Make me a channel of your Peace: Peace in the family reflects to the peace in the world

Peace in the family is the peace in the world

There is joy in God's presence. There is peace in God's presence. There is unity in God's presence. There is love in God's presence. There are many natural sanctuaries of God in this world, which contain the resonance, radiance, and reflection of God's presence in this world. Among them, the supreme masterpiece of God's creation is family. The almighty God is the founder, creator, provider, and protector of the family.
God created the first family and blessed them to live in the Garden Eden (Genesis chapter 1). The family is the first sacrament established by God, which is holy that which belongs to the pre-sinful status of man and woman. All other sacraments came in to service to save and redeem the family after the fall of the family. The whole creation finds its purpose in the family. The family was guided by the love and embrace of God. In addition, the Lord visited the family regularly to see to their wellbeing (Genesis chapter 2). By this, we can know that the presence of God was present in origination and sustaining family. In this post modern and post technology world, do we acknowledge the presence of God in the family? Do we understand God's presence is essential to protect and sustain the family? Do we know family is a sanctuary of God? Do we know that the format of marriage consist not just about two people ( man and woman) agreement but also include the third person as God's presence which is essential?

The love, union, understanding, unity, steadfastness, perseverance, faithfulness, and sacrifices, which are essentials for a happy family, come from God's mercy and His grace. When I see the families, I thank God, because they are the image and reflection of God's love. When I see babies and children, I thank God for the sacred love behind the creation of each one of them. When I see older couples, I thank God for their faithfulness, steadfastness, and long lasting love in family.

Family is a sanctuary of God and it has every potential to be a sacred sanctuary if the man and woman acknowledge God's presence in their family. In my early childhood, I was fortunate to have a rich catechism from the catholic nun sisters. I remember vividly many stories, which inspired me then. One of them explains the importance of placing family under God's protection.
The story goes like this. A man built a new house and invited all his friends including Jesus Christ to inaugurate the house. The house was filled with relatives and friends, Jesus also arrived in time, and the function was in progress with happiness and joy. In the middle of that joyful function, Devil was trying to get inside the house. The man of the house got to the door and was struggling and wrestling with devil to push him out of the door, as he was an uninvited guest. The head of the house succeeded after a heavy fight and with many bruises. He was tired and got back to the function and he saw Jesus was enjoying the party with no concern to his struggle with the devil. The head of the house got so annoyed and went near Jesus and said, "Lord don't you know I was fighting with Devil and I had to struggle all along to keep Him away. Why didn't you help me?" Jesus replied, “Son I am a guest to your house. You invited me like a guest and I thought you have invited everybody who comes to your door. The house is yours and the authority to manage the household is yours, I am just a guest, and I am doing just my invited role. The man realized his weakness and inadequacies to protect the house and said to Jesus, Lord from now on you are in charge of my house, and I place myself and my household under your protection."

After some time the devil gathered many of his friends and marched towards the house. While they were very far, the devil sighted the heavenly forces all around the house. Now the house was full of radiant lights and protected by heavenly angels around the house, because Jesus was in charge of the house. The devil saw this heavenly protection from far and he never attempted to break in. This is a powerful story, which I heard in my childhood, it stuck with my heart and I used to tell this story for children in confirmation and first communion classes in India as a catechism teacher. The moral of the story is this, God is the protector of the family, the family, which has acknowledged God’s presence in their midst, will have joy, faith, hope, peace, and unity.

Family is the basic unit of any society. The worldly view of the family is that family is a human invention or a biological event. Some others in the society have gone to the extreme of attempting to alter the format and functions of the family in the society. Conflicted ideas and deviant notions have penetrated the society of our times about the marriage and family. The enemy has tried and continues to try in assigning untoward attention to the deviant ideas about marriage ever since the family was created. Particularly, in our times societal highlights and attraction to such deviant ideas about marriage is highly prevalent and the humans have come to accept the abnormal and aberrant behaviors as norm, at the cost of scandalizing the youth and children of our times. It makes me to think asking questions: Are we accountable for our times? How are we responsible in guiding the youth and the future generations to come? Are we not answerable for all that, we silently accept and let go?

