Sorry Mom

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land of the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

I wrote this reflection for The God Minute after being given this piece of scripture as a prompt, and my first question was- “Did my mom put you up to this?!” It would make her laugh out loud hearing that me, her “always challenging authority” and back-talking daughter, is reflecting on this Bible verse... ;)

When digging into this commandment, we find that it is so much more than the simple “do what your parents say” interpretation that many tend to have. The Catholic Church teaches us that in addition to honoring and respecting our parents, this commandment extends to society respecting authority, students respecting teachers, parents honorably raising their children, husbands and wives treating each other with respect, and even employees having respectable relationships with their employers. Interesting! All of a sudden, we have a lot more to consider.

The second item of importance in regards to this commandment is that it is the only commandment with a promise- “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land of the Lord your God is giving you.” Also interesting... there must be a lot more at stake with this commandment than what meets the eye... Our Mother Church goes on to teach us that through this commandment God reveals to us the status of the family as the fundamental building block of society. And that families are like mini churches inside the Church, so they are crucial to honor and respect. The Catechism states, “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.”

And just as the scripture tells us, when we honor our father and mother, when we honor that family cell as it was designed by our Heavenly Father, we will experience peace and prosperity as God intended for us. And likewise, when we do not, our society will suffer.

I’m sure honoring these previously mentioned relationships is going to look different for each and every one of you. For some it may mean caring for an elderly parent and for others it may mean setting a healthy boundary. For some it may mean opening up to your mom when she asks about your life, for others it may mean cutting your boss some slack. Spending some extra quality time with your kiddo, or telling your spouse they are doing a great job... we could all stand to hear that right?! There is no one blanket approach to satisfying this commandment... No one can tell you what you need to do to honor the members of your family- that is between you and Jesus. But scripture and Jesus make it very clear- giving honor and respect to our parents and children and spouses and authority figures is critical; our families, our Church, and our society are depending on it. 

So let’s take a second, think of the members of your family, think of your work or school and societal relationships... who is someone you could honor extra today? Who is someone you perhaps have neglected to show the proper respect owed to them as a child of God? If you have loved ones who have passed from this life, take a second to remember them and honor their memory and their role in your life with a quick prayer. And lastly let’s all together pause to honor our Divine Father, the Source of human fatherhood, and our Blessed Queen Mother, Mary, the ultimate example of familial love and respect.    

Oh and PS... I love you Mom, I’m sorry for the years of testing your patience, and I hope you have a day as amazing as you.