The eighth General Congregation of the Synod of Bishops on the Family began this morning at 9:00am in the Synod Hall at the Vatican with the chanting of the liturgical hour of Terce (Mid-morning Prayer).
During the liturgy, the following homily was spoken by His Excellency, Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, OFM, Archbishop of Cuenca (Ecuador).
Fraternal love and the glory of God (cf 1 Cor 10:17-24)
Fraternal love
Saint Paul invites us to put the love of our brothers ahead of all other human interests. The presence of others helps us to think of others than ourselves and to consider their good ahead of our own, something that we need to do in order to live with dignity and freedom.
Curiously, the more we think first of other's well being, the more we discover our own strengths and qualities. Loneliness disappears and the meaninglessness of life vanishes.
In this context, the family becomes a school where we can learn fundamental values such as respect and solidarity, based on our experience of paternal, maternal and fraternal love.
Glory to God
Thinking about others is an important step we must take because it frees us from our own narrow personal interests. However, it is not enough; it is possible for us to remain in a world of interpersonal relationships without ever experiencing transcendence. This is the reason why we also need to open ourselves to the Glory of God.
Saint Paul encourages us to do everything for the Glory of God, from the everyday actions of our lives, like eating and drinking to even the greatest and most noble of actions like loving others, thinking well of them and acting in their best interests. In the Glory of God, everything has value and fulfillment.
Meanwhile, human glory, based on money, social prestige, political and even religious power, is so insignificant compared with the Glory of God that it is not only ridiculous but even offensive.
The family, as a domestic Church, is the favoured place for experiencing the Glory of God and for not being seduced by the ephemeral lights of human glory which cannot exist without discriminating between brothers, considering some to be either second or third class.
May fraternal love and the Glory of God be with us at every moment of our lives.
During the liturgy, the following homily was spoken by His Excellency, Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, OFM, Archbishop of Cuenca (Ecuador).
Homily spoken by His Excellency, Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, OFM
Archbishop of Cuenca (Ecuador)
Fraternal love and the glory of God (cf 1 Cor 10:17-24)
Fraternal love
Saint Paul invites us to put the love of our brothers ahead of all other human interests. The presence of others helps us to think of others than ourselves and to consider their good ahead of our own, something that we need to do in order to live with dignity and freedom.
Curiously, the more we think first of other's well being, the more we discover our own strengths and qualities. Loneliness disappears and the meaninglessness of life vanishes.
In this context, the family becomes a school where we can learn fundamental values such as respect and solidarity, based on our experience of paternal, maternal and fraternal love.
Glory to God
Thinking about others is an important step we must take because it frees us from our own narrow personal interests. However, it is not enough; it is possible for us to remain in a world of interpersonal relationships without ever experiencing transcendence. This is the reason why we also need to open ourselves to the Glory of God.
Saint Paul encourages us to do everything for the Glory of God, from the everyday actions of our lives, like eating and drinking to even the greatest and most noble of actions like loving others, thinking well of them and acting in their best interests. In the Glory of God, everything has value and fulfillment.
Meanwhile, human glory, based on money, social prestige, political and even religious power, is so insignificant compared with the Glory of God that it is not only ridiculous but even offensive.
The family, as a domestic Church, is the favoured place for experiencing the Glory of God and for not being seduced by the ephemeral lights of human glory which cannot exist without discriminating between brothers, considering some to be either second or third class.
May fraternal love and the Glory of God be with us at every moment of our lives.
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