One way or another, I’ve been part of a family all my life: as a child, as a husband and father, as a grandfather. The experience has never been perfect. But I think Pope Francis is right. We do, occasionally, have “tremendous joys”.
I also think the pope’s March prayer intention is a good idea:
“Pope’s March prayer intention: ‘for families in crisis’”
“Pope Francis releases his prayer intention for the month of March 2025, and invites everyone to pray for ‘families in crisis,’ as he acknowledges that no family is perfect, but that when we forgive our family members, we can rediscover peace.”
Deborah Castellano Lubov, Vatican News (March 4, 2025)….“… ‘We all dream about a beautiful, perfect family. But,’ Pope Francis recognized, ‘there’s no such thing as a perfect family,’ for each family ‘has its own problems,’ ‘as well as its tremendous joys.’…”
I’ve embedded the video that went along with that article:
My prayer routine won’t change because of this. I already “…offer [my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day] for the intentions of our bishops and of all the apostles of prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month”.
What’ll be different this month is that I know what the pope’s prayer intention is.
As for what “intention” means in this context — the way I’ve seen the word used, a prayer intention is a specific request. Which, in this case, is help for families who are going through rough patches.
That makes sense to me.
I’ve talked about families and rough patches before, and have posted something our parish priest said about families and celebrating life:
- “Early Diagnosis, Tardy Treatment, and a Gimpy Hip”
(January 25, 2025) - “Healing a Deaf Mute, Purpose, Families, and Celebrating Life”
Guest post: Father Greg Paffel (September 14, 2024) - “Health and Surfside Condo Collapse: Siloam Scenarios”
(June 26, 2021) - “Another Death in the Family”
(December 28, 2019) - “Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Hope”
(October 9, 2016)
Gotta remember: Even the Holy Family had their suffering here on earth, what with how Mama Mary and Saint Joseph also had to live with the risk of ostracism even to the point of being killed for letting the Lord Jesus do His will. Early on, they fled to Egypt, the land of their ancestors’ former slavers, and later on, Mama Mary was at the foot of the Cross with Saint John, an Apostle who stuck around for the Lord during His final suffering even though they just got betrayed by not only Judas but also Saint Peter. Even when we refuse to know and allow Him, He knows and loves truly.
Yeah. Indeed. The Holy Family sets a pretty high bar. About the time they spent in Egypt, after Joseph got rousted out of a good night’s sleep by that warning – which was vital for our Lord’s survival – https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/what-is-the-feast-of-the-holy-innocents/ – it’s small wonder that Joseph got another warning which prompted his resettling in Nazareth, in Galilee. Folks in Bethlehem might understandably feel upset at what Herod had done – and folks who are upset can be unreasonable.
Anyway, **yes.** – – – God – Father, Son, Holy Spirit – loves us. Which also sets a pretty high bar.