Walking Together Advent Program
WEEK FOUR
Responding as a Church to the needs of the world
Pope Francis acknowledges the pressures and complexities of modern life which adversely impact family relationships. He challenges us to encourage each other with a vision of marriage as “a dynamic path to personal development” while also staying close to and supportive of each other when we experience struggle and frailty in family life.
WEEK THREE
Seeking unity in our personal relationships
How we treat each other in our most intimate relationships, matters. So does the way we treat members of our extended family, especially non-believers. Francis recommends the simple discipline of saying ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ often and of humble witness within our extended family.
WEEK TWO
Family as domestic church and agent of evangelisation
Pope Francis believes that “the Church” expresses itself and powerfully touches the lives of others through the ‘domestic communities’ which are our family relationships. How we organise our family life, how we reach out to and receive others and how we allow others to support us in times of trouble, all greatly contribute to the building of God’s Kingdom.
WEEK ONE
Family life as an authentic pathway to holiness
Pope Francis wants us to understand that family life, with all its imperfections, struggles, problems and joys, is an authentic way to follow Jesus and to grow as a Christian.