The Constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council promptly identified the church as “the People of God.” In that second chapter it noted the singular status of the family or household: “The family is, so to speak, the domestic church:” parents pass on the word of faith to children and encourage them to grow into their vocations in life (n. 11).
Congregation of Jesus Sister Gemma Simmonds suggested, “Perhaps this is a good time for us to reflect on how we do domestic Church, and how the great liturgical moments in the year or the great theological themes that underpin them permeate our ordinary lives.” One lenten moment for many is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Pope Francis and the Vatican have reminded that the impossibility of celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation does not prevent God from forgiving a person’s sins.
The pandemic and our prudent, courageous actions to stay home provide an opportunity to grow beyond the image of the church as a toll house: “The Church, whether institutional or domestic, frequently acts, ‘as arbiters of grace rather than its facilitators. But the Church is not a tollhouse; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems.'"
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Wiki-image Return of the Prodigal by “James Tissot | PD-US" upload
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