October 15, 2021

Dear Parent/Guardian,

To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children.
Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servants of the others.
Pope John Paul II

In the depths of our innermost being, we are all like little children. We want our own way in all things at all times. Growing in age, grace and wisdom, we learn that being in a relationship means forgoing our own wants and desires for the sake of the other. Love is the virtue that allows us to be other-centered so that we become the “servants of others,” as Blessed Pope John Paul II notes in describing the “joyful family.”

In our role as parents guiding our children, we are called to think about decisions that we make and to help children think about decisions they make. The primary question in the family becomes, “Is this choice the best one for me and for my family?” If the reply is “yes” to both parts of the question, it is probably a life giving decision. If the response is “maybe not” to either part of the question, then the virtue of love kicks in to suggest that for either my personal good or for the communal good of the family, greater reflection or guided wisdom should be sought.

If we actively work on our decision-making in the family, we shall find that for ourselves and for our family the reward is joy. We shall come to appreciate the words of Jesus – “I have come that you may have joy, and that your joy may be complete.”