By Deacon Jim Krupka
This article begins a series drawing from Pope Francis’ message to the world on love in the family. Early as pope, Pope Francis called on the Church to reflect on the role and challenges of families in modern times. In 2014 and 2015, the Pope assembled two gatherings, called synods, focused on family. The synod process allowed the Church to honestly look at the situation for families in today’s world. As you can imagine, there is a wide diversity of conditions confronting families from place to place. Molokai is not like Los Angeles nor Central Africa. But there are some common themes, with the overarching theme being love in its richness within a family.
Shortly after the close of the 2015 synod, Pope Francis published a summary of the results in what is formally called an apostolic exhortation. The title of the exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, translates as “The Joy of Love.” The first paragraph: “The joy of love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church,” reflects the spirit of the letter. If you wish, you can access Amoris Laetitia online for free (vatican.va website) or buy a printed copy through booksellers.
The Pope begins with a personal message aimed at married people entitled, “You and Your Wife.” Marriage is presented as a “light of the Word.” No, I did not misspell the last word. The Pope said “light of the Word,” not “World.” He draws from scriptures recounting the gift of marriage in Genesis (Gen 2:24) and our most profound existence as man and woman. That Word of God from Genesis is made visible to the world through holy marriages and families. The couple that “loves and begets life is a true, living icon.” The couple becomes an image of love that shows others the love of God.
As you read this, renew the emotion of your marriage. Think about all that each has given to the other. Look at each other eye-to-eye. Let silence speak “more eloquently” than words in that quiet moment—treasure what you see. Feel the words of the woman in Song of Songs: “My beloved is mine, and I am his…I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” (Songs 2:16; 6:3).