Starting in October of 2014 and ending in 2015 the Church came together in a sacred synod to discuss the family and its importance for the Catholic Church. In 2016 Pope Francis wrote his exhortation about this synod titled Amoris Laetitia. This exhortation goes through the role of the family and the reason why the Church values the family as much as they do. This exhortation goes into great detail to express the importance of the family, but the most important line in this exhortation just happens to be the very first line. The first line state that: “The Joy of Love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church.” This powerful line written by Pope Francis is nothing new when it comes to the Church’s teaching on the family, but it is so rarely said anymore that when one first reads it and contemplates its true message it will touch them at their core.
As today’s society keeps its assault on the family through abortion, contraception and gay marriage, it is important for Catholics all around the world to stand firm in our belief of the sacredness of the family because without the family, the church becomes nonexistent. So as we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, let us remember the joy that Mary and Joseph have for the child Jesus. This unconditional love that our mother father and siblings have for us is the unconditional love that Christ has for us through the gift of the Holy Eucharist. |
