Small Bites of Amoris Laetitia #3
/Key Insights to take away from The Joy of Love:
1. God loves families; and families need God.
2. Lifelong Marriage is a gift; and it takes work.
3. Children are a gift from God; Family is the “sanctuary of life.”
4. Families need to speak kindly, listen to each other, and spend together.
5. God’s mercy endures forever.
6. Families can help other families.
First Key Insight: God loves families; and families need God
The Joy of Love begins with a great vote of confidence in you and your family: “The Joy of Love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church.” Pope Francis extends an invitation to Christian families to value the gifts of marriage and the family, and to persevere in a love strengthened by the virtues of generosity, commitment, fidelity and patience.
***Look around your parish or neighborhood right now – see all our diversity and beauty! God loves you!
God’s grace is available to us daily in the blessings and challenges we encounter in the family. The Lord’s presence dwells in real and concrete families, with all their daily troubles and struggles, joys and hopes. (Chapter 9, #315)
Each Christian family has a call to reflect the beauty of the Holy Family in the ordinary reality of everyday life. Pope Francis recalls that this vocation is possible in spite of the fact “that there is no stereotype of the ideal family, but rather a challenging mosaic made up of many different realities, with all their joys, hopes and problems” (AL, 57).