Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This month we celebrate National Marriage Week USA (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Feb. 13). These annual observances are a wonderful way to honor and promote the gift of marriage and family life. This year’s celebrations also are happening within the “Amoris Laetitia Family” year proclaimed by Pope Francis in which he asks us to reread and study his 2016 apostolic exhortation on the beauty and joy of love within family life.
The Holy Father also gave married couples a special Christmas gift in December when he released a letter to them on the feast of the Holy Family. I was impressed with the letter’s pastoral approach, especially his desire to support families facing challenges during the ongoing pandemic. I want to share with you several passages from the letter that I encourage you to reflect on this month:
ON MARRIAGE: “Marriage, as a vocation, calls you to steer a tiny boat — wave-tossed yet sturdy, thanks to the reality of the sacrament — across a sometimes-stormy sea. How often do you want to say, or better, cry out, like the apostles: ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ (Mark 4:38). Let us never forget, though, that by virtue of the sacrament of matrimony, Jesus is present in that boat; he is concerned for you and he remains at your side amid the tempest.”
ON CHILDREN: “Dear spouses, know that your children — especially the younger ones — watch you attentively; in you they seek the signs of a strong and reliable love. ‘How important it is for young people to see with their own eyes the love of Christ alive and present in the love of spouses, who testify by the reality of their lives that love for ever is possible!’ Children are always a gift; they change the history of every family. They are thirsty for love, gratitude, esteem and trust. Being parents calls you to pass on to your children the joy of realizing that they are God’s children, children of a Father who has always loved them tenderly and who takes them by the hand each new day.”
ON PARTICIPATION IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH: “I encourage you, dear married couples, to be active in the Church, especially in her pastoral care of families. … Families are … called to bridge generations in passing on the values that forge true humanity. New creativity is needed, to express, amid today’s challenges, the values that constitute us as a people, both in our societies and in the Church, the People of God.”
ON PATIENCE, FORGIVENESS AND UNDERSTANDING: Pope Francis writes that one result of the pandemic has been families spending more time together. This has presented new opportunities to foster communication among spouses and children, but it often requires patience and the willingness to forgive:
“May every family be a place of acceptance and understanding. Think about the advice I gave you [previously] on the importance of those three little words: ‘please, thanks, sorry,’ After every argument, ‘don’t let the day end without making peace.’ Don’t be ashamed to kneel together before Jesus in the Eucharist, in order to find a few moments of peace and to look at each other with tenderness and goodness. Or when one of you is a little angry, take him or her by the hand and force a complicit smile. You might also recite together a brief prayer each evening before going to bed, with Jesus at your side.”
And that last phrase is key: “Jesus at your side.” This is an important reality that must never be forgotten by married couples, widows, widowers, single adults and children. The Lord is with us always, amidst our joys and challenges, giving us hope and strength to live out our vocations and his call to holiness.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
+Donald J. Kettler
Bishop of Saint Cloud
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LEARN MORE
- For educational resources regarding marriage and family, visit the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family’s webpage at: https://stcdio.org/marriage-and-family.
- To read Pope Francis’ letter to married couples, visit https://bit.ly/3JPl4Vh.
Top photos: Getty Images/Luke Chan