The last petition to our Father is also included in Jesus' Prayer: "I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one." 163 It touches each of us Personally, but it is always "we" who pray, in Communion with the whole Church, for the deliverance of the whole human Family. the Lord's Prayer continually opens us to the range of God's economy of salvation. Our interdependence in the drama of sin and death is turned into solidarity in the Body of Christ, the "communion of saints." 164

When they become adults, children have the right and duty to choose their profession and state of life. They should assume their new responsibilities within a trusting relationship with their Parents, willingly asking and receiving their advice and counsel. Parents should be careful not to exert pressure on their children either in the choice of a profession or in that of a spouse. This necessary restraint does not prevent them - quite the contrary from giving their children judicious advice, particularly when they are planning to start a Family.

Education in the Faith by the Parents should begin in the child's earliest years. This already happens when Family Members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. 35 The parish is the Eucharistic Community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents.

Through the grace of the sacrament of Marriage, Parents receive the responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children. Parents should initiate their children at an early age into the mysteries of the Faith of which they are the "first heralds" for their children. They should associate them from their tenderest years with the life of the Church. 34 A wholesome Family life can foster interior dispositions that are a genuine preparation for a living faith and remain a support for it throughout one's life.

For Christians a special gratitude is due to those from whom they have received the gift of Faith, the grace of Baptism, and life in the Church. These may include Parents, grandparents, other Members of the Family, pastors, catechists, and other teachers or friends. "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you." 28

Filial Respect promotes harmony in all of Family life; it also concerns relationships between brothers and sisters. Respect toward Parents fills the home with light and warmth. "Grandchildren are the crown of the aged." 26 "With all humility and meekness, with patience, [support] one another in Charity." 27

As long as a child lives at home with his Parents, the child should obey his parents in all that they ask of him when it is for his good or that of the Family. "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." 22 Children should also obey the reasonable directions of their teachers and all to whom their parents have entrusted them. But if a child is convinced in conscience that it would be morally wrong to obey a particular order, he must not do so. As they grow up, children should continue to Respect their parents. They should anticipate their wishes, willingly seek their advice, and accept their just admonitions. Obedience toward parents ceases with the emancipation of the children; not so respect, which is always owed to them. This respect has its roots in the fear of God, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The political Community has a duty to honor the Family, to assist it, and to ensure Especially: - the freedom to establish a family, have children, and bring them up in keeping with the family's own moral and religious convictions; - the protection of the stability of the Marriage bond and the institution of the family; - the freedom to profess one's Faith, to hand it on, and raise one's children in it, with the necessary means and institutions; - the right to private property, to free enterprise, to obtain work and housing, and the right to emigrate; - in keeping with the country's institutions, the right to medical care, assistance for the aged, and family benefits; - the protection of security and health, especially with Respect to dangers like drugs, pornography, alcoholism, etc.; - the freedom to form associations with other families and so to have representation before civil authority. 15

The importance of the Family for the life and well-being of Society 13 entails a particular responsibility for society to support and strengthen Marriage and the family. Civil authority should consider it a grave duty "to acknowledge the true nature of marriage and the family, to protect and foster them, to safeguard public morality, and promote domestic prosperity." 14

The Family must be helped and defended by appropriate social measures. Where families cannot fulfill their responsibilities, other social bodies have the duty of helping them and of supporting the institution of the family. Following the principle of subsidiarity, larger communities should take care not to usurp the family's prerogatives or interfere in its life.

The Family should live in such a way that its Members learn to care and take responsibility for the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped, and the poor. There are many families who are at times incapable of providing this help. It devolves then on other persons, other families, and, in a subsidiary way, Society to provide for their needs: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world." 12

The Family is the original cell of social life. It is the natural Society in which husband and wife are called to give themselves in Love and in the gift of life. Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society. the family is the Community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society.

The relationships within the Family bring an affinity of feelings, affections and interests, arising above all from the Members' Respect for one another. the family is a privileged Community called to achieve a "sharing of thought and common deliberation by the spouses as well as their eager cooperation as Parents in the children's upbringing." 11

The Christian Family is a Communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. In the procreation and Education of children it reflects the Father's work of creation. It is called to partake of the Prayer and sacrifice of Christ. Daily prayer and the reading of the Word of God strengthen it in Charity. the Christian family has an evangelizing and missionary task.

