| Where is the world's greatest need?
As Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are
called by God through the charism (spirit of our Mother Foundress, Clelia Merloni) to live the Gospel and to serve the Church wherever the need arises.
Today, so many great needs exist in so many places in our own country and around the world that it is tempting to ignore them or overlook them all. However, as Christians none of us is exempt from feeling the pain that also penetrates the Heart of Christ.
And so we ponder where to start. Inevitably, the family seems to be the unfortunate victim of the social, economic, and political tensions which emerge daily. We all belong to a family, and therefore have firsthand experience with these tensions. How might we take steps in our families to extend the love and mercy that the Holy Father, Pope Francis, already initiated?
Following Christ's example, he calls us to reach out to the poor, the elderly, and our vulnerable members that they may know the tenderness of God. Do our families know that tenderness?
During his Papal visit to the United States this fall, Pope Francis will attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, a global conference to discuss current issues affecting families. May we pray for his efforts to support families and know them better through dialogue. May we also be agents of God's love and mercy, especially in our own families. |
