See the daily excerpt from the preparatory catechesis for the 2015 World Meeting of Families, “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.”

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.

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In its introduction, the document says its aim is to present “Catholic teaching in a way that is fresh, insightful, and accessible to contemporary Catholics and all people of good will.” The catechesis “offers a narrative beginning with our creation, soberly noting our fall and the challenges we face, but emphasizing God’s plan for our salvation. Love is our mission, and it is by loving God and one another that we will be fully alive.”

Each day in CatholicPhilly.com’s World Meeting of Families section you can reflect on the official Catholic teaching on the family presented in the catechesis, pray a special prayer together as a family or individually, and stay on top of breaking news about the events coming Sept. 22-27, 2015.

Order the catechesis for your home via Our Sunday Visitor, and visit WorldMeeting2015.org for more information on the events.

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