Tag Archive for ‘Family’
Friday 17 December
Genesis 49:2, 8-10; Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8, 17; Matthew 1:1-17 Family trees and all that Many of us have had surprises when we’ve delved into our ancestry. We’ve found unsuspected skeletons in our forebears’ cupboards. The Lord Jesus’ family tree may also surprise us. An incestuous relationship is part of it. So too are two adulterers. […]
Tenderness
At Mass the other day there was a dear little child toddling around, who caught my attention. Or should I say it was the actions of her mother that sparked off a train of thought. As the child tottered in and out around her parents, her mother instinctively put her hand over the sharp corner […]
Year of the Family
The Solemnity of St Joseph in 2021 marks five years since the publication of Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation* Amoris Laetitiae (The Joy of Love). The exhortation spoke of the joy and beauty of love in the family. Pope Francis will inaugurate the Year ‘Amoris Laetitiae Family’ on St Joseph’s Solemnity this month, 19 March. It […]
My Sister Mary
“A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life”. “The best thing about a sister was that I always had a friend”. “A sister is a type of angel on earth who helps you to be your best self”. I wrote this letter […]
Sunday 29 December
The Holy Family (F) Ecclesiasticus 3:2-6, 12-14; Psalm 128:1-5; Colossians 3:12-21; Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 The family — God’s workshop Every family, even the ones that struggle, is a holy family, because the family is the workshop in which God toils, bringing us together as parts of one body. Poor old Joseph probably could not see […]
The Holy Family and Holy Families
As we come to the end of 2016, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, this year on 30 December. Speaking of families, I’m looking forward to spending time with my sister and her children and grandchildren during the summer holidays. Like all families, the one to which I rejoice to belong is not […]
The Family
The recent synod in Rome has said much about the family. The principal feast of the month of December is centred on the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The scene is traditionally depicted with the holy family in poor circumstances. There are sharp contrasts involved. The God of heaven and earth steps into […]
On Families
VIS 28/9/2015. Francis Speaks to the Bishops . “Appreciation and Gratitude to Families.” The following are extracts from the Pope’s address: “For the Church, the family is not first and foremost a cause for concern, but rather the joyous confirmation of God’s blessing upon the masterpiece of creation. Every day, all over the world, the […]
On the Family
Catechesis on the family Vatican City, 8 April 2015 (VIS) – During today’s Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father continued with his cycle of catechesis on the family, completing his reflection on children, “the most beautiful fruit of the blessing that the Creator has bestowed on man and woman.” This week […]
The Family
The Pope has called for an Assembly of Bishops to discuss the Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World. By way of preparation Pope Francis has spoken of the various elements that go to make up the family. The mother, the father, the children and the grandparents. Some of his […]
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