Pope Francis: ‘Patch up family feuds’
Proposed Theme: Mercy and Forgiveness
On the 20th of each month, our parish of Malin prays for the 24 hours for Marriage & Family Life. This is part of a Movement of Continuous Prayer for Marriage & Family Life as other parishes and groups take on the prayer for the other days of the month. Next Sunday our theme is ‘Mercy and Forgiveness’
Some Thoughts: Pope Francis has said. ‘Let this be a time to end all family feuds, to forgive each other and let bygones be bygones,’
To make this prayer continuous, many people in our parish have committed themselves to a specific hour of prayer on the 20th in such a way that the whole day and night are covered.
Everyone is invited to join in this prayer, either by taking on an hour, or by including this intention in your own prayer during that day; by including it in the prayers of the Masses celebrated on that day; by inviting the schools of the parish to involve the children and young people in praying for it; by asking any prayer groups that are meeting on that day to also include a prayer for it.
Some Thoughts:
- ‘Let this be a time to end all family feuds, to forgive each other and let bygones be bygones,’ Pope Francis has said.
- “I think about so many brothers and sisters who are estranged from their families; they don’t speak to each other,” he said during one of his weekly general audiences in St Peter’s Square.
- “This is a good occasion to meet up again, to embrace each other and forgive each other, to leave bad things behind,” he said.
- Catholics are called to recognise their own need for God’s mercy, the greatness of God’s love seen in the death and resurrection of Christ and the obligation to assist others by communicating God’s love and mercy through words and deeds.
- We are called to forgive each other, to harden not our hearts and to not let pride get in the way of reconciliation.
- “God’s mercy transforms human hearts; it enables us, through the experience of a faithful love, to become merciful in turn.”
- “Love alone is the answer to that yearning for infinite happiness,” Pope Francis wrote. It is the only response to the longings “that we think we can satisfy with the idols of knowledge, power and riches.”
In our Prayers this month we may want to pray for those families where members do not speak to each other and where they are estranged from each other, that they may reach out, love and forgive each other. May all families within our community grow in love and respect for each other.