Synopsis:
The “Family Apostolate” is the mission that Catholic families have received from the Vicar of Christ – to preserve, to protect, to heal, to reform, and to restore sound family life in the modern world.

While the “Family apostolate” subject is rarely discussed and debated it is one of the founding and most important pillars in modern times where contemporary hectic life style discounts us from keeping family bonds together. The subject is so vast and complex that this writer warns he might not be able to do full justice to the subject in few paragraphs.

In a Family Apostolate a lot of stress is laid on upbringing and bonding of family members. Family is so important because of all the love and support it provides. Being with family helps construct principles and improves overall mental health. Thereafter this good DNA habit can then be infectious to others outside their domain which in turn helps to relay this effect in making other families be of an example. Therefore the apostolate of married persons and families is of unique importance for the Church and civil society.
“Family” is a community and a place that welcomes life and the school of humanity, where future spouses are best formed to become responsible parents. The problems of the modern family are to a large extent related to the conflicting nature of contemporary culture which is, complex, heterogeneous, transitional, and rapidly moving. They are the causes of confusion in many modern families. In such situations, the family apostolate knowledge enables the couples and the other members of the family to encounter one another and to achieve an integral and holistic vision of their challenges and responsibilities in the modern world.

Vision of “Family Apostolate”
Every Christian family is sent out into the world as modern-day apostles. While it is easy to pass off the mission of evangelization to priests and religious persons within the Catholic Church, in reality every family is given an apostolic mission by God. The Church recognizes marriage and the family as an “apostolate,” an institution that is entrusted with the task of evangelization. First and foremost this evangelization takes place within the domain of the family, in the raising of children.

The love of two spouses overflows at a certain point and becomes life-giving. It overflows towards the other to whom we have promised the gift of life, it overflows towards the children we choose to welcome, it overflows towards the Christian community and also towards the society where we care and are called to bear the witness to love.

In this educative and formative process, the couples understand the importance of appreciating one another, time spent together, good communication patterns, a high degree of commitment, a high degree of religious orientations and the ability to cope with crisis. From thereon they spill out this ability to others by promoting a human approach to faith formation, by visiting families irrespective of caste or creed, knowing their concrete life situations and helping them to live their faith with perseverance even in great difficulties of life.

In fact, in many ways the family is one of the most important institutions in proclaiming the Gospel, even it if isn’t in an official manner. This is the most important task of the family, but it isn’t the only one. After establishing a firm foundation with the family, it is a necessary duty of this apostolate to go out and seek opportunities to be a charitable force within society.

What each family can do:
Among the various activities of the family apostolate may be enumerated the following: the adoption of abandoned infants, hospitality to strangers, assistance in the operation of schools, helpful advice and material assistance for adolescents, help to engaged couples in preparing themselves better for marriage, catechetical work, support of married couples and families involved in material and moral crises, help for the aged not only by providing them with the necessities of life but also by obtaining for them a fair share of the benefits of an expanding economy.

Conclusion:
In the words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII, “Nothing truly can be more salutary or efficacious for Christian families to meditate upon than the example of a Family, which embraces, shares and is an example of perfection and completeness of all domestic virtues.”

Our focus therefore should be to bring the beauty of God to families because the family is critical to a healthy society. We see family as the domestic church where the seed of faith is sown. By reinforcing hope as a way of life, we invite families into a God-centered life and relationship. Each and every Christian family must seek and impose to bring the merciful presence of Christ and be an example of “Family Apostolate” in true definition, not only in beliefs but in actions as well in this increasingly difficult world.

My warmest salutation to you all and stay safe !!!

-Agnelo A.S. Fernandes
Ward: 12