HOLY HOMEWORK

Christmas With the Family

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Christmas has been, is and always will be a celebration of the family. Admittedly the liturgical focus of the season emphasizes the arrival of the long-awaited Savior. And the theology of the incarnation (God becoming human) will always be a profound mystery captured by the wood and the lights of the Christmas tree, a foreshadowing of the wood of the cross—the suffering and death—as well as the light—the resurrection—which Christ was born to endure and fulfill.

But beneath the tree is the crèche of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph taking refuge in a stable because the inns at Bethlehem were overcrowded. They are a young family and a pitifully poor family. So although they are a holy family, strengthened and bonded by their care and love for one another, they are still a family in need of assistance. They, too, are a foreshadowing of the suffering and plight of so many families today, which the Synod of Bishops addressed earlier this year.

In his closing remarks at this Synod, Pope Francis included a powerful footnote, which may have gone unnoticed by many. In it he designed an acrostic on the Italian word for family. In Italian this word is “famiglia.” The Holy Father summarized the work of the Synod by taking each letter of that word and creating eight challenges to help resolve many issues impacting families nowadays.

Below is a “translation” of sorts from the Holy Father's eight Italian letters into eight English letters, which spell the word “families.” This English acrostic retains the message that Francis intended, albeit in a different sequence, by suggesting eight virtues, which highlight the major concerns discussed by the Synod.

F-A-M-I-L-I-E-S

Fidelity—True love lasts. The Holy Father defines fidelity as a willingness to be bothered. He acknowledges that faithfulness in marriage is not easy but reminds us that love gives us strength to remain loyal, no matter how bothersome family life may be at times.

Altruism—Focus on others. Pope Francis is dogmatic about our need to focus outwardly toward others rather than inwardly toward ourselves. He says plainly that self-centered people (and churches) are dead to Christ's mission.

Mercy—Show everyone compassion. The pope mentions several populations here that can easily be overlooked. These include the neglected elderly, abandoned sinners, children pained by parental separation, poor families, couples torn apart by grief and those who are differently able.

Inclusion—Welcome all families. Francis asks us to unconditionally embrace all families, especially those families who are in trouble. The pope does not want anyone to feel excluded from the grace and communion of the Church.

Liberation—Free the ill informed. Here the Holy Father acknowledges that some people are sorely mistaken in their beliefs because they exclude God from their process of conscience formation. Francis says we must help others create correctly informed consciences, which they can follow happily.

Illumination—Revise marriage prep programs. The focus here is to breathe new life into the programs we use to prepare couples for marriage. The pope is aware that many young couples are afraid of a lifetime commitment. He asks that we develop programs, which alleviate such fears by focusing on the joys and sanctity of marriage.

Encouragement—Fortify faithful families. This is a well-deserved praise for those who have been faithful to Church teachings. Francis views such couples as very practical people who are celebrating their sacrament and who are wonderful role models for others to emulate.

Service—Restore Church credibility. The Holy Father assures us that this generous virtue, service, will renew the Church in its allegiance to Christ through its charity toward others, especially the poor, the vulnerable and the most abandoned. He does not shy away from the fact that restoring the Church's credibility includes countering the sins and scandal committed by some clergy in the past.

For Holy Homework:

During this Christmas season we should take a moment to pause before the crèche in our parish church. There we can offer eight Hail Marys or any brief prayers, one for each of the virtues which Pope Francis has drawn from the word, which embodies the hopes and dreams of all Catholic FAMILIES.

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