«Love is
our mission:
The family
fully alive»

 

«God willed
to be born
and to grow up
in a human family. In this way,
He has consecrated
the family
as the first
and ordinary way
of his encounter with humanity»
(Benedict XVI)

Families and children

The most authentic and profound vocation of the family is that of supporting each one of its members on the path of discovery of God and of the plan He has ordained for them. In the celebration of the sacrament, a man and a woman speak a prophetic word of reciprocal self-giving, that of being "one flesh", a sign of the mystery of the union of Christ with the Church (cf. Eph 5:32).

«In the face of widespread confusion in the sphere of affectivity, and the rise of ways of thinking which trivialize the human body and sexual differentiation, the word of God reaffirms the original goodness of the human being, created as man and woman and called to a love which is faithful, reciprocal and fruitful» (Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini 85).

Through their fidelity and the unity of family life, spouses are the first to proclaim God's Word before their own children, who begin in prayer within the home thanks to the teachings of their parents. A truly Christian education can not disregard the experience of prayer. «I entrust to the protection of Jesus, Joseph and Mary to fathers and mothers, to instill in their children a love of prayer, invoking with them the Holy Name of God» (Benedict XVI).

During his life in Nazareth, Jesus honored the Virgin Mary and saint Joseph, being subject to their authority during the whole time of his infancy and adolescence (Lk 2:51-52). In this way, he made evident the primary value of the family in the education of a person. «Mary and Joseph educated Jesus above all by their example. The Holy Family of Nazareth is truly the 'prototype' of every Christian family that, united in the sacrament of marriage and nourished by the Word and the Eucharist, is called to carry out the marvelous vocation and mission of being a living cell not only of society but of the Church» (Benedict XVI, Angelus of 31-Dec-06).

We stand for life and we believe that every human being has the right to live without anyone stops him. Respect for life is not a matter of religion or ideology. Life is essential to the exercise of any human right. We believe in a society united to promote life, definitely renouncing to all forms of violence.

«The Synod also recommended the formation of small communities of families, where common prayer and meditation on passages of Scripture can be cultivated […] The Word of God is a precious support amid the difficulties which arise in marriage and in family life» (Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini 85). In the Movement, families are integrated in pastoral communities. There they seek to develop personal inner life, family inner life, and the education and evangelization of children.

The family, integrated in a faith community, is the basis of a healthy society and of the People of God that creates history of Salvation. At present, the families that participate in The Movement of the Word of God, have approximately 1400 children.

«At the dawn of the third millennium not only are there still many peoples who have not come to know the Good News, but also a great many Christians who need to have the Word of God once more persuasively proclaimed to them, so that they can concretely experience the power of the Gospel» (Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini 96).

See also:

• Formation resources: Family & Society
• La renovacion de las familias, Carlos Yaquino, in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 23, page 23,(august 1980).
• A family given to the Lord , Margarita and Daniel, in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 30, page 12 (december 1981).
• Creciendo con nuestros hijos, Mirtha L. Rigoni, in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 65, page 9 (december 1988).
• La familia y la comunidad de fe en el Movimiento, Luis and Cristina Samaniego, in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 80, page 10 (december 1991).
• La familia comunitaria, by P. Ricardo L. Martensen, in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 100, page 6 (november 1995).
• Familias evangelizando, A. Bourgeois and D. Poli, in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 105, page 12 (december 1996).
• El lugar de la familia en la comunidad de fe, Escuela Pastoral, in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 105, page 14 (december 1996).
• Soy un sueno de Dios, Marcela Leguizamon, in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 120, page 6 (december 1999).
• The value of life , Adriana E. Nigro, in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 130, page 14 (december 2001).
• Vivir el amor en la familia, Monica O., in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 140, page 14 (december 2003).
• Sanacion de la familia desde la gracia nupcial de los esposos, P. Daniel Viera, MPD, in Cristo Vive Aleluia! 145, page 28 (december 2004).