77. Vatican II called the family a “domestic church,” an Ecclesia domestica:

The family is, so to speak, the domestic church. 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.

The vocational nature of family life requires living with attentiveness. “Every human life is called to some task by God,” but, like building a marriage, discerning a vocation does not “come from the air.” The habits of discernment can be taught and cultivated. It is a mother’s and a father’s responsibility to be with children at home and in church and pray together regularly. They will not learn how to do it if they are not taught. Parents can seek help from godparents, grandparents, teachers, clergy, and religious to help fulfill their responsibilities and so that they too can grow and learn about prayer. Pope Francis, a Jesuit with years of formation in the art of discernment, describes how prayer and vocational awareness go together: “It is important to have a daily relationship with [God], to listen to him in silence before the Tabernacle and deep within ourselves, to speak with him, to draw near to the sacraments. Having this familiar relationship with the Lord is like keeping the window of our lives open so that he can make us hear his voice and hear what he wants us to do.