Thursday, August 12, 2004

Let Charity Begin at Home

My children: let charity begin at home; be shepherds of the flock that I have placed in your homes. You are fathers of the family, the shepherds of the home; set good examples to your children. "Husbands love your wives. "Wives love your husbands." Set a good example to your offspring; let your homes be havens of peace and strongholds of prayer.

Teach your children respect, obedience, and good moral and social manners, that they may bear fruit for heaven and not thistles for hell.

Be concerned, parents, about the upbringing of your children; remember that it is in the home that the foundations of love, dialogue, respect and above all obedience must be laid.

Build homes where respect for God and man is the spiritual communication of your children. Teach your children to love God and to fulfill his precepts so that your children, who are your fruit, may be a pleasing harvest in the eyes of your Heavenly Father. Do not forget that a good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. "Out of what the heart overflows the mouth speaks."

You, parents, are responsible before Me for the moral and spiritual education of your children. Do not continue to be "dumb dogs".

Take charge of your family, for charity must begin at home. Do not be hypocrites! Do not behave like the Pharisees, who were concerned with the fine print and forgot the most important thing: "practice and example".

Do not impose too many burdens on your children. Do not be "light in the street and darkness in your homes". Let your conduct be blameless and your counsel be the path that leads your home to the fullness and knowledge of God.

Be concerned for your families that are being lost for the lack of love, understanding, dialogue and above all for the lack of fulfillment of the Divine precepts. Homes where I do not dwell are destroyed homes; they are abandoned children, they are seeds, which later will bear bad fruits. Because the home is "the first society created by God", and if the home is stained by the sin of the parents, by their disobedience, by their selfishness, by their lack of love and charity, then what can be expected tomorrow from the homes of your children? The stain of sin is common today in so many homes.

My little sheep are getting lost, because the shepherds of the home forgot to love, forgive, listen and correct. Many Homes are drifting away because of the lack of commitment and surrender and above all because of the lack of God. If the Spirit of God departs from you and your homes, it is the spirit of my adversary who will take the reins of your family; and that one only comes to destroy and create chaos, and the saddest thing, to separate you from me and from my love and mercy. For that one is not a Shepherd, but a wolf, and the wolf is not interested in the sheep except to scatter and destroy them.

Turn therefore your eyes to your homes, fathers of families, that you may not weep and mourn when I call you to ask how many of your families.

I want more dialogue. I want more understanding. I want more respect and above all more communication with your Heavenly Father and with your Mother Mary, who weeps for so many children who are being lost to her.

My little ones are descending into the abyss because of your pampering. Wake up then, parents of families from your lethargy! Wake up from your spiritual and moral lethargy, so that you will not regret it tomorrow! for truly I say to you, "I will not have mercy on you when your time comes."

May your homes be imitations of the home of "Nazareth", where the love, affection and obedience of my earthly parents was the light where hope shone. Their example should be the guide of all homes.

"Parents love your children", "Children love your parents and respect them". So that societies may be reborn more just and worthy in the eyes of your Heavenly Father, let charity therefore my children begin at home. Your Master and Shepherd loves you.

JESUS OF NAZARETH.