The time we live is well known for individualism and protection of individual rights that have propagated a selfish idea of life as a side effect. In this way of life, where individual may do anything in the name of individual right and their actions are romanticized in the media and society, which may be aberrant and deviant from the nature. Moreover, the norms have become abnormal and aberrations have become normal. When such standards are highlighted or elevated to the norm of status in a society, where youth and children are witnessed with the deviant ideas and culture and norms, it is no more an individual right but the individual right defense corrupting the youth and the public. In this road, we as a society have not done justice to the sanctity of marriage and the family.

Disturbing the divine format and functions of the family disrupts the peace in the family in return; it will disrupt the world peace, as family is the basic unit of the world. The devil’s tactics are similar in nature and it always targeted the family peace from Garden of Eden until to day. Where ever there is disturbance to the sanctity of marriage and family there resides the enemy tactics. Discerning this in the worldly actions is an essential component to maintain peace in the family. The battle of restoring peace and maintaining peace is a spiritual warfare, which requires prayers and intercession to the mercy of God.

Let us pray for all the devout family and pray for all the families in the world. Immersion of family in to the mercy of God is imperative and even urgent in these times. In the world, if there is something that is dear to the heart of the heavenly Father, that is family. In this whole world if there is something in which the heavenly Father takes delight in it, that is family. In the whole universe, if there is something that could bring smile in God's face, that is family. In the whole creation, if there is something, that God takes pride is Family.
In the whole process of salvation, if there is something that could console the sacred heart of Jesus, the heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit, it is the devoted Family. God so loved the family that He created the family as His masterpiece of creation. Above all, if we read Genesis chapters 1 -3, we could see and experience the love of Father God for the Family. We can understand His love in the manner He created all the creations before creating the Family, and He created them at the last as a welcomed guest to the world, as the loving children of his own. In fact, He created everything, tested them, and found them good before even creating the family in the world. We can visualize Father's care and love in these actions.

When I reflect upon the sanctity of family, I am struck with awe repeatedly to discover Father's infinite love for the Family. While I contemplate the family concept and divine relationship residing within family, I am moved in discovering the presence of Holy Trinity within each family. I also found that God would do anything to provide and protect a single family. The family has high reverence in God's sight; in fact, family has the highest priority in God's agenda. He attends with urgency in the matters of families. It is so amazing, if one realizes how God provides and protects the families in this world. Father God created everything and made all the provisions for the family in this world. The more the families are the more the provisions will be. So if we are praying for the prosperity of the world, let us foster families, the prosperity will take care of it self.

By this I infer, the Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit is present in and among the families in the natural realm, if one is willing to explore their presence among their own family, they can find the presence of Trinity easily and vividly. Hereby, I ask the world, not to play with family structure, stop corrupting the families, keep your hands off from the family, back off from disturbing the families, do not alter the functions of the family, because the author, provider, promoter, protector of the family is God Himself. If anyone become a scandal for a single family has to answer to God directly, and He will not let any body hurt the devout family. The family is the first sacrament created and blessed by God Himself. God Himself became man, died, resurrected, and present in the world through Holy Spirit to redeem families. So let us immerse all the families of the world in the mercy of God.

Immersion of families into the mercy of God is so urgent, because from the beginning family has been the target of devils deceptions. Surrendering families to the sacred heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary is the protective faith filled actions a devout family could do. It is needless to mention that all the corruptions prevail in this world today particularly in our times focused in derailing family structure, functions, and purposes in this world. Let us pray for the families with one voice and heart that we could stand by the heavenly Father's heart, and we could console Jesus heart. Let us also pray for forgiveness upon all our thoughts, actions, and decisions, against the peace, prosperity, and unity in our family and in all the families in the world.

Children are the fruits of the family and they are gifts from God. In our days, we are silent witnesses in letting the world rob children peace. We have stolen the rights of the unborn children to live from the very peaceful womb of the mother in the name of individual rights, where we are the witness of disturbing individual rights of the unborn. In doing so we have preferred the rights of the grown ups over the rights of the unborn who could not defend themselves. Here we as human violate the peace of the universe in exercising individual rights, where the unborn blood cries at the sanctuary of God against the human actions. Let us pray for our children and all the children in the world. Let us immerse the children in the mercy of God.
One hot summer month, when Jesus was resting near a shady tree after whole day travel, many mothers brought their children to Jesus to get them blessed. Disciples did not like to see Jesus is being disturbed, so they were trying to send them away quietly. Jesus asked them not to hinder children from coming to Him and He blessed them with great love. The act of bringing children near Jesus lies with parents, because parents are the first faith teachers. Parents also have the responsibility to nurture and protect children. While they struggle hard and do their best to nurture children in fulfilling their needs of the world, the parents also have responsibility to provide for spiritual needs of the children. In our catholic church, we bring the child to the church very early and baptize them as early as possible, which is a great way to bring the child near God. Next, we parents try our level best to portray catholic Christian values to the children, which is our responsibility as well.

