Bishop's Interview: May the love found in our ‘domestic church’ transform our society

Editor: Bishop, on the feast of the Holy Family at the end of December the diocese will commence the Year of the Domestic Church. What is the domestic church and why are we focusing on it?
Bishop Vásquez: On Dec. 27, I will proclaim the Diocese of Austin will begin the Year of the Domestic Church, which we will celebrate through the end of 2021. The year with its very specific focus on the family is important for our day and time. That term domestic church has been around for centuries, and we know our church fathers once called the family “the little church.” In the beginning of Christianity, there were no official buildings dedicated for worship, so Christians gathered in their homes to pray and to celebrate the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.
The family is the basic unit or building block of the society. As St. John Paul II said, “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” When families are strong, faith-filled and loving, then society is transformed into a just and caring community.
During this time of COVID-19 families are spending more time together as parents are working from home, children are attending school virtually and extracurricular activities are somewhat curtailed. This is good in many ways, but it also may bring about a lot of stress on parents and children. Thus, we as a diocese want to support the domestic church and help our families live their Catholic faith.

Editor: What do you want the people of the Diocese of Austin to know about the domestic church?
Bishop Vásquez: I want people to realize the domestic church is a blessing. Each of us belongs to a family. The family is so important that Jesus Christ chose to become part of the human family. Of course, his situation was special as he was conceived in Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Every Christmas we celebrate the mystery of how Jesus chose to become human and was born. The only perfect family is the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Jesus learned things in a human family: how to speak, how to walk, how to eat and how to pray. He learned what other Jewish boys and young men would have learned. Similarly, we too are formed in our families. The family is a sacred, holy place. Though our families are not perfect, they are sacred because families are where God is encountered. If families are strong in faith, our parishes and our church will be strong in faith.

Editor: How do we live out the call to be a domestic church in this day and age?
Bishop Vásquez: It is essential, first of all, that everyone understands who they are in a family, as mother and father and children. The relationship and the love between the father and the mother are critical. In the sacrament of matrimony, they have given themselves completely and totally to each other. Not just bodily, but also spiritually, they have devoted themselves to one another.
Parents have the responsibility to instruct their children in the Catholic faith. Parents must spend time with their children helping them learn to pray, bringing them to Mass and teaching them about their faith. I encourage parents to make prayer a daily practice in their home: pray before meals, pray before bedtime or pray together before everyone heads out the door each morning. Celebrating Mass and going to confession together as a family are important. I remember my dad and mom piling us into the car and driving to church so that we could all line up and go to confession. Families can also practice charity together as they gather clothes for the needy or distribute food to the homeless. All of these practices may seem very simple, but they are important to strengthening the domestic church.

Editor: What about those who are single?
Bishop Vásquez: Yes, we must also remember the great number of single persons who live alone and/or have no family near them. Maybe their parents are now deceased, and they are distanced from other relatives. Maybe their spouse has died and they have no children. This is where those of us within a family can reach out and share the joy of the family with them. I encourage families who have neighbors or friends who live alone to regularly invite them to dinner, Mass or other celebrations. If you know a single person, invite them to go to confession or to spend time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament or to a service event with you and your family. This adoptive family, if you will, is an important element so that no one is left alone.
Our parishes are composed of families. This is why we call our parishes a family of families. This is why we count families to determine the size of our parishes. The parish should be a family where everyone, young and old, single and married, is welcomed.

Editor: How does the domestic church interact with the society as a whole?
Bishop Vásquez: As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: “The family is the original cell of social life. It is the natural society in which husband and wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of life. Authority, stability and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society.”
The love expressed between husbands and wives reflects the love of God, and the love expressed between parents and children also reflects the love of God. This love is what transforms society. The family is where love, compassion and faithfulness are learned, and those lessons are then taken out into the world and shared with others.

Editor: What is your prayer for the year of the domestic church?
Bishop Vásquez: Loving God and Father, bless all families especially those who are struggling and suffering. May individuals find comfort and love in their family. May all families reflect the love of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and live united in respect and love. We ask all these good things through Christ Our Lord. Amen.