Vatican City, Dec 29, 2013 / 05:26 am (CNA).- In his
Angelus address given on the feast of the Holy
Family, Pope Francis prayed especially for the
approaching Synod of Bishops which will discuss
pastoral challenges to the family.
“The next Synod of Bishops will address the theme
of the family, and the preparatory phase has
already begun some time ago. For this reason,
today, (on) the feast of the Holy Family, I wish to
entrust this synodal work to Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph, praying for families around the world,” he
said on Dec. 29 in St. Peter’s Square.
Asking the crowds that packed St. Peter’s Square
and the surrounding streets to join with him
spiritually, Pope Francis prayed, “Holy Family of
Nazareth, may the approaching Synod of Bishops
make us once more mindful of the sacredness and
inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s
plan.”
The Pope dedicated his Angelus message to
considering Jesus’ own family as an example for
families everywhere. “God wanted to be born in a
human family, he wanted to have a mother and a
father, like us,” he explained.
“It’s an example that does much good for our
families, helping them to become ever more a
community of love and reconciliation, in which one
experiences tenderness, mutual help, and mutual
forgiveness.”
Even the Jesus’ own family, however, was not
without its difficulties.
Forced to flee to Egypt to escape being killed by
Herod, “Joseph, Mary, and Jesus experienced the
dramatic condition of refugees, marked by fear,
uncertainty, need.”
Unfortunately, Pope Francis continued, “in our day,
millions of families can see themselves in this sad
reality.” Refugees and immigrants do not always
find “true welcome (or) respect.”
Yet “Jesus wanted to belong to a family that had
experienced these difficulties,” to show that no one
“is excluded from the nearness of God’s love.”
“The flight into Egypt because of Herod’s threats
shows us that God is also there – there where man
is in danger, there where man suffers, there where
he escapes, where he experiences rejection and
abandonment; but he is also where man dreams,
hoping to return to his homeland in freedom,
designing and choosing a life of dignity for himself
and his family.”
Even in families who do not face such dramatic
circumstances, “exiled persons” can be found,
noted the Pontiff: “the elderly, for example, who
sometimes are treated as a burdensome
presence.”
“Many times I think that one sign to know how a
family is doing is to see how the children and
elderly are treated in it,” he said.
Pope Francis then repeated one of his oft-used
instructions on family life. “Remember the three key
phrases: excuse me, thank you, I’m sorry!” he
exhorted the crowds, who cheered in response.
In a family that uses these words, “there is peace
and joy,” he assured them.
“Repeat it with me, everyone together!” the Pope
urged, “excuse me, thank you, I’m sorry.”
The Pontiff closed by greeting the many pilgrim
groups who had traveled to Rome and wishing
everyone a happy feast day.
Tags: Family, Angelus, Synod of Bishops, Pope
Francis , Synod on the Family
Angelus address given on the feast of the Holy
Family, Pope Francis prayed especially for the
approaching Synod of Bishops which will discuss
pastoral challenges to the family.
“The next Synod of Bishops will address the theme
of the family, and the preparatory phase has
already begun some time ago. For this reason,
today, (on) the feast of the Holy Family, I wish to
entrust this synodal work to Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph, praying for families around the world,” he
said on Dec. 29 in St. Peter’s Square.
Asking the crowds that packed St. Peter’s Square
and the surrounding streets to join with him
spiritually, Pope Francis prayed, “Holy Family of
Nazareth, may the approaching Synod of Bishops
make us once more mindful of the sacredness and
inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s
plan.”
The Pope dedicated his Angelus message to
considering Jesus’ own family as an example for
families everywhere. “God wanted to be born in a
human family, he wanted to have a mother and a
father, like us,” he explained.
“It’s an example that does much good for our
families, helping them to become ever more a
community of love and reconciliation, in which one
experiences tenderness, mutual help, and mutual
forgiveness.”
Even the Jesus’ own family, however, was not
without its difficulties.
Forced to flee to Egypt to escape being killed by
Herod, “Joseph, Mary, and Jesus experienced the
dramatic condition of refugees, marked by fear,
uncertainty, need.”
Unfortunately, Pope Francis continued, “in our day,
millions of families can see themselves in this sad
reality.” Refugees and immigrants do not always
find “true welcome (or) respect.”
Yet “Jesus wanted to belong to a family that had
experienced these difficulties,” to show that no one
“is excluded from the nearness of God’s love.”
“The flight into Egypt because of Herod’s threats
shows us that God is also there – there where man
is in danger, there where man suffers, there where
he escapes, where he experiences rejection and
abandonment; but he is also where man dreams,
hoping to return to his homeland in freedom,
designing and choosing a life of dignity for himself
and his family.”
Even in families who do not face such dramatic
circumstances, “exiled persons” can be found,
noted the Pontiff: “the elderly, for example, who
sometimes are treated as a burdensome
presence.”
“Many times I think that one sign to know how a
family is doing is to see how the children and
elderly are treated in it,” he said.
Pope Francis then repeated one of his oft-used
instructions on family life. “Remember the three key
phrases: excuse me, thank you, I’m sorry!” he
exhorted the crowds, who cheered in response.
In a family that uses these words, “there is peace
and joy,” he assured them.
“Repeat it with me, everyone together!” the Pope
urged, “excuse me, thank you, I’m sorry.”
The Pontiff closed by greeting the many pilgrim
groups who had traveled to Rome and wishing
everyone a happy feast day.
Tags: Family, Angelus, Synod of Bishops, Pope
Francis , Synod on the Family
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