Dedication: To my sponsor girls: Rebecca N., Veronica S., Natalie S., Nina S., and their sister Cloe S. in honor of their Confirmation Anniversaries this year. May Our Lord grant you the grace to always honor and respect your parents as He did His for as long as your parents shall live!
The 4th Commandment, "Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother" does not stop being an obligation for a person once he reaches the age of 18 years. As a Catholic, and soldier of Christ, one is obliged to honor his parents, even until their deaths, in the following ways:
1. As long as one abides in his Father's and/or Mother's house, he is obliged to obey and anticipate the wishes and rules of his parents in all that is not sinful or contradictory to the commandments of God.
2. One should always listen patiently and attentively to what one's parents have to say and learn from them the wisdom they have to share.
3. One must never raise his voice when speaking or replying to his parents and always show them the respect they deserve due to their position of authority given to them by God even if they are faulty in character or morals.
4. One must learn to live a good Catholic life which will bring honor to one's parents rather than shame or dishonor.
5. To the eldest son (or daughter if there are sons) falls the duty to care for his parents in their old age unless another sibling claims the duty in their place.
6. If one's parents come to live with a person, the parents are now obliged to honor the rules of the head of the household of their child who takes them in. However, the children hosting their parents must still show them respect as much as is possible and treat them with reverence due to their age and position.
7. If one's parents living with him become handicapped and need extra help managing their daily lives, it is the duty of their children caring for them to provide assistance as much as is possible.
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