My brothers and sisters: In this month of March, Pope Francis invites us to pray for families who find themselves in crisis: That broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences. Family is the privileged place where love is nurtured and learnt in practice; it is the place where the faith is passed on. Simply put, it is our foundation. Without the strength given to us by the family, we are without foundation; we crumple. Everyone suffers in a broken family, and that is why Pope Francis describes the reality of broken families as a family in crisis. It is truly unfortunate that many of us come from broken families where the parents are either separated or divorced. There can be many reasons behind the breakup, and I am not here to justify or vilify them. What is undeniable is that the hurt and its long-term effects can do a lot of damage, and we may be unaware of them until much later. While we are unable to turn back the clock and change the painful past, we can focus on the resulting wounds on the person in the present. The Holy Father suggests “forgiveness” as a way forward. Indeed, Jesus Christ explicitly mentions forgiveness in the prayer that he has given us. When we ask the Lord for forgiveness and receive his pardon, his mercy stretches and enlivens our hearts to be able to forgive others. Also, forgiveness is up to us: We are the ones who decide whether to forgive another person or not; it is not dependent on any uncontrollable external factors. Finally, forgiveness is a process: Learn to forgive a little more, every day, so that it becomes more and more complete in God’s time. May God bless you today. Watch previous Pray with Pope Francis videos here.
