Amoris Laetitia

Chapter One

Every home is a lampstand.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife,
and they shall become one flesh. (Gen. 2:24
The couple that loves and begets life is a true, living icon.
Fruitful love becomes a symbol of Gods inner life
The ability of human couples to beget life is the path along which the history
of salvation progresses
The triune God is a communion of love and the family is its living reflection.
Our God is his deepest mystery is not solitude, but a family, for he has within
himself fatherhood, sonship and the essence of the family which is love.
My beloved is mine and I am his I am my beloveds and my beloved is
mine. (Song 2:16;6:3)
In the home where husband and wife are seated at table, children appear at
their side like olive shoots(Psalm 128:3) that is, full of energy and vitality.
The family is the place where parents become their childrens first teachers in
the faith.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and whoever glorifies his mother is
like one who lays up treasure (Sirach 3:3-4)
Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you (Genesis
3:16)
The word of God is not a series of abstract ideas but rather a source of
comfort and companionship for every family that experiences difficulties or
suffering
When human beings tyrannize nature, selfishly and even brutally ravaging it.
This leads to the desertification of the earth.
No one has greater love than this, to lay down ones life for ones friends
(John 15:13)
Love also bears fruit in mercy and forgiveness
I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mothers
breast. (Psalm 131:2)
The family is entrusted to a man, a woman and their children, so that they
may become a communion of persons in the image of the union of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Every family should look to the icon of the Holy Family Nazareth.

Chapter 2
The Experiences and Challenges of Families

The welfare of the family of decisive for the future of the world and that of
the Church
The call and the demands of the Spirit resound in the events of History.

Faithful to Christs teaching we look to the reality of the family today in all its
complexity, with both its lights and shadows.
Anthropological and cultural and changes in our times influence all aspects of
life.
A greater emphasis on personal communication between the spouses helps
to make family life more humane
The Tensions created by an overly individualistic culture, caught up with
possessions and pleasures, leads to intolerance and hostility in families.
Freedom of choice with noble goals makes possible to plane our lives, make
the most of ourselves and be generous to others.
The ideal of marriage, marked by a commitment to exclusivity and stability is
swept aside whenever it proves inconvenient or tiresome.
We need more responsible and generous effort to present the reasons and
motivations for choosing marriage and the family; help men and women
better to respond to the grace that God offers them
The excessive idealization has not helped to make marriage more desirable
and attractive especially when we have failed to inspire trust in Gods grace.
We have been called to form consciences, not to replace them.
Many are touched by the power of grace experienced in Sacramental
Reconciliation and in the Eucharist, grace that helps them face The
Challenges of Marriage and the Family.
Nowadays we are grateful too for the witness of Marriages that have not only
proved lasting, but also fruitful and loving, are factors that can inspire a
positive and welcoming pastoral approach capable of helping couples to grow
in appreciation of the demands of the Gospel.
The speed with which people move from one affective relationship to another.
The believe, along the lines of social networks, that love can be connected or
disconnected at the whim of the consumer and the relationship quickly
blocked.
We treat affective relationships the way we treat material objects and the
environment; everything is disposable; everyone uses and throws away,
takes and breaks, exploits and squeezes to the last drop.
Narcissism makes people incapable of looking beyond themselves, beyond
their own desires and needs.
The risk of oversimplifying, living a culture which pressures young people not
to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future.
We need to find the right language, arguments and forms of witness that can
help us reach the hearts of young people appealing to their capacity for
generosity, commitment, love and even heroism, and inviting them to take up
the challenge of marriage with enthusiasm and courage.
Narcissistic, unstable or changeable affectivity does not allow a person to
grow to maturity.
Marital problems are often confronted in haste and without the courage