When we speak of the Church, we know we are referring the Body of Christ.  This includes everyone (not a building) from the Pope to the people.  We are the Living Body of Christ!  The Domestic Church refers to the family, which is to mirror the big Church.  The parents are the pastors of their “little church”, or the Domestic Church.  Their child(ren) are the congregants.  It is in this home, the little church, that the elements of the Faith are inculcated and lived.  The Domestic Church is the backbone of the Universal Church.  More aptly put, there is a symbiosis between the two.  They feed and nurture each other.

So, how do you keep your Domestic Church, your home holy and vibrant?  Following are just a few suggestions to keep your “little church” aflame in Jesus Christ:

* Begin and continue to pray together as a family.  The family that prays together stays together!

* Be sure to place a crucifix (a cross with the Body of Jesus on it) in your family room and over the beds of each bedroom.  Keep Jesus central.

* Go to church and confession together and regularly.  This binds you together in the Holy Spirit. 

* Teach the joy of charity in the home.  The Lord loves a cheerful giver.

* Demonstrate your love for each other.  Say, “I love you” more often than you do.

* Talk freely about God and Jesus.  Never miss an opportunity to share Jesus with others.

* Be a welcoming home at the holidays, for your priest, for your neighbors.  Share your love and abundance with others.

Of course, all these suggestions, and more, apply whether one is living alone, or there are many people within the walls of your “little church”!  The Domestic Church is the family in action.  For as the family goes, so goes our culture.