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Most Rev. Robert J. CarlsonLetter to the Knights of Columbus on the Fourth CommandmentThe Knights of Columbus have a proud tradition of supporting the family and family life. Each year at the Council and the State level you honor families, and this is a blessing for the Church.In writing to you this year, I wanted to reflect on family life from the perspective of the Fourth Commandment, which reads, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days me be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you." (Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16) Our parents have given us the gift of life and have the responsibility of handing on to us the knowledge of God. Each of us is called to learn from our parents and grow in God's love. At the same time, parents as the first teachers of their children must spend quality time with them developing their life skills and knowledge of the faith. One important way that they can do this is through support of the Catholic Schools and Religious Education Program. The commandment speaks of children and parents, but it also includes the extended family. We must show honor, affection and gratitude to the older members of our families. This includes our concern for them in their later years, and the care we take in visiting them and being present to them. It is a tragedy that so many of our elderly are forgotten in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The Fourth Commandment also extends to the obedience and prayer we owe teachers, leaders of government, and all those who exercise their authority. I am always surprised by our failure to pray for the President of the United States and other elected officials. It is amazing to me that we are so ready to criticize but so slow to pray for our leaders. Do we really deserve good leaders and parents if we never pray for them? The Fourth Commandment is important to the Church as a man and woman united in marriage, together with their children, form a family, which is the basic unit of the parish. When a priest talks about his parish, he will often mention the number of families in the congregation. In Pope John Paul II's reflection on family life, Familiaris Consortio, he refers to it as a domestic Church with Christ at the center. It is a community of faith, hope and charity; it assumes singular importance in the Church and is evident in the New Testament. (Ephesians 5:21 and 6:4; Colossians 3:18-21; and 1 Peter 3:1-7) The family is the original cell of social life. It is the natural society in which husband and wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of life. Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security and fraternity within society. God chose to raise this up as a vocation in the Church. Bishop Robert J. Carlson - Issued in material provided during the 2006 state Knights of Columbus conference. | ||||||
