All family life is a “shepherding” in mercy. Each of us, by our love and care, leaves a mark on the life of others; with Paul, we can say: “You are our letter of recommendation, written on your hearts… not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God” (2 Cor 3:2-3). Each of us is a “fisher of men” (Lk 5:10) who in Jesus’ name “casts the nets” (cf. Lk 5:5) to others, or a farmer who tills the fresh soil of those whom he or she loves, seeking to bring out the best in them. Marital fruitfulness involves helping others, for “to love anybody is to expect from him something which can neither be defined nor foreseen; it is at the same time in some way to make it possible for him to fulfill this expectation”. This is itself a way to worship God, who has sown so much good in others in the hope that we will help make it grow. (#322)
In the final paragraphs of Amoris Laetitia our Holy Father Pope Francis shares with the Church and world a vision of holiness within the family. As we pray with the above passage and let it rest upon our hearts we can hear the echo of the Divine call to love.
As many of you know, this has been the week of World Youth Day. While in the United States for the past two weeks we have heard from our major political parties and their voices, in Poland for the past two weeks another voice has spoken. It has been a quieter voice that has been proclaimed by the joy of the young people and the whisper of the Holy Spirit moving through them and growing ever deeper in their lives. We must remember that “quieter” for teens is a much different term because of the joy of singing, praying and conversation with each other takes on the energy of youth.
As with our Holy Father, many of the young making their pilgrimage to Poland have for the first time visited the horrors of Auschwitz and the reality of godless power. As a college student studying in Germany in the late 1980’s, because of the political conflict, I didn’t have a chance to visit this killing field, but I was able visit Dachau outside of Munich Germany. The one thing that I will never forget is the silence. Walking onto the ground that had witnessed such cruelty brought a profound quiet, quiet that invited the soul to ponder what should be impossible. I know from viewing social media that this has also been the experience of so many young people as it was for Pope Francis this week where he left the simple message of hope in the Memory book in Auschwitz, “Lord have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty!”
It is a message of hope because of God’s mercy and forgiveness it offered in love to all people. As we are reminded in the above quote from Amoris Laetitia the foundation of mercy and forgiveness is fostered in the love of the family through the blessing of the husband and wife sharing mercy and forgiveness in their love for each other. We are reminded that the living Gospel is seen in the lives of each person and the great love letter of life, shared, broken and blessed between husband and wife flows forth into their children, extended family and all who see and hear their witness to love.
The work of marriage is the witnessing to love, mercy and reconciliation towards the other. When this work is taken up with joy and blessing then the reality of sin in the hate and persecution of others is blunted as the practice of mercy and reconciliation is planted within the hearts of the family: husband to wife, wife to husband and parents to children. It is the shepherding in mercy of bringing the other into the meadow of Divine love where we are able to witness the quiet power of peace that is given only in a relationship of love with Jesus Christ.
Choosing to become a pilgrim and enter into places of hurt and sin allows us to become witnesses of love. When we, as family, as Church, as the people of God, choose to become the pilgrim people in witnessing to this mercy, we call forth the best of who we are because we do not walk alone–our Lord Jesus is with us as the true Shepherd of life, love and mercy. It is the true invitation of mercy…It is Jesus’ invitation to us all, ”come, follow me.”
God Bless Fr. Mark