Pope Francis told families to "keep the faith", not by being "defensive", but by being warn and open to others. He also called on them to recite the Lord's Prayer and Rosary as a family. Joy in the family is guaranteed by the "Lord [who] is near", who "hears the cry of the lowly and [. . .] frees them from evil." At the end of his address, the Holy Father left the crowd with a question, "which you will take home with you", i.e. "How is joy in your family? In your house?" He also prayed before the icon of the Presentation at the Temple, which was followed by the Angelus. Philadelphia will be the next venue for the International Meeting of Families, in September 2015.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Christian families are missionary families." They are "the salt of the earth and the light of the world," the "leaven for society." They do all this by guarding the faith, not "as a private good," but as something to be shared "by our witness, by our acceptance of others, by our openness".

Pope Francis gave Christian families this task in the address he made before a crowd of 100,000 and more people gathered in St Peter's Square for this morning's Mass on Family Day on the occasion of the Year of Faith. The faithful included families from around the world, representing several generations: moms, dads, grandparents, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

After yesterday's vigil, characterised by an atmosphere of celebration and excitement, with dancing, singing, and balloons, today's Mass outlined the Christian family's tasks, currently jeopardised by social and political pressures like "individual rights", common law couples, birth control, contraception, abortion, and economic attacks on family life.

Inspired by the second reading in today's Mass (2 Tim, 4:6-8, 16-18), the Pontiff cited Saint Paul who said, 'I have kept the faith.' "But how did he keep the faith?" Francis asked. "Not in a strong box! Nor did he hide it underground, like the lazy servant. Saint Paul compares his life to a fight and to a race. He kept the faith because he did not just defend it, but proclaimed it, spread it, brought it to distant lands. He stood up to all those who wanted to preserve, to "embalm" the message of Christ within the limits of Palestine. That is why he made courageous decisions, he went into hostile territory, he let himself be challenged by distant peoples and different cultures, and he spoke frankly and fearlessly. Saint Paul kept the faith because, in the same way that he received it, he gave it away, he went out to the fringes, and didn't dig himself into defensive positions."

The pope added, "How do we keep our faith? Do we keep it for ourselves, in our families, as a personal treasure, or are we able to share it by our witness, by our acceptance of others, by our openness? We all know that families, especially young families, are often "racing" from one place to another, with lots to do. But did you ever think that this "racing" could also be the race of faith? Christian families are missionary families, in their everyday life, in their doing everyday things, as they bring to everything the salt and the leaven of faith!"

The pope underlined two other features of the Christian family, namely prayer and joy. For him, the Christian family is a "family that prays." Hence, he went on to say, "I would like to ask you, dear families: Do you pray together from time to time as a family? Some of you do, I know. But so many people say to me: How can we? Prayer is something personal, and besides there is never a good time, a moment of peace . . .  Yes, all that is true enough, but it is also a matter of humility, of realizing that we need God, like the tax collector! And we need simplicity! Praying the Our Father together, around the table, is something all of you can do. And praying the Rosary together, as a family, is very beautiful and a source of great strength! And praying for one another!"

At last comes joy. "What is the reason for this gladness?" the pope asked. "It is that the Lord is near, he hears the cry of the lowly and he frees them from evil. As Saint Paul himself writes: 'Rejoice always... The Lord is near' (Phil 4:4-5).
Dear families, you know very well that the true joy which we experience in the family is not superficial; it does not come from material objects, from the fact that everything seems to be going well... True joy comes from a profound harmony between persons, something which we all feel in our hearts and which makes us experience the beauty of togetherness, of mutual support along life's journey. But the basis of this feeling of deep joy is the presence of God in the family and his love, which is welcoming, merciful, and respectful towards all. God alone knows how to create harmony from differences. But if God's love is lacking, the family loses its harmony, self-centredness prevails and joy fades. But the family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally. That family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world; it is the leaven of society."

Breaking away from his written speech, Francis said, "I would like to ask a question, which you will take home with you. How is joy in your family? In your house? Find the answer."

In concluding, he said, "Dear families, always live in faith and simplicity, like the Holy Family of Nazareth! The joy and peace of the Lord always be with you!"

Towards the end of the Mass, Pope Francis went before the icon of the Presentation at the Temple, on the left side of the altar, where he recited the following prayer:

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph: to you, the Holy Family of Nazareth, today we look with admiration and confidence; in you we contemplate the beauty of communion in true love; to you we recommend all our families, so that they may renew themselves in the wonders of grace.

"Holy Family of Nazareth, appealing school of the Holy Gospel, teach us to imitate your virtues
with wise spiritual discipline, give us the clear gaze that recognises the work of Providence in the daily realities of life.

"Holy Family of Nazareth, faithful guardian of the mystery of salvation, revive in us respect for silence, make our families a circle of prayer and turn them into small domestic churches, renew the wish for holiness, and uphold the noble efforts of work, education, listening, mutual understanding and forgiveness.

"Holy Family of Nazareth, rekindle in our society awareness of the sacred and inviolable nature of the family, an invaluable and irreplaceable good. Let every family be a welcoming abode of goodness and peace for children and the elderly, for those who are sick and lonely, for those who are poor and needy.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, with confidence we pray to you, and to you we entrust ourselves."

At the end of the prayer, the pope incensed the icon that, as was explained yesterday, symbolises three generations of believers: Jesus, Jesus' parents, and the elderly Simeon and Anna.

Before ending his address, Pope Francis recited the Angelus with the pilgrims. In his call to the faithful, he said, "With this prayer, let us invoke Mary's maternal protection for families around the world, especially those who live in situations of great difficulty. Mary, Queen of the Family, pray for us!" He then called on everyone present to repeat the invocation three times.

Lastly, Mgr Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, used the occasion to invite everyone to come to Philadelphia in September 2015 for the celebration of the International Meeting of Families.

• vatican
• angelus
• pope
• francis
• international
• meeting
• families