One of the reasons why Jesus came was to show us the way to the Father.  In this month’s first Home Lesson we are going to take a look at the example Jesus gave us to do just that.

This lesson has a particular connection to everyday family life because our home is often the first place we learn about God.  That’s certainly happening now as you do these lessons with your kids.  What happens in your home also has a particular authority – by your example, parents are pretty much always teaching about the faith.  Sometimes we teach it’s not a priority, sometimes we teach that it is. 

One of our goals is to help you tip that scale toward the priority side of things.

The thing about family life is there are endless opportunities to grow in virtue: kindness, service, love, forgiveness, self-control, and so on. Pope Saint John Paul II described the family as a school of virtue, where we get chance after chance to keep practicing.  And while we’re picking up toys, changing diapers, refereeing sibling arguments, and leading our family in Family Formation lessons, we are responding to God’s amazing love for us by practicing all sorts of virtues. Jesus taught us to love our neighbor, and your home is the first ring of your “neighborhood.”

There are So Many stories about Jesus sharing meals with people and we challenge you to follow His example by simply prioritizing a daily family meal.  I say simply, but I know that’s not always the case with crazy work and activities schedules, and it gets even more complicated when you have teenagers. But there are so many benefits to be had, it’s completely worth the effort to grow in this practice.

And while you’re eating, get to know one another better.  The Cup of Joy activity is basically conversation prompts that we’ve chosen. Some are faith based, some are silly, some speak to hopes and dreams, and some just ask for details of your day. Keep the jar on your table and choose one each meal.

God has given you to one another to work together, love and encourage each other, and the next activity is a blindfolded obstacle course that will encourage trusting those on your team.

And finally, we’re going to spend a little time talking about having some kind of sacred space in your home, and we have a piece of art to get you started. If you like it and have a place for it, it fits in an 8 x 10 frame.