"The Christian Family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial Communion, and for this reason it can and should be called a Domestic Church." 9 It is a Community of Faith, hope, and Charity; it assumes singular importance in the Church, as is evident in the New Testament. 10

In creating man and woman, God instituted the human Family and endowed it with its fundamental constitution. Its Members are persons equal in dignity. For the common good of its members and of Society, the family necessarily has manifold responsibilities, rights, and duties.

A man and a woman united in Marriage, together with their children, form a Family. This institution is prior to any recognition by public authority, which has an obligation to recognize it. It should be considered the normal reference point by which the different forms of family relationship are to be evaluated.

The Conjugal Community is established upon the consent of the spouses. Marriage and the Family are ordered to the good of the spouses and to the procreation and Education of children. the Love of the spouses and the begetting of children create among Members of the same family Personal relationships and primordial responsibilities.

Some forgo Marriage in order to care for their Parents or brothers and sisters, to give themselves more completely to a profession, or to serve other honorable ends. They can contribute greatly to the good of the human Family.

Family ties are important but not absolute. Just as the child grows to maturity and human and spiritual autonomy, so his unique vocation which comes from God asserts itself more clearly and forcefully. Parents should Respect this call and encourage their children to follow it. They must be convinced that the first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus: "He who Loves Father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." 39

Becoming a disciple of Jesus means accepting the invitation to belong to God's Family, to live in conformity with His way of life: "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother." 40 Parents should welcome and Respect with Joy and thanksgiving the Lord's call to one of their children to follow him in virginity for the sake of the Kingdom in the consecrated life or in priestly ministry.

But the presence of those who hunger because they lack bread opens up another profound meaning of this petition. the drama of hunger in the world calls Christians who pray sincerely to exercise responsibility toward their brethren, both in their Personal behavior and in their solidarity with the human Family. This petition of the Lord's Prayer cannot be isolated from the parables of the poor man Lazarus and of the Last Judgment. 118

The Church, the house of God, is the proper place for the liturgical Prayer of the parish Community. It is also the privileged place for adoration of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. the choice of a favorable place is not a matter of indifference for true prayer. - For Personal prayer, this can be a "prayer corner" with the Sacred Scriptures and icons, in order to be there, in secret, before our Father. 48 In a Christian Family, this kind of little oratory fosters prayer in common. - In regions where monasteries exist, the vocation of these communities is to further the participation of the Faithful in the Liturgy of the Hours and to provide necessary solitude for more intense personal prayer. 49 - Pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For pilgrims seeking living water, shrines are special places for living the forms of Christian prayer "in Church."

The Christian Family is the first place of Education in Prayer. Based on the sacrament of Marriage, the family is the "Domestic Church" where God's children learn to pray "as the Church" and to persevere in prayer. For young children in particular, daily family prayer is the first witness of the Church's living memory as awakened patiently by the Holy Spirit.

Recourse to a strike is morally legitimate when it cannot be avoided, or at least when it is necessary to obtain a proportionate benefit. It becomes morally unacceptable when accompanied by violence, or when objectives are included that are not directly linked to working conditions or are contrary to the common good. 2436 Unemployment almost always wounds its victim's dignity and threatens the equilibrium of his life. Besides the harm done to him Personally, it entails many risks for his Family. 222

A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave injustice. 220 In determining fair pay both the needs and the contributions of each person must be taken into account. "Remuneration for work should guarantee man the opportunity to provide a dignified livelihood for himself and his Family on the material, social, cultural and spiritual level, taking into account the role and the productivity of each, the state of the business, and the common good." 221 Agreement between the parties is not sufficient to justify morally the amount to be received in wages.

In work, the person exercises and fulfills in part the potential inscribed in his nature. the primordial value of labor stems from man himself, its author and its beneficiary. Work is for man, not man for work. 213 Everyone should be able to draw from work the means of providing for his life and that of his Family, and of serving the human Community.

"In his use of things man should regard the external goods he legitimately owns not merely as exclusive to himself but common to others also, in the sense that they can benefit others as well as himself." 187 The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all his Family.

Incest designates intimate relations between relatives or in-laws within a degree that prohibits Marriage between them. 180 St. Paul stigmatizes this Especially grave offense: "It is actually reported that there is immorality among you . . . for a man is living with his Father's wife.... In the name of the Lord Jesus ... you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh...." 181 Incest corrupts Family relationships and marks a regression toward animality.

