“Confirming the Families in Their Vocation and Mission”

“My presence in Ireland—Francis said during this morning’s General Audience, taking stock of the meeting that ended on Sunday—was, above all, intended to confirm the Christian families in their vocation and mission. The thousands of families—spouses, grandparents, children—gathered in Dublin, with all the variety of their languages, cultures, and experiences, has been an eloquent sign of the beauty of God’s dream for the entire human family.”

We know, he continued, that “God’s is a dream of unity, harmony, and peace, in their families and throughout the world, the fruit of fidelity, forgiveness, and reconciliation that He has given us in Christ. In the mystery of His love, He calls families to participate in this dream and make the world a home where no one is alone, no one is unwanted, no one is excluded. Reflect well on this: what God wants—he concluded—is that no one is alone, no one is unwanted, no one is excluded.”