Do we ever reflect upon the crucial importance of the family-

For the personal development of each person?

For the well being of society?

For the future of humanity?

Walking in a local park recently I was struck by the endearing sight of parents and children happily walking together.

And at a granddaughter’s Confirmation Mass in a local church, how this sacred moment and rite of passage is so precious for the young people, their families and the Church.

The Church has just celebrated the great feast of the Holy Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit the Godhead family of love which breathes life into all creation. Christians are immersed in God’s family at baptism, “I baptise you in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit,” says the priest as the cleansing waters are poured over the head of the baptised signalling entry into a new life which reaches far beyond this life into eternity.

The 10^th world meeting of families is currently taking place in Rome from the 22^nd to the 26^th of June. This is wonderful celebration of family love. This is the prayer for the meeting –

 Family Love: Vocation and Path to Holiness

Heavenly Father,
We come before You to praise You
and to thank You for the great gift of the family.
We pray to You for all families
consecrated by the Sacrament of Matrimony.
May they rediscover each day
the grace they have received,
and as small domestic Churches,
may they know how to witness to Your presence
and to the love with which Christ loves the Church.
We pray to You for all families faced with difficulty and suffering
caused by illness or circumstances of which only You know.
Sustain them and make them aware
of the path to holiness upon which You call them,
so that they might experience Your infinite mercy
and find new ways to grow in love.
We pray to You for children and young people:
may they encounter You and respond joyfully
to the vocation You have in mind for them;
We pray for parents and grandparents: may they be aware
that they are signs of the fatherhood and motherhood of God
in caring for the children who, in body and spirit, You entrust to them;
and for the experience of fraternity
that the family can give to the world.
Lord, grant that each family
might live their specific vocation to holiness in the Church
as a call to become missionary disciples,
in the service of life and peace,
in communion with our priests, religious,
and all vocations in the Church.
Bless the World Meeting of Families.
Amen.

This prayer is inspired by the theme chosen by Pope Francis for the meeting: “Family love: a vocation and a path to holiness.”

By contrast it is tragic that family walks and church celebrations are seriously curtailed if not made impossible by the invasion of Ukraine where generations of families have died or been seriously injured and where millions of families are displaced and family members separated.  

This is true of any war and all violence. Bishop Emmanuel Badejo spoke out against the inactivity of the Nigerian government to protect Christians in view of the killing of 40 at the attack on St Francis Xavier parish church in Owo on Pentecost Sunday. There have been many other worshippers killed and kidnapped in Nigeria as we know.

It is very good news however that Roe and Wade has been overturned by the Supreme court in America. This is a wakeup call to countries throughout the world that many still believe in the sanctity of human life from conception. This is an answer to prayer. There will come a day when the scourge of the killing of unborn babies will end throughout the world for all time and the word abortion erased from dictionaries so that children if they hear the word will say, “abortion what is that?”