Posted October 10, 2014

See the daily excerpt from the preparatory catechesis for the 2015 World Meeting of Families, “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.”

24. The Bible bursts with imagery of God’s love. God is a father welcoming home his prodigal son and hosting a feast. (Lk 15:11-32) God is a shepherd searching for his lost sheep. (Lk 15:3-7) God is a mother who comforts her children. (Isa 66:13) God is a friend who lays down his life for others, and who weeps when his friends suffer. (Jn 11:35) God is a teacher, leading us to love and serve one another as neighbors. (Mt 22:39) God is a gardener, tending us until we bear good fruit. (Jn 15:1) God is a king inviting us to his son’s wedding banquet. (Mt 22:1-14) God hears a blind man’s cry, and stops to ask: what do you want me to do for you? (Mk 10:46-52) God is welcoming, filled with compassion for his people when they are hungry, offering them food (Mt 14:13-21),18 and offering himself. (Mt 26:26)

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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.

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