strengthening the family through the word and the eucharist

8/19/2019 Strengthening the Family through the Word and the Eucharist.

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Strengthening theStrengthening the

Family throughFamily through

the Word and thethe Word and theEucharistEucharist

+Ambo David+Ambo David


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““It takes aIt takes a

community tocommunity to

build a family.”build a family.”


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From the AfricanFrom the African

sayingsaying““It takes aIt takes a

village to raisevillage to raise

a child.”a child.”


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““Start with a manStart with a man

and you have one;and you have one;add on a woman andadd on a woman and

then you have two.then you have two.

Add on a child and Add on a child andwhat have you got?” what have you got?”


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““You’ve got moreYou’ve got more

than three;than three; you have what you have what

they callthey call a family a f

amily !” !”


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not as simple asnot as simple as

thatthatin our so-calledin our so-called

“modern” or even“modern” or even“post-modern”“post-modern”

societies!societies!


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If it takes a wholesome familyIf it takes a wholesome family

to raise a healthy childto raise a healthy child

it also takes a wholesomeit also takes a wholesomecommunity to raise acommunity to raise a

healthy familyhealthy familythat will raise a healthythat will raise a healthy

child.child.


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hen and "ow# hen and "ow# he Family in he Family in

the $onte%t ofthe $onte%t of

&odernity&odernity


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underlying principles that governunderlying principles that govern

human behaviour in modernityhuman behaviour in modernity

““"o one has the right to"o one has the right to

tell metell mewho I want to be familywho I want to be family

withwith

whom I choose as se%ualwhom I choose as se%ual

partner'”partner'”


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“'“'whom I choose towhom I choose tobe a(ectionate to andbe a(ectionate to and

be family withbe family withmy F) friends* my petmy F) friends* my pet

dog or cat* mydog or cat* my

computer* myself.”computer* myself.”


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Family is who IFamily is who I

“feel like” being“feel like” being

and living with.and living with.


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““+esponsibility is a+esponsibility is a

matter of choicematter of choiceonly I can determineonly I can determine

who and what I wantwho and what I wantto be responsible for.”to be responsible for.”


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““"o one has the right"o one has the right

to ,uestion myto ,uestion myindividual pleasuresindividual pleasures

as long as I dont hurtas long as I dont hurtanybody.”anybody.”


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““new rights”new rights” o a “worry-free” and o a “worry-free” and

pleasurable se%pleasurable se%

o get in and out of marriage o get in and out of marriageat willat will

o ones own body e.g.* o ones own body e.g.*““right to terminate aright to terminate a

pregnancy”pregnancy”


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compassioncompassion

redened#redened#to terminate a human lifeto terminate a human lifethan allow it to be bornthan allow it to be born

abnormal*abnormal*to grow up in poverty*to grow up in poverty*

to su(er from a disability*to su(er from a disability*terminal illness and old age*terminal illness and old age*

and miseryand misery


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Biblical AnalogiesBiblical Analogies

for the Family in Crisisfor the Family in Crisis

$ains murder of his brother /0en$ains murder of his brother /0en

12*12*

the human hubris that leads to thethe human hubris that leads to thenemesis of the 0reat Flood /0ennemesis of the 0reat Flood /0en

3-42* and3-42* and

the symbolic tower of humanthe symbolic tower of humanarrogance and impulse to playarrogance and impulse to play

0od /0en 5520od /0en 552


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Israel began as aIsrael began as a

family with thefamily with thepatriarchs Abraham*patriarchs Abraham*

Isaac* 6acob and hisIsaac* 6acob and hischildren.children.


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how this family washow this family wasthreatened by many factors*threatened by many factors*

7%ternal7%ternallike famine* war* naturallike famine* war* naturalcalamitiescalamities

InternalInternallike con8icts* sibling rivalry* etlike con8icts* sibling rivalry* etal.al.


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how it survives allhow it survives all

odds and growsodds and growsinto a nation* byinto a nation* by

9ahweh:s blessing 9ahweh:s blessing


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common motifscommon motifs

in the ;atriarchal storiesin the ;atriarchal stories

get married to infertile womenget married to infertile women

sibling rivalry among theirsibling rivalry among their

sonssonsyounger sons are favoredyounger sons are favored

go down to 7gypt due togo down to 7gypt due tocircumstancescircumstances


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blessed so thatblessed so that

/through them2/through them2all the nations onall the nations on

earth shall beearth shall beblessedblessed


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o be family with o be family with

0od#0od#this is the vision-this is the vision-mission of Israel#mission of Israel#to be ato be a covenant-peoplecovenant-people


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symbolicallysymbolically

rituali>ed by therituali>ed by theblood of animalsblood of animals

a blood compacta blood compact


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ancient version ofancient version of

the F+$ sloganthe F+$ slogan"he family that"he family that

#ray together tay #ray together taytogether.together.


