This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am in Saint Peter's Square, where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from every corner of the world.
During his speech, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses on the family, adding a meditation on the ties between the family and the Christian community.
After having summarized his teaching in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to each of the groups of the faithful who were present.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, I want to focus our attention on the ties between the family and the Christian community. This is a so-called natural tie because the Church is a spiritual family and the family is a small Church (cf Lumen gentium, 9).
The Christian community is the house of those who believe in Jesus as the font of fraternity between all men. The Church journeys in the midst of the people, throughout the history of men and women, fathers and mothers, boys and girls: this is the history that is most important to the Lord. The major events of worldly powers are written in history books, and there they remain. But the history of human suffering is written directly in the heart of God; it is the history that remains forever. This is the place of life and faith. The family is the place of our beginnings - irreplaceable, indelible - is this history. It is a history of the fullness of life, which will end in contemplation of God for all eternity in Heaven, but it begins in the family! This is the reason why the family is important.
The Son of God learned human history in this way, and lived it to the end (cf Heb 2:18; 5:8). It is good to return to contemplating Jesus and the signs of this link! He was born into a family and there he learned about the world: a shop, four houses, a very small village. Yet, living this experience for thirty years, Jesus assimilated the human condition, accepting it as part of his communion with the Father and with his apostolic mission. Then, when he left Nazareth and began his public life, Jesus in turn formed a community, an assembly, a convocation of people. This is the meaning of the word church.
In the gospels, Jesus' assembly takes the form of a family and a family friendly place, not an exclusive closed off sect: we find there Peter and John, but also the hungry and the thirsty, the stranger and the persecuted, the sinner and the publican, the Pharisees and the crowds. Jesus never stops welcoming and talking to everyone, even with those who no longer expect to meet God in their lives. This is a good lesson for the Church! The disciples themselves were chosen to take care of this assembly, this family of God's guests.
The assembly of Jesus is a living reality today because it is essential to revive the covenant between the family and the Christian community. We can say that the family and the parish are the two places where this communion of love, which finds its ultimate source in Jesus himself is fulfilled. A true Church according to the gospel cannot take any other form than that of a house of welcome, with open doors, always. Churches, parishes, institutions, with closed doors should not call themselves churches, they should call themselves museums!
Today, this is a crucial covenant. In opposition to the ideological power centres, financial and political, we place our hopes in these centres of evangelical love, rich in human warmth, based on solidarity and participation (Pontifical Constitution for the Family, Teachings of J.M. Bergoglio - Pope Francis on the family and life 1999-2014, LEV 2014, 189), and also on mutual forgiveness between us.
Reinforcing the links between the family and the Christian community is indispensable and urgent today. Certainly, there is need of a generous faith in order to rediscover the intelligence and the courage to renew this covenant. Families sometimes draw back, saying that they have not lived up to all they could be: Father, we are a poor family and even a little battered; we are not capable; we already have so many problems at home; We don't have the strength. This is true, but no one is worthy, no one is perfect, no one has the strength! Without the grace of God, we cannot do anything. Everything is a gift, freely given! The Lord never comes to a new family without performing a miracle. Let us remember what he did at the wedding at Cana! Yes, the Lord, if we place ourselves in his hands, can accomplish miracles - he performs miracles every day! - if we have the Lord present in our families.
Naturally, the Christian community too must do its part. For example, we must seek to overcome attitudes that are too managerial and too function oriented, in favour of inter-personal dialogue, understanding and mutual respect. Families will then take the initiative and bring their precious gifts to the community. We must all be aware that the Christian faith is played on an open field of life which is shared with everyone; families and parishes must perform the miracle of living a more community oriented life for the good of the whole of society.
At Cana, the Mother of Jesus was present, the mother of good counsel. Let us listen to her words: Do whatever he asks of you (cf Jn 2:5). Dear families, dear parish communities, let us all be inspired by our Mother, to do what Jesus asks of us and we will find ourselves in the midst of miracles, daily miracles! Thank you.
