Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the three children who witnessed the Fatima apparitions, said “The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about Marriage and the Family...whoever works for the sanctity of Marriage and the Family will always be fought against and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue.” She continues “however, Our Lady has already crushed its head”.

God loves the family. He wills us to marry and multiply, to have our home be the domestic Church where we raise young souls to know, love, and serve God. Satan and the secular world work against marriage and the family, but through prayer and perseverance we can over come it. Imagine the change of culture we would have if more people followed God’s design and valued the family, the sacredness of holy matrimony, and embraced new life! 

Marriage is a sacrament, and the couple who has Christ at their center receives the graces they need to commit to Him and each other every day. In marriage, you are called to die to self, to love and serve your spouse and help them on the path to heaven. Marriage is humbling and sanctifying. Men and women have complementary roles and talents to serve one another and raise a family (despite what secular society says!) and it’s a beautiful vocation. 

How do we create strong families? Pray every day (individually, as spouses, as a family), attend Mass, and make your home a place of Christ’s peace. Minimize negative secular influence/distractions in the home. Prioritize your marriage by spending time together, asking how you can help the other, learn and utilize each other’s love languages, pray for one another, sacrifice for the other’s benefit, and communicate your needs, goals, and expectations often. As parents, be a unified team, love and nurture your children, protect their innocence and shelter them from negative influences, teach them about the faith as early as possible and remember that Heaven is always the ultimate goal. Cultivate an air of peace, joy, and love so your home is a safe haven from the outside world. 

The family is where society starts. God loves the family, He desires families strong in faith who share their joy and love for Christ with the world. Modern society tries to tear apart the family by attacking marriage and parental authority through pop culture media (normalizing sexual sins and selfish “me” culture) public education systems (through propagation of anti-Christian sex education), and legislature. Let us restore the family by imitating the Holy Family.

“Give me just one generation of good Catholic mothers, and I will change the world.” -St. John Chrysostom.