Honour Thy Father and Mother

The Duty to Honour and obey our parents brings with it duties and obligations far more reaching than we often consider. The Council of Trent mentions this aspect when it reminds us that:

"We are bound to honour not only our natural parents, but also others who are called fathers, such as bishops and priests, kings, princes and magistrates, tutors, guardians and masters (employers), teachers, aged persons and the like, all of whom are entitled, some in a greater, some in a lesser degree, to share our love, our obedience, and our assistance."

The duty to honour our parents then extends to all who have authority and seniority over us in any way, regardless of their person or creed or status. The duty to honour our parents and all those in authority over us, when fulfilled brings with it many blessings, and likewise, the neglect of it, brings with it many evils upon us.

One aspect of this obligation that is often forgotten today is our duty to pray for both our religious and secular leaders regardless of their own personal dispositions.

The Council of Trent rightly points out in this regard that "But if at all times it is our duty to honour our parents, this duty becomes still more imperative when they are visited by severe illness". In this regard, our parents, that is our parents in the wider sense, our religious and secular leaders, seem to have been overcome today with a severe mental illness, and yet for all that, we are not to abandon them, but on the contrary to redouble our efforts (our prayers and sacrifices) for their intentions.

There are many such noble examples of this in Sacred Scripture that we can cite to encourage us in this regard, of wicked men, religious or secular who have been brought to their senses due to the prayers and sacrifices of the good. One example that helps us grasp this point is seen clearly in the book of Daniel.

The Prophet Daniel, who was raised up by God in one of the most difficult times of Jewish history, namely during the Babylonian Captivity under King Nebuchadnezzar, was sent by God to be both a Prophet to his people, and a light to the gentile King, who left to his own demise would have become wicked and made life miserable for the Jews; but thanks to the prayers and good counsel of Daniel, the King was led to be moderate and just in kingship and covered the Kingdom justly, obtaining both for himself and his people many blessings from God.

How important are the prayers and example of the Just in such times is something we can never take for granted. Let us then never neglect to ask that God enlighten the hearts and minds of all those who are entrusted over us.