by Fr. Sean Kilcawley, Director of the Office of Family Life
On March 19th, Pope Francis announced the “Amoris Laetitia Family Year” in which he invites us to re-read the document Amoris Laetitia and look again at the important role of marriage and family life within the Church. The year will culminate in the celebration of the World Meeting of Families in Rome June 26, 2022.
Of course, many of us missed that point. This year of the family began on the feast of St. Joseph, in the “Year of St. Joseph,” 10 days before Holy Week, and the announcement that in Nebraska, we will be restoring the Mass obligation on the upcoming feast of Pentecost. It also takes place in a time of political turmoil and uncertainty when it has been easy for many of us to become obsessed with the news cycle. Taking into account everything that is going on in the Church and the world, we reasonably might ask the question, “why are we trying to do one more thing?”
In Evangelii Gaudiam, Pope Francis writes, “The family is experiencing a profound cultural crisis, as are all communities and social bonds. In the case of the family, the weakening of these bonds is particularly serious because the family is the fundamental cell of society, where we learn to live with others despite our differences and to belong to one another” (Evangelii Gaudiam 66).
The cultural crisis alluded to by Pope Francis in the first year of his pontificate has only become more apparent in recent years. Therefore, it seems fitting to turn our attention this year not only to St. Joseph, the head of the Holy Family, but to our own families which are in such great need of his intercession. While our newsfeeds constantly remind us of the division that exists in our society, it is important for us to focus our attention on shoring up the unity within our families, parishes, and the Church.
Therefore, the better question to ask right now is, “what does Jesus want to do with this year of the family?” What does Jesus want to do for your marriage and family life? In recent history the Church has given us many years with different themes in order to focus our attention on what is important, and with each year there is a particular grace to be received.
Two of these stand out for me as I reflect on my own experience. I was ordained a priest May 28, 2005 in the “Year of the Eucharist” and celebrated my first Mass on the feast of Corpus Christi. What an amazing grace I shared with my classmates, Father Brendan Kelly and Father Joseph Faulkner—the first Masses we offered celebrated the feast of the Eucharist within the year of the Eucharist. Each time I offer Mass there is a particular memory of the special year dedicated to the Eucharist in which I became a priest of Jesus Christ so that I could confect the Eucharist for the people of God.
Pope Benedict XVI called for a “Year of the Priest” which began June 19, 2009. A few months later, I moved to Rome to begin my graduate studies. What a grace it was to take a new look at my priesthood in the city of Rome, where I attended many Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica with Pope Benedict XVI. The year of the priest also marked the beginning of a new conversion in my heart, which led to a purification of my intentions regarding my vocation. I continue to be filled with wonder as I contemplate the way Our Lord used that pivotal time within the Year of the Priest to reveal his love for me and to call me to live my priesthood in a more profound way.
So, I have to believe that this Year of the Family has the potential to do the same thing for both family ministry within our diocese, and for your families in a very particular way. This Year of the Family is a reminder to all of us to slow down and put things in the proper perspective. In the midst of the busyness of our lives, the importance of family life is easily forgotten or overlooked in the midst of other seemingly more important things. We can forget that the family is our first and most efficacious “school of love,” the family is the place our identity is fostered, and that the family, as Pope Benedict XVI so beautifully stated, is the “human space of our encounter with Christ.”
This year, we are invited to intentionally reflect on our own family life. This can begin with taking an honest look at how we spend our time. How much time do we spend simply being together? Where can we improve times together at meals, or family prayer? If we live in an imperfect family (Hint: we all do) what steps can we take to grow closer with one another? How does Jesus desire to encounter your family and continue to transform and renew your domestic Church? These are just some of the themes we are invited to focus on during this year.
To assist families with ideas of ways to answer these questions, the Family Life Office will host a summer family challenge which will take place between Pentecost and the feast of the Assumption Aug. 15. The challenge consists of 33 activities for families to do together which will include pilgrimages, family prayer, service activities, and fun. More detailed information will be available in upcoming issues of the Southern Nebraska Register and on the diocesan website.
We are also partnering with the Emmaus Institute to host date nights for couples, focused on the theme of marriage and family during the summer months. These events will be both in person, and livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.
In a world that can seem so dark, we are called evermore to be lights that shine in the darkness. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the source of that light, and the more we allow Him to enter into and direct the activities of our family lives, the more His light shines through us as we go out into the world. This year you are invited to reflect more deeply on the great gift of marriage and family life. The world needs witnesses to the truth, beauty, and goodness of family life lived well.
