杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

In a world poisoned by the toxins of selfishness, individualism, by a culture of indifference and waste, 杏MAP导航 Francis praised the beauty of the family and said 鈥渢oday more than ever鈥� we feel compelled to defend it.

The 杏MAP导航 was speaking during the homily at a Mass of thanksgiving on Saturday at the end of the 10th World Meeting of Families that has been unfolding in the Vatican on the theme 鈥淔amily Love: a Vocation and a Path to Holiness鈥�.

The five-day event, organized by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, concludes on Sunday when 杏MAP导航 Francis is scheduled to address families during the Angelus.

He described the moments of reflection and sharing, with their rich variety of experiences, plans and dreams, concerns and uncertainties, which have taken place during the World Meeting of Families, describing it as "a kind of vast constellation." He told all those present: 鈥淔athers, mothers and children, grandparents, uncles and aunts, adults and children, young and old,鈥� each bringing a different experience of family, but with one hope and prayer.

杏MAP导航 Francis then reflected on the liturgical readings of the day that all shine light on different aspects of marital and family love.

Family is the place where we learn to love

In Saint Paul鈥檚 Letter to the Galatians, he said the Apostle tells us that the freedom given to us by God is completely directed to love, so that 鈥渢hrough love you may become slaves of one another鈥� (Gal. 5:13).

Turning to married couples, he praised their courageous decision to build a family and 鈥�to use your freedom not for yourselves, but to love the persons that God has put at your side."

Instead of living like little islands, he said, you became 鈥渟ervants of one another鈥�.

That is how freedom is exercised in the family, 杏MAP导航 Francis explained, there are no 鈥減lanets鈥� or 鈥渟atellites鈥�, each travelling on its own orbit. The family is the place of encounter, of sharing, of going forth from ourselves in order to welcome others and stand beside them. 

Even as we reaffirm this with profound conviction, he said, we know full well 鈥渢hat it is not always the case, for any number of reasons and a variety of situations.鈥�

鈥淎nd so, in praising the beauty of the family, we also feel compelled, today more than ever, to defend the family.  Let us not allow the family to be poisoned by the toxins of selfishness, individualism, today鈥檚 culture of indifference and waste, and as a result lose its very DNA, which is the spirit of acceptance and service.鈥�

Relationship between generations

The Second Book of Kings tells of the relationship between the prophets Elijah and Elisha. It reminds us, the 杏MAP导航 said, of the relationship between generations, the 鈥減assing on of witness鈥� from parents to children.

He said in a world in which everything seems chaotic and precarious, some parents fear 鈥渢hat children will not be able to find their way amid the complexity and confusion of our societies.鈥� This fear, he added, makes some parents anxious and others overprotective.

But reflecting on the relationship between Elijah and Elisha in which God shows us that he has confidence in the new generation, 杏MAP导航 Francis said: 鈥淗ow important it is for parents to reflect on God鈥檚 way of acting!鈥�

鈥淕od is not anxious and overprotective; on the contrary, He trusts young people and He calls each of them to scale the heights of life and of mission,鈥� he said.

And he encouraged parents not to shield their children 鈥渇rom the slightest hardship and suffering, but to try to communicate to them a passion for life, to arouse in them the desire to discover their vocation and embrace the great mission that God has in mind for them.鈥�

"Dear parents," he said, "if you help your children to discover and to accept their vocation, you will see that they too will be 'gripped' by this mission; and they will find the strength they need to confront and overcome the difficulties of life."

A never-ending journey

Finally, the Gospel of Luke tells us that 鈥淭o follow Jesus means to set out on a never-ending 鈥渢rip鈥� with him through the events of life. 

The 杏MAP导航 said that our Christian vocation calls us to experience 鈥渕arriage and family life as a mission, demonstrating fidelity and patience despite difficulties, moments of sadness and times of trial.鈥�

Inevitably, he said, there will be moments of 鈥渞esistance, opposition, rejection and misunderstanding born of human hearts,鈥� but with the grace of Christ, we are called to 鈥渢ransform these into acceptance of others and gratuitous love.鈥�

By accepting the call to marriage and family, couples set out on a trip, 鈥渨ithout knowing beforehand where exactly it would lead, and what new situations, unexpected events and surprises would eventually lie in store,鈥� he said. 

The Church was born of a family

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded by inviting families to keep looking ahead 鈥渁s Jesus always precedes us on the way in love and service; He encouraged them to share the joy of family love that must always be open, directed outwards, capable of 鈥榯ouching鈥� the weak and wounded, the frail in body and the frail in spirit, and all whom you meet along the way鈥�; and by assuring them that the Church is with them and in them!

Holy Mass for the WMOF2022