P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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INTENTION : |
That Christian families may lovingly welcome every child who comes into existence and surround the sick and the aged, who need care and assistance, with affection.
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By its very nature the family is always the first "cradle" at the dawn of life and the place where suffering life, on the way to its sunset, is protected and assisted. Nobody can deny that only affection, loving care and the warmth of a real family can offer the environment in which each child is conceived to existence.
God the Creator has a particular design of love for every child whom he calls into existence. Children must be rediscovered as the most precious gift of God; they have been loved personally by God and are the image of God, with whom He has a personal relationship of dialogue. Thus the family, with its love for the little ones, and the other weaker members - the sick, disabled and elderly - contributes to the construction of a welcoming and loving community. They must never be abandoned or considered useless or set aside. They are a great gift for the family and for the whole of society: they give their love, their experience and their very presence.
It is fundamental that we recognize that children, born and yet to be born, and the weaker members are members of the family to all intents and purposes. And a family where love, rather than egoism, reigns will know how to recognize and put into practice Jesus words: "In so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me".
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