Divorce is immoral also because it introduces disorder into the Family and into Society. This disorder brings grave harm to the deserted spouse, to children traumatized by the separation of their Parents and often torn between them, and because of its contagious effect which makes it truly a plague on society.

The spouses' union achieves the twofold end of Marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life. These two meanings or values of marriage cannot be separated without altering the couple's spiritual life and compromising the goods of marriage and the future of the Family. The conjugal Love of man and woman thus stands under the twofold obligation of fidelity and fecundity.

Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity. Physical, moral, and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of Marriage and the flourishing of Family life. the harmony of the couple and of Society depends in part on the way in which the complementarity, needs, and mutual support between the sexes are lived out.

Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just Love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with Family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.

The fourth commandment is addressed expressly to children in their relationship to their Father and mother, because this relationship is the most universal. It likewise concerns the ties of kinship between Members of the extended Family. It requires honor, affection, and gratitude toward elders and ancestors. Finally, it extends to the duties of pupils to teachers, employees to employers, subordinates to leaders, citizens to their country, and to those who administer or govern it. This commandment includes and presupposes the duties of Parents, instructors, teachers, leaders, magistrates, those who govern, all who exercise authority over others or over a Community of persons.

On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the Faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the Joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. 123 Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. the Faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.

From the very day of Pentecost the Church has celebrated and administered holy Baptism. Indeed St. Peter declares to the crowd astounded by his preaching: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 26 The apostles and their collaborators offer Baptism to anyone who believed in Jesus: Jews, the God-fearing, pagans. 27 Always, Baptism is seen as connected with Faith: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household," St. Paul declared to his jailer in Philippi. and the narrative continues, the jailer "was baptized at once, with all his Family." 28

"Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human Family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come. That is why, although we must be careful to distinguish earthly progress clearly from the increase of the kingdom of Christ, such progress is of vital concern to the kingdom of God, insofar as it can contribute to the better ordering of human Society." 640

In the one Family of God. "For if we continue to Love one another and to join in praising the Most Holy Trinity - all of us who are sons of God and form one family in Christ - we will be Faithful to the deepest vocation of the Church." 499

"Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvellously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit maybe produced in them. For all their works, Prayers, and apostolic undertakings, Family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit - indeed even the hardships of life if patiently born - all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the celebration of the Eucharist these may most fittingly be offered to the Father along with the body of the Lord. and so, worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself to God, everywhere offering worship by the holiness of their lives." 434

By her very mission, "the Church . . . travels the same journey as all humanity and shares the same earthly lot with the world: she is to be a leaven and, as it were, the soul of human Society in its renewal by Christ and transformation into the Family of God." 351 Missionary endeavor requires patience. It begins with the proclamation of the Gospel to peoples and groups who do not yet believe in Christ, 352 continues with the establishment of Christian communities that are "a sign of God's presence in the world," 353 and leads to the foundation of local Churches. 354 It must involve a process of inculturation if the Gospel is to take flesh in each people's culture. 355 There will be times of defeat. "With regard to individuals, groups, and peoples it is only by degrees that [the Church] touches and penetrates them and so receives them into a fullness which is Catholic." 356

What are these bonds of unity? Above all, Charity "binds everything together in perfect harmony." 265 But the unity of the pilgrim Church is also assured by visible bonds of Communion: - profession of one Faith received from the Apostles; -common celebration of divine worship, Especially of the sacraments; - apostolic succession through the sacrament of Holy Orders, maintaining the fraternal concord of God's Family. 266

"This Kingdom shines out before men in the word, in the works and in the presence of Christ." 163 To welcome Jesus' word is to welcome "the Kingdom itself." 164 The seed and beginning of the Kingdom are the "little flock" of those whom Jesus came to gather around him, the flock whose shepherd he is. 165 They form Jesus' true Family. 166 To those whom he thus gathered around him, he taught a new "way of acting" and a Prayer of their own. 167

"The eternal Father, in accordance with the utterly gratuitous and mysterious design of his wisdom and goodness, created the whole universe and chose to raise up men to share in his own divine life," 150 to which he calls all men in his Son. "The Father . . . determined to call together in a holy Church those who should believe in Christ." 151 This "Family of God" is gradually formed and takes shape during the stages of human history, in keeping with the Father's plan. In fact, "already present in figure at the beginning of the world, this Church was prepared in marvellous fashion in the history of the people of Israel and the old Advance. Established in this last age of the world and made manifest in the outpouring of the Spirit, it will be brought to glorious completion at the end of time." 152

