World Meeting Of Families 2015 Philadelphia
“The family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally. That family is the salt of the earth and light of the world; it is the leaven of society.”
– Pope Francis, October 27, 2013

 

World Meeting Of Families – Philadelphia 2015
September 22-27, 2015


A Prayer for the
World Meeting of Families
Philadelphia 2015

God and Father of us all,
in Jesus, your Son and our Savior,
you have made us
your sons and daughters
in the family of the Church.

May your grace and love
help our families
in every part of the world
be united to one another
in fidelity to the Gospel.

May the example of the Holy Family,
with the aid of your Holy Spirit,
guide all families,
especially those most troubled,
to be homes of communion and prayer
and to always seek your truth and live in your love.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
pray for us!

You can download a copy of the prayer at WorldMeeting2015.org/about-the-event/prayer

10 Monthly Catechetical Themes On Family Life
August 2015: Choosing Life

To prepare for the World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis’s visit, we are studying a catechesis on family life called Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive. Each month, our parish is reflecting on one chapter. Previous monthly reflections are online at PhillyEvang.org/wmof. You can
order the catechesis as a paperback or e-book, and learn more about September’s big event, at WorldMeeting2015.org.

Chapter 10: Choosing Life
We began this catechesis by explaining that God made us for a reason. The God we meet in Jesus Christ loves us, and calls us to love as he does. Marriage is the sacrament that brings human fertility into this mission of love. If we understand that love is our mission in our marriages, families, and parishes, then we have learned a basic truth that will shape many other areas of life. For example, if fidelity to the covenant requires restraint and perseverance, if our bodies and the material world can be vessels of divine grace, then we can approach questions of sexuality, ecology, technology, and medicine with renewed commitment and insight. We now realize why a catechesis on the family has actually been a catechesis for all of life. If we have learned to think of our families as domestic churches, if we have learned why moral individualism is not the right context for receiving Catholic teaching, then we have adopted a view that will reorient our whole identity. This mission is not reserved for the few or for the extraordinary. Nor does it mean that families somehow have to stop being themselves or seek after some impossible perfection in order to witness to the Gospel. It may mean that we are sometimes minorities in a secular culture that sees life differently. But the Church has wide experience of many different cultural contexts, offering wisdom and advice about spiritual practices to sustain us. Please see the catechism for more details. Love is our origin and destiny, which is why only the way of love can truly satisfy, and that is why Love is Our Mission.
– Christopher C. Roberts, catechism editor

Did you know? The World Meeting of Families Adult and Youth Congress (Sept 22-25) offers families access to the riches of Jesus’ teachings on marriage and family life. The Congress will offer a wide variety of talks full of beautiful and enlivening truths and practical ways to live them so that our families can flourish and experience more joy. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Learn more about the WMOF Congress and how to register at WorldMeeting2015.org.