Following syntheses of this catechesis, presented in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of those who were present. To English-language pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from England, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, China, the Philippines, Singapore and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
During his speech, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses on the family, adding a meditation on the ties between the family and the Christian community.
After having summarized his teaching in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to each of the groups of the faithful who were present.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, I want to focus our attention on the ties between the family and the Christian community. This is a so-called natural tie because the Church is a spiritual family and the family is a small Church (cf Lumen gentium, 9).
The Christian community is the house of those who believe in Jesus as the font of fraternity between all men. The Church journeys in the midst of the people, throughout the history of men and women, fathers and mothers, boys and girls: this is the history that is most important to the Lord. The major events of worldly powers are written in history books, and there they remain. But the history of human suffering is written directly in the heart of God; it is the history that remains forever. This is the place of life and faith. The family is the place of our beginnings - irreplaceable, indelible - is this history. It is a history of the fullness of life, which will end in contemplation of God for all eternity in Heaven, but it begins in the family! This is the reason why the family is important.
The Son of God learned human history in this way, and lived it to the end (cf Heb 2:18; 5:8). It is good to return to contemplating Jesus and the signs of this link! He was born into a family and there he learned about the world: a shop, four houses, a very small village. Yet, living this experience for thirty years, Jesus assimilated the human condition, accepting it as part of his communion with the Father and with his apostolic mission. Then, when he left Nazareth and began his public life, Jesus in turn formed a community, an assembly, a convocation of people. This is the meaning of the word church.
In the gospels, Jesus' assembly takes the form of a family and a family friendly place, not an exclusive closed off sect: we find there Peter and John, but also the hungry and the thirsty, the stranger and the persecuted, the sinner and the publican, the Pharisees and the crowds. Jesus never stops welcoming and talking to everyone, even with those who no longer expect to meet God in their lives. This is a good lesson for the Church! The disciples themselves were chosen to take care of this assembly, this family of God's guests.
The assembly of Jesus is a living reality today because it is essential to revive the covenant between the family and the Christian community. We can say that the family and the parish are the two places where this communion of love, which finds its ultimate source in Jesus himself is fulfilled. A true Church according to the gospel cannot take any other form than that of a house of welcome, with open doors, always. Churches, parishes, institutions, with closed doors should not call themselves churches, they should call themselves museums!
Today, this is a crucial covenant. In opposition to the ideological power centres, financial and political, we place our hopes in these centres of evangelical love, rich in human warmth, based on solidarity and participation (Pontifical Constitution for the Family, Teachings of J.M. Bergoglio - Pope Francis on the family and life 1999-2014, LEV 2014, 189), and also on mutual forgiveness between us.
Reinforcing the links between the family and the Christian community is indispensable and urgent today. Certainly, there is need of a generous faith in order to rediscover the intelligence and the courage to renew this covenant. Families sometimes draw back, saying that they have not lived up to all they could be: Father, we are a poor family and even a little battered; we are not capable; we already have so many problems at home; We don't have the strength. This is true, but no one is worthy, no one is perfect, no one has the strength! Without the grace of God, we cannot do anything. Everything is a gift, freely given! The Lord never comes to a new family without performing a miracle. Let us remember what he did at the wedding at Cana! Yes, the Lord, if we place ourselves in his hands, can accomplish miracles - he performs miracles every day! - if we have the Lord present in our families.
Naturally, the Christian community too must do its part. For example, we must seek to overcome attitudes that are too managerial and too function oriented, in favour of inter-personal dialogue, understanding and mutual respect. Families will then take the initiative and bring their precious gifts to the community. We must all be aware that the Christian faith is played on an open field of life which is shared with everyone; families and parishes must perform the miracle of living a more community oriented life for the good of the whole of society.
At Cana, the Mother of Jesus was present, the mother of good counsel. Let us listen to her words: Do whatever he asks of you (cf Jn 2:5). Dear families, dear parish communities, let us all be inspired by our Mother, to do what Jesus asks of us and we will find ourselves in the midst of miracles, daily miracles! Thank you.
Following syntheses of this catechesis, presented in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of those who were present. To English-language pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from England, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, China, the Philippines, Singapore and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
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