"Often, too, the Church is called the building of God. the Lord compared himself to the stone which the builders rejected, but which was made into the comer-stone. On this foundation the Church is built by the apostles and from it the Church receives solidity and unity. This edifice has many names to describe it: the house of God in which his Family dwells; the household of God in the Spirit; the dwelling-place of God among men; and, Especially, the holy temple. This temple, symbolized in places of worship built out of stone, is praised by the Fathers and, not without reason, is compared in the liturgy to the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. As living stones we here on earth are built into it. It is this holy city that is seen by John as it comes down out of heaven from God when the world is made anew, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 148

In Scripture, we find a host of interrelated images and figures through which Revelation speaks of the inexhaustible mystery of the Church. the images taken from the Old Testament are variations on a profound theme: the People of God. In the New Testament, all these images find a new center because Christ has become the head of this people, which henceforth is his Body. 144 Around this center are grouped images taken "from the life of the shepherd or from cultivation of the land, from the art of building or from Family life and Marriage." 145

Christ stands at the heart of this gathering of men into the "Family of God". By his word, through signs that manifest the reign of God, and by sending out his disciples, Jesus calls all people to come together around him. But above all in the great Paschal mystery - his death on the cross and his Resurrection - he would accomplish the coming of his kingdom. "and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." Into this union with Christ all men are called. 250

The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Saviour of the world. the great feast of Epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the East, together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee. 212 In the magi, representatives of the neighbouring pagan religions, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation. the magi's coming to Jerusalem in order to pay homage to the king of the Jews shows that they seek in Israel, in the messianic light of the star of David, the one who will be king of the nations. 213 Their coming means that pagans can discover Jesus and worship him as Son of God and Saviour of the world only by turning towards the Jews and receiving from them the messianic promise as contained in the Old Testament. 214 The Epiphany shows that "the full number of the nations" now takes its "place in the Family of the patriarchs", and acquires Israelitica dignitas 215 (is made "worthy of the heritage of Israel").

Jesus was born in a humble stable, into a poor Family. 202 Simple shepherds were the first witnesses to this event. In this poverty heaven's glory was made manifest. 203 The Church never tires of singing the glory of this night:

The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful Father: 37 The fascination of illusory freedom, the abandonment of the father's house; the extreme misery in which the son finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father; the journey back; the father's generous welcome; the father's Joy - all these are characteristic of the process of conversion. the beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet are symbols of that new life - pure worthy, and joyful - of anyone who returns to God and to the bosom of his Family, which is the Church. Only the heart of Christ Who knows the depths of his Father's Love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way.

Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal celebration, 131 whether it takes place in the Family home, a hospital or Church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons. It is very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord's Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the celebration of the sacrament can be preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed by the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the sacrament of Christ's Passover the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the "viaticum" for "passing over" to eternal life.

"The intimate Community of life and Love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws.... God himself is the author of Marriage." 87 The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity, 88 some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures. "The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian Society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and Family life." 89

"If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the Faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in the parish Church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, or engage in Prayer for an appropriate amount of time Personally or in a Family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families." 120

Participation is achieved first of all by taking charge of the areas for which one assumes Personal responsibility: by the care taken for the Education of his Family, by conscientious work, and so forth, man participates in the good of others and of Society. 31

Human interdependence is increasing and gradually spreading throughout the world. the unity of the human Family, embracing people who enJoy equal natural dignity, implies a universal common good. This good calls for an organization of the Community of nations able to "provide for the different needs of men; this will involve the sphere of social life to which belong questions of food, hygiene, Education, . . . and certain situations arising here and there, as for example . . . alleviating the miseries of refugees dispersed throughout the world, and assisting migrants and their families." 29

Second, the common good requires the social well-being and development of the group itself. Development is the epitome of all social duties. Certainly, it is the proper function of authority to arbitrate, in the name of the common good, between various particular interests; but it should make accessible to each what is needed to lead a truly human life: food, clothing, health, work, Education and culture, suitable information, the right to establish a Family, and so on. 28

