杏MAP导航

By Seàn-Patrick Lovett

Months of preparation went into creating the event considered one of the highlights of the World Meeting of Families 2018: the Festival of Families that was celebrated in Dublin鈥檚 Croke Park Stadium on Saturday evening together with some 70,000 people. Even the stage design reflected an ideal 鈥渃ircle of encounter鈥� where families could sit close to 杏MAP导航 Francis while sharing their testimonies and enjoying the performances.

Talent and testimony

The talent was provided by some of Ireland鈥檚 best performers and musicians: a 1,000-voice choir, a 50-piece orchestra, and over 700 dancers from the best Irish dance schools across the country, as well as international artists like The Riverdance Troupe, American jazz singer, Dana Masters, and Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli. 

The testimony came from five families representing Ireland, Canada, India, Iraq, and Africa. All shared a common theme of how their families had provided them with hope, love and support during the most challenging moments of their lives. Their testimonies focused on themes of forgiveness and hope in the family, the importance of grandparents, and even the role of social media and technology in family life.

A good cup of tea

When the 杏MAP导航 addressed the gathering, he described it as 鈥渁 family celebration of thanksgiving to God for who we are: one family in Christ, spread throughout the world鈥�. 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� speech was filled with references to his Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, on the joy of love.

鈥淕od wants every family to be a beacon of the joy of His love in our world鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淎ll of us are called to find, in the family, our fulfilment in love鈥�, he continued, and immediately qualified his statement by adding that 鈥淣o one said this would be easy鈥�. 

That鈥檚 when 杏MAP导航 Francis compared building relationships within the family to the most familiar of all Irish pastimes: brewing a pot of tea. 鈥淚t is easy to bring the water to a boil鈥�, he said, 鈥渂ut a good cup of tea takes time and patience. It needs to brew!鈥�. In the same way, it is Jesus who, every day, 鈥渨arms us with His love and lets it penetrate our whole being鈥�, he said.

Three small words

鈥淪orry鈥�. 鈥淧lease鈥�. 鈥淭hanks鈥�: these are the three small words that 杏MAP导航 Francis often suggests as antidotes to the tensions that can arise within the family. 鈥淭here is no such thing as a perfect family鈥�, he reminded his audience. 鈥淲ithout the grace of forgiveness, families can grow sick and gradually collapse鈥�. On the contrary, said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渟mall and simple acts of forgiveness, renewed each day, are the foundation upon which a solid Christian family life is built鈥�.

Social media pros and cons

Responding to the testimony of a family from India, the 杏MAP导航 spoke about the positive use of social media as a way to build, what he called, 鈥渁 web of friendships, solidarity and mutual support鈥�. Social media, he said, 鈥渃an be beneficial if used with moderation and prudence鈥�. While families can 鈥渃onnect through the internet and draw nourishment from it鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 warned of overusing social media to the extent that it risks 鈥渋mprisoning us in a virtual reality鈥� that isolates us from 鈥渢he very relationships that challenge us to grow to our full potential in communion with others鈥�.

Families that pray together stay together

Although he didn鈥檛 mention Fr Patrick Peyton by name, the 鈥済ood Irish priest鈥� quoted by 杏MAP导航 Francis, was most likely recognizable to his audience. The families that are united by prayer, are able to support other families that live in challenging and difficult situations, he said. Again referring to his Exhortation on love and the family, the 杏MAP导航 confirmed that it is 鈥渢he love of Christ that renews all things鈥� and that 鈥渕akes possible marriage and conjugal love marked by fidelity, indissolubility, unity and openness to life鈥�.

In this regard, the 杏MAP导航 thanked another family, with their ten children, for their 鈥渨itness of love and faith鈥�. It is in 鈥渕utual self-giving鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, that spouses are able to become 鈥渙ne flesh鈥� and to 鈥渙pen their hearts to those in need of love, especially the lonely, the abandoned, the weak and the vulnerable, so often discarded by our throw-away culture鈥�. 

The 杏MAP导航 also reserved a special word for the older generation: 鈥淎 society that does not value grandparents is a society that has no future鈥�, he said. Grandparents are the ones who teach us 鈥渢he meaning of conjugal and parental love鈥�, he continued. Which is why it鈥檚 a 鈥渂ig mistake not to ask the elderly about their experience, or to think that talking to them is a waste of time鈥�.

God鈥檚 dream

杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� final request to the families gathered in Croke Park Stadium, and to all those participating in the event via media platforms around the world, was to 鈥渉elp God鈥檚 dream come true鈥�. By witnessing to the Gospel, he concluded, 鈥測ou can help to draw all God鈥檚 children closer together, so that they can grow in unity and learn what it is for the entire world to live in peace as one great family鈥�.