Page 71 - thesis_biby_tharayil

61
39
way”. The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) affirms this in
the following words: “The Christian family is first and foremost a
community of faith.... Such a family is also the guardian and nursery of
human and Christian values since it is in the family that the values of
genuine love, generosity, faithfulness, respect for one’s neighbour and
40
defence of life are enshrined and communicated from parents to children”.
From the perspective of Christian faith, prayer is the most essential
element, testifying to the faith of the parents. Pope John Paul II affirmed it
by saying: “An important purpose of the prayer of the Domestic Church is
to serve as the natural introduction for the children to the liturgical prayer of
41
the whole church, both in the sense of family and social life”. In the
formation of faith, which is spiritual formation, family prayer is essential for
42
holiness of life. Thus family prayer is a vital way of introducing children
into the liturgy of the Church.

Southist family customs give much importance to the faith formation
of the children and family prayer. All the ceremonies start with prayer and a
hymn of invoking the presence of the Christ the light of the world. These are
also prayers and hymns containing theological and Biblical truths.

39
JOHN PAUL II, “Holy Father’s Message To The Twelfth General Assembly”, in Familia
Et Vita, 3/95, 1995, p.11.
40
CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE OF INDIA, CBCI Communication to the Synod of
Bishops 1980 on its theme “The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World”,
Ranchi, 17-25 October, 1979, in DONALD H. R. DE SOUZA (ed.), First Statements of the
General Body Meetings of the Catholic Bishop Conference of India 1960-2002, New Delhi,
2002, p. 63.
41 Familiaris Consortio, no. 61.
42
Cf. Gaudium et Spes, no.48.

www.knanayology.org