Certain societies, such as the Family and the state, correspond more directly to the nature of man; they are necessary to him. To promote the participation of the greatest number in the life of a Society, the creation of voluntary associations and institutions must be encouraged "on both national and international levels, which relate to economic and social goals, to cultural and recreational activities, to sport, to various professions, and to political affairs." 5 This "socialization" also expresses the natural tendency for human beings to associate with one another for the sake of attaining objectives that exceed individual capacities. It develops the qualities of the person, Especially the sense of initiative and responsibility, and helps guarantee his rights. 6

The Eucharistic Sacrifice. When the celebration takes place in Church the Eucharist is the heart of the Paschal reality of Christian death. 189 In the Eucharist, the Church expresses her efficacious Communion with the departed: offering to the Father in the Holy Spirit the sacrifice of the death and resurrection of Christ, she asks to purify his child of his sins and their consequences, and to admit him to the Paschal fullness of the table of the Kingdom. 190 It is by the Eucharist thus celebrated that the Community of the Faithful, Especially the Family of the deceased, learn to live in communion with the one who "has fallen asleep in the Lord," by communicating in the Body of Christ of which he is a living member and, then, by praying for him and with him.

The Order of Christian Funerals (Ordo exsequiarum) of the Roman liturgy gives three types of funeral celebrations, corresponding to the three places in which they are conducted (the home, the Church, and the cemetery), and according to the importance attached to them by the Family, local customs, the culture, and popular piety. This order of celebration is common to all the liturgical traditions and comprises four principal elements:

We must also remember the great number of single persons who, because of the particular circumstances in which they have to live - often not of their choosing - are Especially close to Jesus' heart and therefore deserve the special affection and active solicitude of the Church, especially of pastors. Many remain without a human Family often due to conditions of poverty. Some live their situation in the spirit of the Beatitudes, serving God and neighbor in exemplary fashion. the doors of homes, the "Domestic Churches," and of the great family which is the Church must be open to all of them. "No one is without a family in this world: the Church is a home and family for everyone, especially those who 'labor and are heavy laden.'" 170

It is here that the Father of the Family, the mother, children, and all Members of the family exercise the priesthood of the baptized in a privileged way "by the reception of the sacraments, Prayer and thanksgiving, the witness of a holy life, and self-denial and active Charity." 168 Thus the home is the first school of Christian life and "a school for human enrichment." 169 Here one learns endurance and the Joy of work, fraternal Love, generous - even repeated - forgiveness, and above all divine worship in prayer and the offering of one's life.

In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to Faith, believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith. For this reason the Second Vatican Council, using an ancient expression, calls the Family the Ecclesia domestica. 166 It is in the bosom of the family that Parents are "by word and example . . . the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children. They should encourage them in the vocation which is proper to each child, fostering with special care any religious vocation." 167

Christ chose to be born and grow up in the bosom of the holy Family of Joseph and Mary. the Church is nothing other than "the family of God." From the beginning, the core of the Church was often constituted by those who had become believers "together with all [their] household." 164 When they were converted, they desired that "their whole household" should also be saved. 165 These families who became believers were islands of Christian life in an unbelieving world.

The fruitfulness of conjugal Love extends to the fruits of the moral, spiritual, and supernatural life that Parents hand on to their children by Education. Parents are the principal and first educators of their children. 162 In this sense the fundamental task of Marriage and Family is to be at the service of life. 163

Christ is the source of this grace. "Just as of old God encountered his people with a covenant of Love and fidelity, so our Savior, the spouse of the Church, now encounters Christian spouses through the sacrament of Matrimony." 147 Christ dwells with them, gives them the strength to take up their crosses and so follow him, to rise again after they have fallen, to forgive one another, to bear one another's burdens, to "be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ," 148 and to love one another with supernatural, tender, and fruitful love. In the Joys of their love and Family life he gives them here on earth a foretaste of the wedding feast of the Lamb:

In Marriages with disparity of cult the Catholic spouse has a particular task: "For the unbelieving husband is consecrated through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is consecrated through her husband." 138 It is a great Joy for the Christian spouse and for the Church if this "consecration" should lead to the free conversion of the other spouse to the Christian Faith. 139 Sincere married Love, the humble and patient practice of the Family virtues, and perseverance in Prayer can prepare the non-believing spouse to accept the grace of conversion.

God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to Love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his Family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.