In this world, one can select, choose, or buy anything, but one cannot determine his parents before birth, so being a parent is a God given gift and responsibility. There is something in us that God has installed and found them good and enabled us to be parents, in guiding our children, who are entrusted by God in our hands. Bringing children near God's presence and role modeling in faith are the responsibility of parents and elders in a community.

Another side of the coin in protecting children peace is the family responsibilities of protecting children from the evil and dangers. We immunize the children against the communicable diseases when they are babies, which will protect them from contracting life-endangering diseases. In the same way, children have to be protected against devils tactics. The immunizations against the evil tactics are sacraments. Sacraments bring the children closer to God and protects them. Another important spiritual immunization is parents’ prayers for children. Parents’ prayers for the children are very powerful, just because the parents have the heart, which always desires to give the best to their children all the time. Therefore, their prayer has compassion, passion, desire, sacrifice, and love for the children. Parents’ prayers are genuine and powerful. In the New Testament, Jesus never refused the prayers of fathers, mothers, and foster parents. He performed many miracles at the request of parents. So let us pray for our children and all the children in the world. Particularly, for the children who have no one to pray for them. Let us also remember children those who live in institutions, orphanages, and foster homes.

There is an urgent issue related to the peace of the children require our attention in prayer is prayer against abortions. Children belong to God and they are gift from God. Neither the father nor the mother owns the child's life. No one has the authority to decide about the child's eligibility to live or die. All lives belong only to God. So let us pray to protect children from abortions. let us also pray for the children who are abused by parents and others, that the Lord will heal them and protect them. Worldwide children are forced to work in child labor, let us pray that children will have opportunity to have their childhood to learn, play, and grow.

Another evil that affects the peace of the family and children all over the world, that could keep away children from God's love, above all scandal the children, is divorce in the families. Divorce is an evil not just affect the single family but also affect the children and the community. Many do not realize how much stress and pain they inflict upon themselves and their children, when they try to go on their separate ways, in the name of individual rights or human rights or what ever may be the color they paint as the reason. If parents realize how much insecurity they cause in children hearts and that affect their life forever, they might reconsider their decisions of divorce.
As Franciscans, to bring peace to the families, we are called to pray very diligently against these divisions in the families. Divorce is a curse that could affect the family line generation to generations, because children tend to repeat what they witness in their parents. So let us pray fervently to prevent this evil, so that we could protect children lives and bring them to the love of God. Let us remember our Lords words let no man separate what God has united. Having said that, I also would like to emphasize that marriage is not a rose bed, even if it is a rose bed, roses have thorns too. Couples are designed to complement each other in nature in God's will, so no one can find an exact agreement of themselves or their preferences in the spouse, which is not meant to be in creation and purpose. In addition, if they find such a replication of one, it may be that someone is sacrificing their right and voice in the family or in compromising the role.
There are differences among couples for the purpose, which serve to protect the family structure and function, like thorns in the roses. Accepting and acknowledging the differences in the name of Lord will open the door to peace in the family. Wherever one feel the conflicts or differences, if that person surrenders the situation to the sacred heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, there will be divine peace among them. Let Jesus mercy strengthen and upheaval the weaknesses. Let us consider giving God a chance before heading to the differences, because marriage is not just between man and a woman, but also inclusive of Holy Spirit. You are not alone when you are suffering; God is in that relationship too. Let His strength strengthen our families in our weaknesses. Let us also pray for all the families and parents for God's blessings upon them.
While I write this, I think of my parents and thank God for them. It is because of them I was able to have education and I had my simple yet a lovely childhood, especially I salute my mother's diligent love and sacrifices, which became my inspiration of my lifetime. I have crossed three fourth of my life span (As per Indian women life expectancy), but I am yet to match or to reach her wisdom, hard work, and vision orientation, given her simple opportunities and simple environment. Parents make a permanent impression on their children for life, whether we like to acknowledge or not, let it be a good one. That provides an opportunity to make a positive peaceful impact in the world. Let there be peace in our homes.