World Meeting of Families
This weekend sees the culmination of the tenth World Meeting of Families which began on Wednesday 22nd June and finishes on Sunday 26th June.
This meeting is held every three years in a different city across the world each time. The World Meeting of Families was originally launched in 1994 by Pope St John Paul II. The theme for this World Meeting of Families (WMOF) is “Family Love: a vocation and a path to Holiness.”
The week is organised and promoted by the Vatican Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. Although physically hosted by the Diocese of Rome, in 2022 the event will be multi-centred and spread out throughout the world’s Catholic Dioceses.
Unfortunately, I only heard of this on Tuesday this week and so I cannot really say what has been happening in our Diocese. I can only suggest that those of you who have the internet go to the following link.
There are cards available at Mass on Sunday. We ask each family to take a card upon which you can write the names of your families. The cards should then be posted in the box that sits in the sanctuary. There will be a WMOF prayer card distributed to parishioners. Hopefully, we might be able to pray it together at the end of Mass.
You can also find information on the Vatican website. I am pleased to see young families taking part in the Mass and engaging in the life of the parish after the restrictions of the pandemic. “When the babies are crying, or fidgety children are making a noise; these are all signs that the Church is young and alive; a community of young families, mature families, extended families, young and old together.”
Here at St Thomas, we need to encourage activities involving young families such as the walk and picnic organised last month to Toddlers Cove. What are other ways we can support couples with young families?
It is also important that, as a parish, we remember and help all those families who have fallen away from their practice of the faith for whatever reason.
Pope St. John Paul II wrote in his letter on families:
“Loving the family means being able to appreciate its values and capabilities, fostering them always. Loving the
family means identifying the dangers and the evils that menace it, in order to overcome them. Loving the family
means endeavouring to create for it an environment favourable for its development. The modern Christian family
is often tempted to be discouraged and is distressed at the growth of its difficulties; it is an eminent form of love
to give it back its reasons for confidence in itself, in the riches that it possesses by nature and grace, and in the
mission that God has entrusted to it. Yes indeed, the families of today must be called back to their original
position. They must follow Christ.”