In the Bible, Solomon praises God for the temple he has been honored to build, and prays. He prays that God will watch over this temple, listen to the prayers of the people who offer them, and pardon their sins.
According to the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: "The family, is so to speak, the domestic church." This means that it is in the context of the family that we first learn who God is and to prayerfully seek His will for us.
If our homes are really domestic churches, we can liken them to Solomon’s temple. Like Solomon, we have been honored to have the opportunity to build homes and have families with children. To be like him, we need to thank God for His presence in our homes and pray for those in our care. We need to be conscious of God’s presence and talk with Him throughout the day about dealing with the everyday responsibilities of running a household and raising children. And we need to include our children in recognizing God’s presence in our home!
His availability for talking about any concern at any time.
As children learn the facts of their faith and learn to talk with God about the details of their lives, they must also learn to think, to make distinctions and practical applications to their lives.
How about discussing with older children some of Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees like the one in today’s gospel reading?
Jesus and the Pharisees were all experts in the Jewish law. The Pharisees who observed the law to the letter noticed that Jesus’ disciples were not obeying the laws for purification before eating. And they called Him on it. We can discuss Jesus’ reasoning in this situation and let the children identify Jesus’ priority and make the application to their own lives.
Going back to Solomon and Vatican II, if our homes are domestic churches, are we aware of the presence of God in them?
Are we teaching our children His Word? Are they learning to communicate with Him as the day goes on?
Are they learning to think for themselves and apply the Word of God to their daily lives?
