Posted June 4, 2015

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

193. Minority status in a culture does not mean marginal or irrelevant status. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, teaching on our vocation to participate in society, cites a Christian letter, written at a time when the Church was far from established or socially prestigious. The temptation to withdraw must have been real, but the letter says: “Do not live entirely isolated, having retreated into yourselves as if you were already justified, but gather instead to seek the common good together.” This outward-looking, service-oriented spirit actually has an even more ancient pedigree. Said the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, even though the Babylonians had sacked Jerusalem and taken the Jews prisoners: “Seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you; pray for it to the Lord, for upon its welfare your own depends.” (Jer 29:7, NAB)

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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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