During his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis announced a year to study more deeply the contents of the apostolic exhortation “Amoris laetitia” as he reflects on the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
By the Vatican News staff reporter
The Sunday feast of the Holy Family, Pope Francis said in the weekly Angelus, calls us to reflect “on the fact that the Son of God needed the warmth of a family, like all children.” This is why the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph can serve as a model “in which all the families of the world can find their certain point of reference and certain inspiration.”
Families are open to joy
At the heart of the life of the Nazareth family was joy, with the Child Jesus’ surrounded by the motherly affection of Mary and the care of Joseph, in whom Jesus could see God’s tenderness.
We too, said Pope Francis, “are called to rediscover the educational value of the family unit.” Families, he said, should be based “on the love that always revives relationships and opens horizons of hope.” The Pope stressed the importance in the family of prayer, affection, forgiveness, tenderness and fidelity to the will of God. “In this way,” he said, “the family is opening up to the joy that God gives to all how to give with joy.”
A happy home, he added, is also outgoing: “It finds the spiritual energy to be open to the outside world, to others, to the service of brothers and sisters, to collaboration in building an ever-new and better world ”, especially through the example of everyday life.
Three important words
Pope Francis acknowledged that every family has its problems, and that sometimes because we are human beings, because we are weak, we fight even within the family. “I want to tell you one thing,” said the Pope, “When we fight in the family, never end the day without making peace.” Again, he recommended three words that should be common in every family: “please,” “thank you,” and “I’m sorry.” If these three words are in the family, he said, the family will be in good shape.
A year of reflection on love was happy
Returning to the theme of “family evangelism,” Pope Francis said that the Sunday feast once again “presents us with the ideal of conjugal and family love, as emphasized by the apostolic exhortation. The joy, proclaimed five years ago ”at the feast of Saint Joseph in 2016.
The coming year, he said, “will be a year of reflection on it The joy, “He added,” and it is an opportunity to deepen the content of the document. During this special year, he said, “these reflections will be made available to church communities and families to accompany them on their journey. In particular, Pope Francis invited everyone “to participate in the initiatives that will be promoted during the year, and this will be coordinated by the Dicasterie for Lay, Family and Life.”
The Holy Father then entrusted the “journey” of the year “The joy Family ‘to’ the Holy Family of Nazareth, and especially to Saint Joseph, the devoted husband and father ‘.
Following the Angelus, the Holy See news agency confirmed that the special year is dedicated to the “family.” The joy, “Will be inaugurated on the upcoming Solemnity of Saint Joseph (March 19, 2021), and will conclude with the celebration of the Tenth World Meeting of Families, to be held here in Rome in June 2022.”