Sunday, 16th October ’22 is the Day of the Family Apostolate.
The Family Apostolate is the new focus of the Catholic Church, dedicated to bring Hope and Healing in family life; to draw people and families into a relationship with Jesus through prayer in order to revitalise our families and bring the Love of Jesus to a hurting world.
The family Apostolate is addressing afresh issues like inter religious marriages, single parent, the grieving and bereaved, the sick & elderly, and guidance to the youth to discern the beauty of Marriage, without ignoring the call to priestly and religious life.
Apostolate means, the office or Mission of an Apostle. We who are followers of Jesus are also called to be His Apostles – to proclaim Jesus to the world, through works of Mercy like feeding the hungry, giving alms to the poor, visiting the sick etc. This is being done currently by our various associations, but not all of us have a part in them. So how can we contribute to the Family Apostolate? In this regard let us take a look at the famous and often quoted and heard parable of Jesus, of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37).
A Teacher of the Law wanting to test Jesus asked, “Master, what shall I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus in turn asked him how he understood the Scriptures. He replied, “It is written! You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And, you shall love your neighbour as yourself”. Jesus said, “What a good answer! Do this and you shall live”. But the man wanted to save his face, so he asked, “Who is my neighbour?” probably expecting to be told it would be someone hiring next door or opposite him or having common political views as him. But Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan, at the end of which Jesus asked him, ‘which of the three (the Priest, the Levite, the Samaritan) made himself neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The Teacher of the Law understood what God wanted of him and answered, “The one who had Mercy on him”. Then Jesus said, GO and DO LIKEWISE.”
The demands of Christianity are practical. It is not about knowing the commandments or quoting the scripture passages. It is about DOING what the Law commands. That Law is in our hearts and mind. Everytime we listen to this parable, we know the answer to the question “who is my neighbour?” We need to carry out the command “GO and DO Likewise”. Do What? Go and treat others with Mercy. This parable and every parable points to the mission of Jesus who wants us to look at Him, because He is the one who has come as the Chief Mercy-giver.
Each of us is commanded, is challenged to be a witness to the Mercy and to the Love of God to those who are in need. People are wounded in different ways. How many times we miss opportunities to be a source, an agent of Mercy, to take care of or help someone for the sake of Christ.
There was a lady, let’s call her Rita, who had an appointment with the Dentist and was getting late for it. At the entrance of the building She saw a woman crying, needing help. Since Rita was already late for the appointment she went past the woman to the clinic only to find that her appointment was for the next week. At that point it struck her that the woman at the building needed her help. She went back, but that lady was not there. Rita realised that God had sent this lady to her for some reason. Sadly, in such situations it is always about our urgent needs, appointments, priorities.
There are many people who are needy, hurting, wounded – maybe spiritually, emotionally; each time we step out, go out of our way to help someone in need, in one way or another, we are doing it for God. If we are compassionate, this world will know Healing….Love…. Peace! In our own small way let us be agents of the family Apostolate, and in the process experience our own Healing, Love and Peace.
J. Rodrigues