Pope Francis: the Christian family experiences joy in faith
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass in St Peter's Square on Sunday, October
27th, 2013, to mark the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time and the World Family Day at the
close of the 21st Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family, which
met in Rome this past week to reflect on the theme of living the joy of the Faith.
In his homily, the Holy Father spoke of the Christian family as an institution that
prays, keeps faith, and experiences joy. Below, please find the official English translation
of Pope Francis' prepared remarks.
Homily
of the Holy Father Family Day (Saint Peter’s Square, 27 October 2013)
The
readings this Sunday invite us to reflect on some basic features of the Christian
family.
1. First: the family prays. The Gospel passage speaks about two ways
of praying, one is false – that of the Pharisee – and the other is authentic – that
of the tax collector. The Pharisee embodies an attitude which does not express thanksgiving
to God for his blessings and his mercy, but rather self-satisfaction. The Pharisee
feels himself justified, he feels his life is in order, and he judges others from
his pedestal. The tax collector, on the other hand, does not multiply words. His
prayer is humble, sober, pervaded by a consciousness of his own unworthiness, of his
own needs. Here is a man who realizes that he needs God’s forgiveness.
The
prayer of the tax collector is the prayer of the poor man, a prayer pleasing to God.
It is a prayer which, as the first reading says, “will reach to the clouds” (Sir 35:20),
unlike the prayer of the Pharisee, which is weighed down by vanity.
In the
light of God’s word, I would like to ask you, dear families: Do you pray together
from time to time as a family? Some of you do, I know. But so many people say to
me: How can we? Prayer is something personal, and besides there is never a good time,
a moment of peace… Yes, all that is true enough, but it is also a matter of humility,
of realizing that we need God, like the tax collector! And we need simplicity! Praying
the Our Father together, around the table, is something all of you can do. And praying
the Rosary together, as a family, is very beautiful and a source of great strength!
And praying for one another!
2. The second reading suggests another thought:
the family keeps the faith. The Apostle Paul, at the end of his life, makes a final
reckoning: “I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). But how did he keep the faith? Not
in a strong box! Nor did he hide it underground, like the lazy servant. Saint Paul
compares his life to a fight and to a race. He kept the faith because he didn’t just
defend it, but proclaimed it, spread it, brought it to distant lands. He stood up
to all those who wanted to preserve, to “embalm” the message of Christ within the
limits of Palestine. That is why he made courageous decisions, he went into hostile
territory, he let himself be challenged by distant peoples and different cultures,
he spoke frankly and fearlessly. Saint Paul kept the faith because, in the same way
that he received it, he gave it away, he went out to the fringes, and didn’t dig himself
into defensive positions.
Here too, we can ask: How do we keep our faith?
Do we keep it for ourselves, in our families, as a personal treasure, or are we able
to share it by our witness, by our acceptance of others, by our openness? We all
know that families, especially young families, are often “racing” from one place to
another, with lots to do. But did you ever think that this “racing” could also be
the race of faith? Christian families are missionary families, in their everyday
life, in their doing everyday things, as they bring to everything the salt and the
leaven of faith!
3. There is one more thought we can take from God’s word:
the family experiences joy. In the responsorial psalm we find these words: “let the
humble hear and be glad” (33/34:2). The entire psalm is a hymn to the Lord who is
the source of joy and peace. What is the reason for this gladness? It is that the
Lord is near, he hears the cry of the lowly and he frees them from evil. As Saint
Paul himself writes: “Rejoice always … The Lord is near” (Phil 4:4-5).
Dear
families, you know very well that the true joy which we experience in the family is
not superficial; it does not come from material objects, from the fact that everything
seems to be going well... True joy comes from a profound harmony between persons,
something which we all feel in our hearts and which makes us experience the beauty
of togetherness, of mutual support along life’s journey. But the basis of this feeling
of deep joy is the presence of God in the family and his love, which is welcoming,
merciful, and respectful towards all. God alone knows how to create harmony from
differences. But if God’s love is lacking, the family loses its harmony, self-centredness
prevails and joy fades. But the family which experiences the joy of faith communicates
it naturally. That family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world, it
is the leaven of society.
Dear families, always live in faith and simplicity,
like the Holy Family of Nazareth! The joy and peace of the Lord be always with you!