Posted December 8, 2014

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

65. Christian marriage is a matter of mutual self-surrender. And of course there are alternatives, other models of marriage on offer in society at large. But to the degree that “marriage” is a prize we allow ourselves and a partner only after a long sequence of erotic auditions, or to the extent that “marriage” is a contract, a division of rights between individuals protecting their own autonomy, then we are sowing the seeds of disappointment and conflict. Eros will wax and wane, and a framework of contesting rights is not fertile ground for mercy.

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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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