Love is something to live and learn. Perfect families do not exist: This must not discourage us, quite the opposite.
Love is something we learn; love is something we live; love grows as it is “forged” by the concrete situation which each particular family experiences.
Love is born and constantly develops amid lights and shadows. (Pope Francis, Prayer Vigil, Philadelphia, Sept 26, 2015.
We may feel bad, sometimes, that our families aren’t perfect – or that they aren’t a whole lot better: kinder, more obedient, more capable, you name it.
But love is our mission-it’s a big deal! Do we really think we’re going to spend our whole lives on something we can master so easily?
Would you want to spend your whole life doing something that didn’t get more interesting – and more challenging?
Lord, help us not to feel overwhelmed by the difficulties we experience in our families.
Let us recognise our challenges as ways in which you are forging new and better hearts within us.