Dysfunction breeds dysfunction. Violence breeds violence. Immaturity breeds immaturity. How can we break the cycle? Conversion of heart!...

How many problems in our society would be solved if we practiced the Ten Commandments. How many more would be solved if we practiced Christianity. And most would be solved if our families were what they should be.

It has become socially acceptable to be irresponsible. Social laws have removed from the individual any moral sense of duty or responsibility. Someone will always give us a soft landing when we jump off the cliff.

Christian compassion is one thing; but a constant "taking care" of every situation makes victims of every person. Why should we ever try to "grow up and act maturely" if someone will always catch our fall and make sure that we suffer no consequences for our actions?

It would seem that the first duty of all of us is to restore the concept that a person is responsible for his actions. This means that we suffer the consequences. To the extent that our laws and social practices remove personal responsibility for ones actions, to that extent they become evil. Well-meaning laws can have very bad consequences if they cause irresponsibility. Our first responsibility is toward God. All persons are bound by the Ten Commandments. All persons are bound to respect the life and property of others.

We often forget that the Ten Commandments obligate us to reverence our sexuality. God commands that we use our sexual expression only in the context of monogamous marriage. To indulge in casual or even recreational sex is always seriously sinful. It denigrates the personality. It makes pleasure the only goal in life.

It divorces sex from love and from child-bearing, the two purposes for which God created sex! Rather than emphasize responsibility in sex, our society emphasizes so-called "safety". It tells us to go ahead and enjoy whatever sexual pleasure we want, but be sure to prevent the consequences (of a child and also of sexually transmitted diseases!). The responsible practice of sex within monogamous marriage would eliminate "bad consequences". We need to teach personal responsibility in this area.

Responsibility extends to marriage itself. It is sinful to practice artificial contraception, but is is also sinful to bring into this world children for whom they cannot care. It goes without saying that the murder of the unborn child is the worst sin of all. Parents in our times may well be obliged to learn methods of Natural Family Planning....

To blame our difficulties on someone else is one of the effects of original sin. But the Lord calls us to be responsible to him, to ourselves, and to each other. We may be wounded by original sin, but it is no excuse. Where there is the wound, there is the healing balm of God's all powerful grace.

...Parents must never abdicate their responsibility. Children will play the game of "Everyone else is doing it". Parents must not give in. They are, after all, responsible to God for the rearing of their children.

Parents have the duty of acting responsibly as parents...Children must reverence the authority of parents. They are bound to obey in everything that is not sinful....We educate people for every calling except parenthood! So if parents make a few mistakes, children must be understanding. Children are responsible for caring for their parents when parents cannot take care of themselves. The reading tell us that kindness to parents will not be forgotten by the Lord.

...Paul states that obedience to parents is God's way. Finally, he urges that parents not nag their children.

Nagging is an indication of a lack of discipline. If parents have real discipline, they will not need to shout or scream at the children. They will not need to nag. Real discipline means that parents have impressed their children with responsibility, and the children know the automatic consequences of being irresponsible. Nagging occurs when there are no consequences to irresponsible behavior. If sanctions are known and automatic, there is no need to raise one's voice.

The gospel is the story of the Holy Family going to Egypt and returning. Joseph is pictured as the strong defender and provider for the family. Mary is the heart of the family. Luke adds something which Matthew does not have; Luke says that Jesus was obedient to his parents, and that he grew in wisdom, grace, and knowledge.

Today's celebration is more of a moral teaching than the celebration of a mystery. The basic moral teaching must be responsibility. If each member of a family acts responsibly, according to his role, there will be joy and harmony. The greatest model of all is the Holy Family Jesus, Mary and Joseph.