THE CHURCH IS A FAMILY OF FAMILIESIn his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis says the Church can be understood as a family of families. (AL, 87) The Church looks to married couples as the heart of the entire family, which, in turn, looks to Jesus” (AL, 73). In virtue of the sacrament of matrimony, every family becomes, in effect, a good for the Church. From this standpoint, the Church is good for the family, and the family is good for the Church. The safeguarding of the Lord’s gift in the sacrament of matrimony is a concern not only of individual families but of the entire Christian community. The experience of love in families is a perennial source of strength for the life of the Church (AL, 87,88).

THE HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH IS THE ICON OF FAMILY LIFEThe Holy Family of Nazareth, lives a life of love and fidelity which is the strong foundation every family that makes them capable of withstanding the changes of life and history. “On this basis, every family, despite its weaknesses, can become a light in the darkness of the world. ‘Nazareth teaches us the meaning of family life, its loving communion, its simple and austere beauty, its sacred and inviolable character. May it teach how sweet and irreplaceable is its training, how fundamental and incomparable its role in the social order” (Al,66).The Bible teaches that all was created through Christ and for Christ (cf. Col 1:16). Pope Francis says that only in contemplating Christ does a person come to know the deepest truth about human relationships. Quoting the Second Vatican Council, “Only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light… Christ, the new Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and his love, fully reveals man to himself and makes his supreme calling clear” (Gaudium et Spes, 22). From this perspective Pope Francis considers how natural marriage is illuminated and fulfilled by the sacrament of matrimony.

CHALLENGES AND PASTORAL PERSPECTIVESThe Exhortation often notes, no family drops down from heaven perfectly formed; families need constantly to grow and mature in the ability to love. This is a never-ending vocation born of the full communion of the Trinity, the profound unity between Christ and his Church, the loving community which is the Holy Family of Nazareth, and the pure fraternity existing among the saints of heaven. (AL, 325)Each Christian family has a call to reflect the beauty of the Holy Family in the ordinary reality of everyday life. Pope Francis recalls that this vocation is possible in spite of the fact “that there is no stereotype

of the ideal family, but rather a challenging mosaic made up of many different realities, with all their joys, hopes and problems” (AL, 57). The Pope encourages people living in complex situations to not keep silent but to “speak confidently with their pastor or with other lay people whose lives are committed to the Lord” (AL, 312). Seeing with the eyes of Christ inspires the Church’s pastoral care for the faithful who are living together, or are only married civilly, or are divorced and remarried. Following this divine pedagogy, the Church turns with love to those who participate in her life even in an imperfect manner: she seeks the grace of conversion for them (AL, 78).

The good of all spouses which includes unity, openness to

life, fidelity, and indissolubility, within Christian marriage, forms

a mutual support on the path towards complete friendship

with the Lord, a vocation to be the icon of the Holy Family.

TO YOUNG ADULTS…The call to marriage is beautiful, yet “many young people today distrust marriage” and often, “marriage is swept aside whenever it proves inconvenient or tiresome” (AL, 34, 293). Pope Francis acknowledges fears toward marriage and states “we might say that we live in a culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future” (AL, 40). He dares people to tune out the external sounds of fear that society has created. Pope Francis knows that young adults have the capacity for love and he challenges them to rise above fear, dares them to love, he wants the Church to “help young people discover the dignity and beauty of marriage” (AL, 205).

I would like to say to young people that none of this is jeopardized when their love finds expression in marriage. Their union encounters in this institution the means to ensure that their love truly will endure and grow” (AL, 130, 131). Marriage is “sustained by the grace of Christ” which provides fortitude to persevere (AL, 307).

CRISIS AND WORRY IN THE FAMILYPope Francis reminds families to take heart in knowing that, “Jesus knows the anxieties and tensions experienced by families” and reinforces that Christ is with them (AL, 21, 63). Amoris Laetitia provides an assessment of the many challenges to family life. They include: unemployment, housing, financial problems, emotional/social difficulties, migration, persecution, drug use, poverty, domestic violence, infertility, loneliness, caretaking, absence, illness, separation/divorce, death and others.The Pope gives hope to families in moments of crisis and encourages them to pray together and to “look to the icon of the Holy Family of Nazareth” (AL, 30, 318). The Holy Family had their “share of burdens and even nightmares” and families can ask for their help and he reminds them of the power of the Holy Spirit in providing assistance (AL, 71). Families are to face challenges with “courage and serenity” and to regard a crisis as an opportunity to learn and grow “closer together” (AL 30, 232). Forgiveness and reconciliation is much needed in times of difficulty (AL, 236). Christian families are called to share the beauty of God’s mercy amid crisis and worry.

Pope Francis writes “Few human joys are as deep and thrilling as those experienced by two people who love one another and have achieved something as the result of a great, shared effort” (AL, 130).

THIS WEEK: Look at an icon or image of the Holy Family of Nazareth together as a family. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your family life as you grow together in joys and trials.

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