Back in April, Pope Francis issued a document on the topic
of “Love in the Family” called Amoris Laetitia, latin for “The Joy of Love”.
Love, authentic love, brings authentic joy.
There are many counterfeits for love in our modern culture,
just as there are a lot of counterfeits for joy.
All throughout the Gospel of Matthew, which we’ve been
reading through extensively for several months, Jesus gives many instructions
and parables teaching us to build our lives on what is true, what is holy, to
strive to walk in the truth made known to us by God. He teaches us to practice
authentic love, that we may be filled with authentic joy.
Our own Father Wendelken who worked in our marriage tribunal for several decades could attest to how marriage fails where there is selfishness, stunted maturity, attachment to worldliness, unforgiveness, poor communication, secular notions of happiness.
Pope Francis offered this document on the issues of marriage
and family because marriage and family matter. Marriage matters. Being faithful to the
demands of marriage, doing what it takes for a healthy marriage, raising
children in according to the law of Christ, these things matter for the future
of civilization and the salvation of souls. The Pope said, “The welfare of the
family is decisive for the future of the world and that of the Church.”
This is why the Catholic Church takes what the Lord teaches in
the Gospel this morning very seriously. Where many of the Christian
denominations water down, change, or simply ignore this teaching, the Catholic
Church sees this morning’s Gospel as pivotal for civilizations survival and our
faithfulness to the Gospel.
For those who are living the Christian life in an “imperfect
manner”: those living together outside of marriage, those only civilly married,
those divorced and remarried, Pope Francis explains that “following the divine
pedagogy”, that is the teaching of Christ, “the Church seeks the grace of
conversion for them”, the Church seeks to help people remedy their lives. We
need to help people seek to remedy their lives according to the Lord’s teaching
while being very careful to take into account the complexity of each situation.
To be patient, to receive people joyfully, to invite them gently, to speak the
truth clearly.
Pope Francis ends Amoris Laetitia with a prayer to the Holy
Family:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendor
of true love; to you we turn with trust. Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that
our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of
the Gospel and small domestic churches. Holy Family of Nazareth, may families
never again experience violence, rejection and division; may all who have been
hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing. Holy Family of Nazareth,
make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,
and its beauty in God’s plan. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Graciously hear our prayer…
…for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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