Bishop
Orowae: family is first seat of evangelisation
(Vatican Radio) Prayer is a central part of life at the Synod Assembly,
and of the work of the Synod Fathers. On Friday morning, at Terce – the
Church’s official praise of God at the “third hour” of the morning – Bishop
Arnold Orowae of Wabag, Papua New Guinea, delivered the homily. In his remarks
to the other participants, Bishop Orowae focused on the family as the place
where most people come to know Christ and learn to be members of His Church.
“In the families where parents take seriously their God given responsibilities
to nurture and support, teach and guide, protect and defend their children and
other family members,” he said, “their duty as Catholic lay people to
evangelise in and through the family can be clearly understood and is carried
out.” Below, please find the full text of Bishop Arnold Orowae’s prepared text.
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St.
Paul in his letter to the Romans says that God speaks through the Good News. It
shows and leads us to faith and one can find life through faith. Faith in God
helps to build a relationship in love which is manifested in the practical
signs of love shown to the people by reaching out to them in charity for their
good in body and spirit.
"The
joy of the Gospel fills the hearts of all who encounter Jesus" (Evangelii Gaudium n. 1). With these simple words the Holy Father Pope
Francis has ignited a flame that is spreading throughout the world. On the lips
of many people the words "joy of the Gospel" is spoken with delight
and with enthusiasm as if though there is a new message of the gospel to be
proclaimed and shared. It is our prayer that Catholic individuals and families
throughout the whole world might be filled with the joy of the gospel and an
ardent desire to share that joy with other Christians and non-Christians alike.
In this way more and more people will become alive in Christ, disciples of
Jesus eager to participate in a new evangelization which will bring the Good
News that leads to faith to everyone.
We
encourage our families to search for the joy that comes from meeting Christ in
the Gospel. It is there they will find this happiness. The Holy Father also
express a sad reality when he says, "There are Christians (and families)
whose lives seem like Lent without Easter" (Evangelii gaudium n. 6). The
families should be encouraged to rediscover the Gospel, read the Good News with
the children in the homes, and in the Basic Christian Communities, and pray
about it, and make it a part of their daily family life. This will help
increase their faith, hope, love, joy and peace in the families. The house
where the family lives deserves to be called a "home" only when
happiness is the air that all in the family breaths and where everyone
experiences the joy of living together in harmony.
Today,
many of the families are struggling with the many challenges and distractions
that are there. These have to be faced and overcome to build healthy families.
The families are at their best when it comes to discussing and tackling
problems and conflicting issues. The Church is grateful for the many Catholic
families who believe in the gospel values, follow them in family life, teach
the faith to the children, and set examples that other families can see and
imitate.
In
the families where parents take seriously their God given responsibilities to
nurture and support, teach and guide, protect and defend their children and
other family members, their duty as Catholic lay people to evangelise in and
through the family can be clearly understood and is carried out. It is our hope
and prayer that the Christian families that make up the larger part of the body
of Christ play this important role in becoming evangelizers and living witness
to Christ through the Christian joy in the families.
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