I had the privilege of reading this document – a well prepared one at that –and found it immensely rewarding as it puts the theme in proper perspective. The document, according to the Monsignor Llanos, was written “with the hope of providing everyone in the Archdiocese with some kind of focus and direction in respect to the theme.”

The theme “Catholic Family: Become what you are” is taken essentially from the encyclical Familiaris Consortio (FC) written by Pope John Paul II in 1981.

The question being asked by some is why the words “become what you are”? According to FC#17 it cannot be stated any other way because the family is a result of God’s creative act of love which requires that in marriage the man and woman “are no longer two but one flesh” and are called by this fact to grow continually in their communion through the promise of mutual self-giving.

The family is therefore founded on and given life by love which is the foundation of its existence and as a communion of persons its very persons. “In other words,” explained Monsignor Llanos, “the very fact of the existence of a family says what it already is, ‘an intimate community of life and love and its mission is to become more and more every day that which it already is, that is to say, a community of life and love, in an effort that will find fulfillment, as will everything else created and redeemed in the Kingdom of God’.”

In the final analysis the essence and role of the family is specified by love. The consequence of this is that the extent to which the Catholic family accepts the Gospel, matures in faith and lives its vocation to love, it becomes an evangelising community.

In his introduction, Monsignor Llanos wrote, “This paper does not pretend to provide all the information or insights necessary to explore such a theme, nor is it exhaustive in its efforts to provide theological insight on the matter.

“Our hope is that individuals, groups and parishes would use this document as a means of reflection and discussion, as well as inspiration for research and greater learning”.

* The entire document can be downloaded from: http://familylife.rcpos.org