Obligation to Family vs Love of God QUESTION from Shirley O'Connor December 3, 2000 A friend of mine and I got into a rather lengthy discussion about who comes first; family or God?
To me, the Lord Jesus Christ has and will always take first place in my life. That is not to say that I do not love my family or am lacking in my duty towards them, but I love God more. He is my first and best Love.
He has allowed me to have what I have; He has given me graces and blessings for which I will never be able to thank Him. He has protected my family and my granddaughter many times and has always provided! He MUST be and is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. To me He deserves NO LESS than first place!
My Mother had a picture in our kitchen, the words read:
Christ is the Head of my house The Unseen Guest at every meal The Silent Listener to every conversation. Perhaps I misunderstood my friend. She feels that family should come first.
What am I missing?
Please explain and may God richly bless you for the countless hours that you spend in His work!
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, O.L.S.M. on March 4, 2001 Dear Miss O'Connor:
Please forgive the long delay in answering your question. Your question was originally posted on the Liturgy Forum but was transferred to this forum since it seemed to fit here better.
You are missing nothing. God does come first. Jesus must be sitting firmly on the throne of our lives and on the throne of our family life. We should have have even a small portion of your rearend on that throne.
We, individually, and we, as families must submit 100% to the Lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ -- to do anything other than that is to risk living a live not fully conformed to God's will best and idolatry at worse.
Now when we say God come first that does not mean that one member of the family has the right to go out and do so much church work that they neglect the family. As a married person, our FIRST VOCATION is to be husband/father and wife/mother. That vocation comes before church work for married couples.
But when God is sitting on the throne of our family-life, He will keep us in proper balance if we listen to Him.
Keep Jesus at the helm and He will steer the course of your family thorugh the rough waters of this life.
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