As our Catholic Church begins the long process of digesting Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia I have found it helpful to reflect and remind myself of some of the broader biblical themes that our Holy Father continues to remind us seek and follow with joy. First, the gospel message is good news that frees us from slavery to sin. Second, the Church is always looking outward and inward at the same time: we are called to go to the peripheries of society and seek God in sacramental graces. Third, we are to be a field hospital for the world: we accept the broken, wounded and with love and compassion offer God’s healing grace. Fourth, we are to act in God’s mercy and forgiveness: the Jubilee Year of Mercy focuses us on the blessing in our midst. I am sure there are many others “themes” that could and should be pointed out but these four have been on my heart as I have begun to read the Exhortation this week. (just a side note: I am only on #22 of 325 sections in the document)

One of the reasons that the reading has been going so slowly is the great number of citations from Sacred Scripture that Pope Francis uses in the opening chapter of the Exhortation. I have been reading with the document in one hand and the bible in the other looking deeply at the foundational call to love that God places in the center of his relationship with the people of Israel and the Church. We are reminded again and again how God extends himself towards humanity in seeking a relationship of love and how he uses the family, and the love between husband and wife as the icon for his love that flows through in abundance, generosity and fruitfulness.

We also see in the opening chapter of the Exhortation that these relationships are often broken in sin and I believe, returning to the four themes noted above, Pope Francis is seeking to remind us that the healing mercy of God is present even when we break relationships and turn away from his divine love.   Our Holy Father expresses it forcefully when he writes “The idyllic picture presented in Psalm 128is not at odds with a bitter truth found throughout sacred Scripture, that is, the presence of pain, evil and violence that break up families and their communion of life and love. For good reason Christ’s teaching on marriage (cf. Mt 19:3-9) is inserted within a dispute about divorce. The word of God constantly testifies to that sombre dimension already present at the beginning, when, through sin, the relationship of love and purity between man and woman turns into domination: “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Gen 3:16).” (#19)

The foundation of God’s love pours forth from Sacred Scripture focusing again and again on the extended hand of forgiveness and the unity that God calls each of us to freely choose. It is the continued voice of invitation to come and embrace the peace that only Jesus can share with us when we take up our cross to follow him. If we place the foundation of all relationships upon the rock of God’s truth then love with flourish in abundance. Pope Francis continues later, “In this brief review, we can see that the word of God is not a series of abstract ideas but rather a source of comfort and companionship for every family that experiences difficulties or suffering. For it shows them the goal of their journey, when God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more” (Rev 21:4). The work of your hands.” (22)

This great letter of love from our Catholic tradition invites us to offer our hearts into the tender hands of our loving Father.

God Bless

Fr. Mark