to have an opportune time for meditation, for reflection, for silence, for study, and a time to dedicate to good works, particularly for the sick and for the elderly. (#454)

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some good commentary on this:

The Third Commandment convicts us with its obligation to enter into worship, specifically attending Mass. It is especially countercultural because it challenges our prevalent culture of nonstop work and busyness. Some of us even made work and activity an idol... Our contemporary world often neglects family time, making Sundays even more essential... The goal is not to avoid work so much as to enter into rest... We should be aware of those who are not able to stop working due to hardships. Everyone who can rest should, but we should not judge those who must work. (p. 82)

Finally, I wanted to include this great video by Fr. Mike Schmitz, which I thought was good at explaining why Jews and Christians have different Sabbath Days: 

Day 282: The Sunday Obligation

Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. the faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together they testify to God's holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. CCC 2182

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses our Sunday obligation. It is the Lord's Day, the day of Christ's resurrection. If the Eucharist is truly "the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice," then it is incumbent upon us to participate in the Mass or Divine Liturgy.

The Catechism Compendium summarizes how we can  keep Sunday holy:

Christians keep Sunday and other days of obligation holy by participating in the Eucharist of the Lord and by refraining from those activities which impede the worship of God and disturb the joy proper to the day of the Lord or the necessary relaxation of mind and body. Activities are allowed on the Sabbath which are bound up with family needs or with important social service, provided that they do not lead to habits prejudicial to the holiness of Sunday, to family life, and to health. (#453)

The Catechism Companion Vol III makes a good point:

At one point, it was illegal to go to Mass. Christians knew they would be arrested and martyred by the Romans if they attended. But they still did, saying, "We cannot live without the Mass." The Mass is what makes us Christians. This is what the Lord has asked of all of us. If we are going to stand up and say, "I'm Catholic," we have to be Catholic all the way. (p. 80) 

Finally, Fr. Mike Schmitz has a great video on this:

Day 281: Keep Holy the Lord's Day

The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship "as a sign of his universal beneficence to all." Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people. CCC 2176

Today's reading from the Catechism begins a look at the Third Commandment, on keeping the Sabbath Day holy (Ex 20:8-10; Deut 5:12-15). God rested on the Sabbath and hallowed this day for His chosen people after freeing them from bondage (Ex 20:11). In fulfilling the Sabbath and rising on the 8th Day, the Lord's Day is on Sunday. It is right that we take a day to rest from making money and labor to honor and worship God. 

The Catechism Compendium summarizes for what reason the Sabbath has been changed to Sunday for Christians:

The reason is because Sunday is the day of the Resurrection of Christ. As “the first day of the week” (Mk 16:2), it recalls the first creation; and as the “eighth day”, which follows the sabbath, it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by the Resurrection of Christ. Thus, it has become for Christians the first of all days and of all feasts. It is the day of the Lord in which he, with his Passover, fulfilled the spiritual truth of the Jewish Sabbath and proclaimed man’s eternal rest in God. (#452)

Fr. Mike Schmitz has a good video on why we need to rest on Sundays: 

Day 280: The Christian Name

God calls each one by name [Isa 43:1; Jn 10:3]. Everyone's name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it. CCC 2158

Today's reading is short, focused on our Christian name given at Baptism and an In Brief summarizing what has been covered on the Second Commandment over the past couple of days. 

The Catechism Compendium summarizes the meaning of the Christian name received at Baptism:

The name is important because God knows each of us by name, that is, in our uniqueness as persons. In Baptism, a Christian receives their own name in the Church. It should preferably be the name of a saint who might offer the baptized a model of sanctity and an assurance of his or her intercession before God. (#264)

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some good commentary on this:

Baptism is a sacred sacrament that uses the name of the Holy Trinity, marking a person's initiation into the Christian Faith... We use the Sign of the Cross to seek God's presence and ask him to bear witness to our actions, blessing what we are doing... The act of making a morning offering sanctifies the day for God's honor and sets a holy tone for daily activities. We bear the name of Christ and bring the power of the Holy Spirit into our work and our family. (p. 76)