Never Forget the Role of Families in the Work of Evangelization

We would all wish for a perfect family, but the reality is that there are no perfect families. We must always remember that our families are God's gift to us. Our families are given to us by God as a safe haven for each member to flourish and to unfold their giftedness with one another. For instance, each member can learn from one another as to how to be more prayerful, caring, loving, resourceful, responsible, giving and hopeful for life.

It is within the family, therefore, that the work of evangelization must first find its rightful place. Within the family, the gift of faith must be lived; within the family the spirit of prayer should be nurtured; within the family the fruits of the spirit should be cultivated and shared. In fact, as a family unit, the greatest gift parents can give to their children is the gift of faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Christ affects everything and everyone in our lives.

Pope Paul VI exhorts, "One cannot fail to stress the evangelizing action of the family in the evangelizing apostolate of the laity. He says, 'At different moments in the Church's history and also in the Second Vatican Council, the family has well deserved the beautiful name of 'domestic Church.' This means that there should be found in every Christian family the various aspects of the entire Church. Moreover, the family, like the Church, ought to be a place where the Gospel is transmitted and from which the Gospel radiates.'

Pope Paul also noted, 'In a family which is conscious of this mission, all the members evangelize and are evangelized. The parents not only communicate the Gospel to their children, but from their children they can themselves receive the same Gospel as deeply lived by them."

Therefore, as a family of believers, let us continue to pray for all families. Let us never forget the role of families in the work of evangelization.