How does a family form us? How do we experience God’s grace at home? Home should be a safe haven, but sometimes it is the most difficult place to be. So, how do we encounter God in the midst of that? These questions set the context for the second workshop of the afternoon, presented by Fr. Chris Martin.
Church Teaching on Family
The Church upholds the family with great dignity.
“No family can be fruitful if it sees itself as overly different or ‘set apart,'” Pope Francis wrote. Remember, the family is where Jesus started when He came to earth. God chose to be born into a family. Jesus lived ordinary family life in Nazareth.
“The parish is further divided into so many holy cells, which are Christian families, which we can call, following the example of the Holy Fathers, tiny churches,” said Bishop Pietro Fiordelli. The family home is meant to serve as a domestic church: a community where God makes Himself present and where sacrifice and praise are given.
Four Primary Tasks of the Family
From the Church document, Familiaris Consortio…
1.) Forming a community of persons
2.) Serving life
3.) Participating in the development of society
4.) Sharing in the life and mission of the Church
“If we want to save society, we need to save the family – reinvest in it and nurture it,” said Fr. Martin. By living at home, we learn to forgive, heal hurts, and become an ambassador of mercy. Our families can be messy. “God’s not asking you to fix your family. He is asking you to love Him in the midst of it.”
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