See the daily excerpt from the preparatory catechesis for the 2015 World Meeting of Families, “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.”
9. Among many things that he did on earth, Jesus suffered and yet persevered in love; Jesus was crucified by human hands and yet was raised victorious over death. Because God himself suffered these things, Christians believe that God is not remote from the human condition. Nor do we believe in a capricious god, or a deity in competition with human beings. The God in whom we trust wants us to flourish. Because of Jesus Christ, Catholics have confidence in God’s love for us. As Pope Francis explained in his first encyclical:
To those who suffer, God does not provide arguments which explain everything; rather, his response is that of an accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of suffering and opens up a ray of light. In Christ, God himself wishes to share this path with us and to offer us his gaze so that we might see the light within it. Christ is the one who, having endured suffering, is the “pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”
***
In its introduction, the document says its aim is to present “Catholic teaching in a way that is fresh, insightful, and accessible to contemporary Catholics and all people of good will.” The catechesis “offers a narrative beginning with our creation, soberly noting our fall and the challenges we face, but emphasizing God’s plan for our salvation. Love is our mission, and it is by loving God and one another that we will be fully alive.”
Each day in CatholicPhilly.com’s World Meeting of Families section you can reflect on the official Catholic teaching on the family presented in the catechesis, pray a special prayer together as a family or individually, and stay on top of breaking news about the events coming Sept. 22-27, 2015.
Order the catechesis for your home via Our Sunday Visitor, and visit WorldMeeting2015.org for more information on the events.
Sign up for our newsletter so you won’t miss any development about the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.
Share this story