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We have seen how the opening prayer of the Letter to the Ephesians details for us seven great blessings which God has bestowed on us. These blessings motivate us to praise and thank God. Throughout the Letter, Paul continually returns to these blessings, meditating on them from different aspects. Indeed, his meditation opens new vistas for us on the magnitude and munificence of God's gifts. The closing verse of today's reading from Ephesians reflects how our union in Christ grants us an entry into the presence of God which would not otherwise have been possible. Not only may we speak freely to God, but we are enabled to do so through the grace of Christ. We speak, moreover, not of some far distant God, but one we can draw near to. As we come into the presence of God, we do so, not in fear and trembling, but with confidence. Christ is our confidence, our hope. He is the fountain and origin of our hope, its foundation and its model. Jesus told us He is the way. So Paul affirms that Jesus is the way into the Father's presence. Father in heaven, we praise You and thank You: Jesus lead us into Your presence. Grant us the grace always to live through love in Your presence. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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That young married couples may be sustained by the example and assistance of their parents and other families
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The testimony and help that parents and other families must offer to sustain young married couples finds its place in the ambit of post-matrimonial pastoral care. Parents and other families are the most suited to offer this assistance to young spouses because clearly they have lived personally the values which they must transmit. These parents show faithfulness through living in the best possible way the commitments assumed during their marriage. One could ask, but why is it necessary for young couples to be sustained by the testimony of their parents and other families? The answer is, because today there are many negative attitudes which scandalise and discourage young people. Being new to the condition of matrimonial life they need advice, encouragement, moral support, correction and prayer. They cannot be left alone or abandoned in this phase of their lives. Couples need to take advantage of the wealth of the experience and wisdom of their parents. "The pastoral action of the Church must be progressive, also in the sense that it must accompany the family, following it step by step in the various stages of its formation and development," (Familiaris Consortio n65, 69). | |
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