The family is the first bearer of a hope-filled life

In this great Jubilee Year with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”, we can turn to our families as first bearers of hope-filled life. Pope Francis is mindful of families whose loved ones have left for a greener pasture to support them. Where there is selfless sacrifice for the good of the family members, there is hope. “Signs of hope should also be present for migrants who leave their homelands behind in search of a better life for themselves and for their families. Their expectations must not be frustrated by prejudice and rejection” (SNC 13).

As Pope Francis reminds us that patience is the closest virtue of hope, families must learn to spend time again to be together. For hope to reign, we must return to live together and share our joys and hopes in listening from each member of the family. When we discover the value of each person in the family more than anything, we retrieve the lost sense of family. “Even families find it hard to get together and enjoy one another’s company”, Pope Francis writes. (SNC 4).

As we celebrate Pro-life month in this Jubilee Year of Hope, let our Lord Jesus Christ, our hope, become concretely present again in each of our families. Let each Christian family be the first bearer of a hope-filled life.