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family, as ordinary as they may be, can become an encounter with God. 129
And for this reason, every member of the family has the mission to dedicate
quality time at home: “the best time for the wife, for the husband and for the
children”. The most important task every member of the family has is to
intensify on a daily basis the living of family life so that love bears its
fruits. 130

Family life is the priority. Parents model this priority for their
children. Moreover, from what the Holy Father has said, it is clear that
quality time does not necessarily mean spending many hours at home.
Rather, it is fostering love to the utmost of one’s ability, even at the cost of
sacrifice. The husband and wife are present to one another, and this quality
presence teaches their children an invaluable life lesson that the family is
the Domestic Church and the Sanctuary of Life.

Conclusion
This chapter studied the mission of the Christian family in the
Archdiocese of Kottayam, in the general context of India. The process was
analyzing family customs in the Archdiocese of Kottayam and the missions
and responsibilities that they imply.

It is interesting to note the conformity between these implied
responsibilities in the family traditions and the teachings of the Catholic
Church, particularly of Pope John Paul II, on the family as Sanctuary of
Life. These customs, transmitted through the centuries, are the profound
expressions of the faith and morality of a community. They express the
same missions and responsibilities of spouses, parents, children and every
other member of the family, as envisaged by the magisterium of the Church
- the content is the same, but the expression is unique. These missions are
called “Knānāya responsibilities”.

Calling them “Knānāya responsibilities” does not add anything
“new” or remove anything “from” the universal mission of the Christian
family as a Sanctuary of Life. But since these universal missions of
Christian family are expressed in a unique manner in these traditions, their
particular mode of expression is referred to as “Knānāya responsibilities”.

129
Cf. JOHN PAUL II, “Homily During Holy Mass for Families in Córdoba, Argentina”,
no. 6, 8 April, 1987. Accessed 26 January, 2014.
<http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/1987/index.htm>
130 Cf. Ibid., no.6. Cf. MANUEL J. BELARMINO, JR., The Duties Between Spouses: A
Theological Approach, Pontificium Athenaeum Santae Crucis, Romae, 1997, p. 150.

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