The gritty but beautiful words from Pope Francis below remind me of something Mother Teresa used to say – that it’s easier to feed a hungry stranger than to love the hurting person inside your own home. How we take each other for granted in the family! How we don’t take the time. How we mess up. But how we keep trying!
When I read these words I feel the way I imagine I might have felt if Jesus was preaching to me – upbraided but inspired – put in my place but not ashamed – aware of my shortcomings but excited about changing.
May God grant us “tired faces from generous giving” in our families!
“It is true that living in a family is not always easy, and can often be painful and stressful but, as I have often said referring to the Church, I prefer a wounded family that makes daily efforts to put love into play, to a society that is sick from isolationism and habitually afraid of love. I prefer a family that makes repeated efforts to begin again, to a society that is narcissistic and obsessed with luxury and comfort. I prefer a family with tired faces from generous giving, to faces with makeup that know nothing of tenderness and compassion.”
Pope Francis has his own world-wide family that creates its own challenges. Remember this little guy?