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covenant bond betweencovenant bond between

9ahweh and Israel symboli>ed 9ahweh and Israel symboli>ed

by the Ark of the $ovenantby the Ark of the $ovenantwhich contained the stonewhich contained the stone

tablets of the tentablets of the ten

commandments /0ods @ord!2commandments /0ods @ord!2


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en $ommandments en $ommandments

Israels keys to a strong family#Israels keys to a strong family#one 0od* observance of


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6esus 6esus

summary#summary#ove of 0od* aboveove of 0od* above

all* Ball* Bove of "eighbourove of "eighbour

as Cneself as Cneself


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lawyers re?oinder*lawyers re?oinder*

“$ho i my neighbour?”“$ho i my neighbour?”

occasion for 6esusoccasion for 6esus

;arable of the 0ood;arable of the 0ood


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he ;arable as he ;arable as

a criti,ue of the narrow-a criti,ue of the narrow-

minded and e%clusivistminded and e%clusivist

denition of “neighbour”*denition of “neighbour”*which /for 6esus2 goeswhich /for 6esus2 goes

against the very grain ofagainst the very grain ofthe orahthe orah


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ev 54#5D

“9ou shall not strip yourvineyard bare* or gather the

fallen grapes of yourvineyard you shall leavethem for the poor and thealien# I am the C+E your0od.”


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ev 54#==-=1

“@hen an alien resides withyou in your land* you shall

not oppress the alien'youshall love the alien asyourself* for you were aliens

in the land of 7gypt# I amthe C+E your 0od.”


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Eeuteronomy #-G

“It was not because youwere greater than any

other people that the C+Eset his heart on you and

chose you-- for you werethe least of all peoples.”


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“It was because the

C+E loved you andkept the oath that he

swore to yourancestors'”


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the Eeuteronomicthe Eeuteronomic

versionversionof ;ope Francisof ;ope Francis

motto#motto#mierando at%uemierando at%ue

eligendoeligendo


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EeuteronomysEeuteronomys

inclusive sense ofinclusive sense of“neighbour”“neighbour”a result of thea result of the

e%perience ofe%perience of

e%ile for Israele%ile for Israel


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In a state ofIn a state of

EIA


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In a state ofIn a state of

dispersiondispersionthe 6ews rebuiltthe 6ews rebuilt

their livestheir livesby congregatingby congregating

around the writtenaround the written@ord of 0od@ord of 0od


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heir “desert e%perience” heir “desert e%perience”

in e%ile made them discoverin e%ile made them discover

the most important key tothe most important key tobeing family#being family#

0od:s @ord!0od:s @ord!


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Eeuteronomy G#=Eeuteronomy G#=“He humbled you byletting you hunger, then

by feeding you withmanna, with whichneither you nor yourancestors wereacquainted…”


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“…in order to make youunderstand that one

does not live by breadalone, but by every

word that comes fromthe mouth of the LOR!”


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the


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hey needed the hey needed the

yearly ritual sacriceyearly ritual sacriceof the paschal lamb#of the paschal lamb#

to recall their kinshipto recall their kinshipwith 9ahweh.with 9ahweh.


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"


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not the blood of animalsnot the blood of animals

but his /6esus2 own bloodbut his /6esus2 own blood

in the paschal mysteryin the paschal mysterywhich we celebrate andwhich we celebrate and

re-enact constantly in there-enact constantly in the7ucharist7ucharist


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$olossians 5#D

“…and through him "odwas #leased to reconcile

to himself all things,whether on earth or inheaven , by making #eacethrough the blood of hiscross!”


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6esus self-giving act of 6esus self-giving act ofunconditional loveunconditional love

is what truly strengthensis what truly strengthensand unites us* andand unites us* andmakes us grow from humanmakes us grow from humanfamilies to holy families*families to holy families*0od:s family.0od:s family.


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he 7ucharist he 7ucharist

As a sign and an instrument*As a sign and an instrument*a sacrament that actuali>esa sacrament that actuali>es

$hrists life-giving death on$hrists life-giving death onthe cross*the cross*

and which in turn becomesand which in turn becomes

our new and eternal covenantour new and eternal covenant

bond with 0odbond with 0od


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6ohn 3 6ohn 3

to seek the moreto seek the more

essential kind ofessential kind offood#food#

the )read of ifethe )read of ife


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6ohn 3#J=-JJ

“'unless you eat

the 8esh of the


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In the 7ucharist*In the 7ucharist*

the @ord thatthe @ord that

we receivewe receive

becomesbecomescompletecomplete


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It takes 8esh in the ordIt takes 8esh in the ordwhom we receive* andwhom we receive* and

who in turn takes 8esh inwho in turn takes 8esh inus who receive him*us who receive him*keeping us in communionkeeping us in communionnot ?ust with one anothernot ?ust with one anotherbut with 0od.but with 0od.


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It is through theIt is through the

7ucharist7ucharistthat we trulythat we truly

become a communitybecome a communitythat builds ourthat builds our

human families intohuman families into0ods family.0ods family.


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In the 7ucharistIn the 7ucharist0ods promise to Abraham0ods promise to Abraham

nds its fullment#nds its fullment#

we are blessed to be part ofwe are blessed to be part of0ods family* and0ods family* and

in thanksgiving /7ucharistia2in thanksgiving /7ucharistia2

wewe become a blessing tobecome a blessing toothersothers''

strengthening the family through the word and the eucharist

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