Love in marriage: it's not just a feeling

“Love excuses all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Everything! Anything! It is love in spite of everything. To love means to rejoice for others, for their success. How important it is to teach children to celebrate the joy of others! A birthday, an achievement! Because it is good that the family is the place where joy is celebrated!” – This is how the Holy Father encourages us in the fourth video of the 10-part series prepared as part of the celebration of the Year of the Family Amoris Laetitia. This time Pope Francis addresses himself particularly to spouses.

“You spouses have the gift of the grace of the sacrament that can make you perfect in love... And so let’s discuss this love!“ – He says, inviting  to meditate on St Paul's Hymn to Love. The Holy Father's reflection is accompanied by the personal testimony of Julie and Gérard, from Africa“. Julie: «On our 17th wedding anniversary, we felt the need to take some time to shed light on the challenging areas of our life as a couple. Guided by a priest, we came out of the experience very enriched.” –  the spouses say.

A series of 10 videos inspired by different chapters of the Apostolic Exhortation “Amoris Laetitia”, encourages to reread this papal document and to rediscover the family as a gift, despite every problem, obstacle and challenge that families have to face today.

Each video, accompanied by a pastoral guidebook divided in four parts, can be used flexibly either by families or by various ecclesial groups to nurture reflection, dialogue and pastoral practice as well as to families in their spiritual and concrete daily lives.

This pastoral resource is an initiative of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life in collaboration with the Dicastery for Communication, as part of the initiatives of the « Amoris Laetitia Family » Year.