Pope Francis in the Philippines (4 page)

must
get
up
and
act
(
cf
.
Rom
13:11).
Faith
does
not
remove
us
from
the
world
,
but
draws
us
more
deeply
into
it
.
Each
of
us
,
in
fact
,
has
a
special
role
in
preparing
for
the
coming
of
God
’
s
kingdom
in
our
world
.
Just
as
the
gift
of
the
Holy
Family
was
entrusted
to
Saint
Joseph
,
so
the
gift
of
the
family
and
its
place
in
God
’
s
plan
is
entrusted
to
us
.
The
angel
of
the
Lord
revealed
to
Joseph
the
dangers
which
threatened
Jesus
and
Mary
,
forcing
them
to
flee
to
Egypt
and
then
to
settle
in
Nazareth
.
So
too
,
in
our
time
,
God
calls
upon
us
to
recognize
the
dangers
threatening
our
own
families
and
to
protect
them
from
harm
.
The
pressures
on
family
life
today
are
many
.
Here
in
the
Philippines
,
countless
families
are
still
suffering
from
the
effects
of
natural
disasters
.
The
economic
situation
has
caused
families
to
be
separated
by
migration
and
the
search
for
employment
,
and
financial
problems
strain
many
households
.
While
all
too
many
people
live
in
dire
poverty
,
others
are
caught
up
in
materialism
and
lifestyles
which
are
destructive
of
family
life
and
the
most
basic
demands
of
Christian
morality
.
The
family
is
also
threatened
by
growing
efforts
on
the
part
of
some
to
redefine
the
very
institution
of
marriage
,
by
relativism
,
by
the
culture
of
the
ephemeral
,
by
a
lack
of
openness
to
life
.
Our
world
needs
good
and
strong
families
to
overcome
these
threats
!
The
Philippines
needs
holy
and
loving
families
to
protect
the
beauty
and
truth
of
the
family
in
God
’
s
plan
and
to
be
a
support
and
example
for
other
families
.
Every
threat
to
the
family
is
a
threat
to
society
itself
.
The
future
of
humanity
,
as
Saint
John
Paul
II
often
said
,
passes
through
the
family
(
cf
.
Familiaris
Consortio
, 85).
So
protect
your
families
!
See
in
them
your
country
’
s
greatest
treasure
and
nourish
them
always
by
prayer
and
the
grace
of
the
sacraments
.
Families
will
always
have
their
trials
,
but
may
you
never
add
to
them
!
Instead
,
be
living
examples
of
love
,
forgiveness
and
care
.
Be
sanctuaries
of
respect
for
life
,
proclaiming
the
sacredness
of
every
human
life
from
conception
to
natural
death
.
What
a
gift
this
would
be
to
society
,
if
every
Christian
family
lived
fully
its
noble
vocation
!
So
rise
with
Jesus
and
Mary
,
and
set
out
on
the
path
the
Lord
traces
for
each
of
you
.
Finally
,
the
Gospel
we
have
heard
reminds
us
of
our
Christian
duty
to
be
prophetic
voices
in
the
midst
of
our
communities
.
Joseph
listened
to
the
angel
of
the
Lord
and
responded
to
God
’
s
call
to
care
for
Jesus
and
Mary
.
In
this
way
he
played
his
part
in
God
’
s
plan
,
and
became
a
blessing
not
only
for
the
Holy
Family
,
but
a
blessing
for
all
of
humanity
.
With
Mary
,
Joseph
served
as
a
model
for
the
boy
Jesus
as
he
grew
in
wisdom
,
age
and
grace
(
cf
.
Lk
2:52).
When
families
bring
children
into
the
world
,
train
them
in
faith
and
sound
values
,
and
teach
them
to
contribute
to
society
,
they
become
a
blessing
in
our
world
.
God
’
s
love
becomes
present
and
active
by
the
way
we
love
and
by
the
good
works
that
we
do
.
We
extend
Christ
’
s
kingdom
in
this
world
.
And
in
doing
this
,
we
prove
faithful
to
the
prophetic
mission
which
we
have
received
in
baptism
.
During
this
year
which
your
bishops
have
set
aside
as
the
Year
of
the
Poor
,
I
would
ask
you
,
as
families
,
to
be
especially
mindful
of
our
call
to
be
missionary
disciples
of
Jesus
.
This
means
being