5 of Pope Francis Suggestions for Families

Pope Francis’ historic visit to the United States included a visit to Philadelphia to be part of the World Meeting of Families 2015 Congress. The conference, which is held every three years, is an international event that “seeks to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe and highlight its intrinsic value to the good of society.” For the 2015 conference, which marked the first time it was held in the United States, the theme was “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.”

But it’s not surprising that Pope Francis graciously played a central role in the conference. Like Saint John Paul II, who started the conference in 1994, the role of the family in society is something that seems to be dear to his heart. Since he became Pope Francis, the pontiff has spoken about family several times. Here are five of his suggestions for Christians to create faith-filled families.

Live Faith Through Little Acts of Love

At the closing Mass of the 2015 World Meeting of Families, the Holy Father shared some heartfelt observations. He shared them during his homily. “Faith opens a ‘window’ to the presence and working of the spirit. It shows us that, like happiness, holiness is always tied to little gestures. ‘Whoever gives you a cup of water in my name will not go unrewarded,’ says Jesus,” remarked Pope Francis. “These little gestures are those we learn at home, in the family; they get lost amid all the other things we do, yet they do make each day different. They are the quiet things done by mothers and grandmothers, by fathers and grandfathers, by children. They are little signs of tenderness, affection and compassion. Like the warm supper we look forward to at night, the early lunch awaiting someone who gets up early to go to work. Homely gestures. Like a blessing before we go to bed, or a hug after we return from a hard day’s work. Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches. They are the right place for faith to become life, and life to become faith.”

Minister to Those Who Are Alone

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In January 2015, Pope Francis visited Manila. While there, he addressed families. “During this year which your bishops have set aside as the Year of the Poor, I would ask you, as families, to be especially mindful of our call to be missionary disciples of Jesus. This means being ready to go beyond your homes and to care for our brothers and sisters who are most in need. I ask you especially to show concern for those who do not have a family of their own, in particular those who are elderly and children without parents. Never let them feel isolated, alone and abandoned, but help them to know that God has not forgotten them. Today I was very moved when, after Mass, I visited a home for children without families. How many people work in the Church to make that home a family! This is what it means, in a prophetic sense, to build a family,” observed the pope. “You may be poor yourselves in material ways, but you have an abundance of gifts to offer when you offer Christ and the community of his church. Do not hide your faith, do not hide Jesus, but carry him into the world and offer the witness of your family life!”

Keep Jesus at the Center of the Family

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On the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, in February 2014, the pontiff wrote a letter to families. In it, he spoke of the passage in Luke 2, in which Anna and Simeon saw the Baby Jesus in the temple, recognized him as the Messiah and were filled with joy. “It is a beautiful image: two young parents and two elderly people, brought together by Jesus. He is the one who brings together and unites generations! He is the inexhaustible font of that love which overcomes every occasion of self-absorption, solitude, and sadness,” wrote Pope Francis. “In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support. Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus. He offers us his word, which illuminates our path; he gives us the Bread of life which sustains us on our journey.”

Pray Together

At Saint Peter’s Square, during the Holy Mass for the Family Day, in October 2013, Pope Francis asked the people attending the Mass if they prayed together as families. He said “And all familes, we need God: all of us! We need his help, his strength, his blessing, his mercy, his forgiveness. And we need simplicity to pray as a family: simplicity is necessary! Praying the Our Father together, around the table, is not something extraordinary: it’s easy. And praying the Rosary together, as a family, is very beautiful and a source of great strength! And also praying for one another! The husband for his wife, the wife for her husband, both together for their children, the children for their grandparents….praying for each other. This is what it means to pray in the family and it is what makes the family strong: prayer.”

Contemplate the Holy Family

In December 2013, during the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Pope Francis spoke to the crowd in Saint Peter’s Square. He talked about the simplicity of the Holy Family’s life in Nazareth and how it is a model for families today. “It is an example that does our families great good, helping them increasingly to become communities of love and reconciliation, in which tenderness, mutual help, and mutual forgiveness is experienced,” said the pope. He later added “I would also like to encourage families to become aware of the importance they have in the church and in society. The proclamation of the gospel, in fact, first passes through the family to reach the various spheres of daily life. Let us fervently call upon Mary Most Holy, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, and St Joseph her spouse. Let us ask them to enlighten, comfort and guide every family in the world, so that they may fulfil with dignity and peace the mission which God has entrusted to them.”