Scottish Catholic Observer

The Holy Father was speaking during a Mass marking the Day for the Family in Rome last Sunday, with families from around the world joining him in a celebration of the joy of family life.

“I would like to ask a question today,” the Pope said. “Everyone—how will you carry joy home in your heart? How’s the joy in your home? How’s the joy in your family? The family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally. That family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world, it is the leaven of society: the joyous family!”

He went on to draw out the connection between joy and Faith lived in everyday life.

“True joy comes from a profound harmony between persons, something which we all feel in our hearts and which makes us experience the beauty of togetherness, of mutual support along life’s journey,” he said. “But the basis of this feeling of deep joy is the presence of God—the presence of God in the family and His love, which is welcoming, merciful, and respectful towards all.”

“Prayer provides strength for this kind of love, although many find it difficult to pray in a communal setting,” the Pope acknowledged. “So many people say to me: ‘how can we (pray)?… Prayer is something personal, and besides, there is never a good time, a moment of peace…’ All that is true enough, but it is also a matter of humility, of realising that we need God!”

Pope Francis also spoke of the ‘missionary’ nature of the family.

“How do we keep our Faith?” he asked.

The Holy Father ended the Mass with a special prayer for families.

Many families had travelled to Rome to celebrate the Day for the Family events. organised as part of the Year of Faith. Saturday’s activities included a pilgrimage to the tomb of St Peter and a celebration event in St Peter’s Square in the evening. Prior to Mass on Sunday morning, there was a recitation of the Rosary and Confession was available in various languages.

As part of the celebration event, the Pope entered the square on Saturday evening surrounded by children holding brightly coloured balloons. Music played as different acrobats and artists performed.

“The sacraments don’t just decorate life!” the Pope said during that event. “They are there to give us strength of life!”

On Friday, he told participants in the 21st plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family, that it is more important than ever that the world recognises the importance of the family.

Calling the family the ‘engine of the world,’ the Holy Father said that when one receives a Christian education in the family, he learns to recognise ‘the dignity of every individual person, par

—This story ran in full in the November 1 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes