The Joy of Family Life

The Family and Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Davao together with the Davao Archdiocesan Youth Coordinating Apostolate (DAYCA) and the Commission on Vocation are taking charge for the celebration of families, youth, and vocation in the month of July. This is an integral part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Archdiocese of Davao within this year (2024). Monthly activities are being organized by the assigned pastoral agency in order to highlight the spirit of Synodality of the Church and Stewardship role of the various ministries and apostolates of the lay faithful.

In order to emphasize the role of the Christian family, every Sunday within the month of July has been dedicated to a particular celebration in the parish level.

1) First Sunday (July 7) is parish day for the children. The suggested activities for kids are the following:

• Blessing of children of 12 years old and below in all Masses,
• Flores de Maria in the month of July to be facilitated by the catechists,
• Bible Quiz, Stories & Sharing to be organized by the Parish Bible Apostolate and catechists

2) Second Sunday (July 14) is intended for the parish day of the Youth. Here are the suggested activities to be organized:

• Blessing of young people (13-35 years old) in all Masses,
• Talk on Mental Wellness c/o DANGUPANAN

3) Third Sunday (July 21) is the parish day celebration for parents & married couples. Here are the suggested activities:

• Blessing of Couples/Parents in all Masses,
• In the GKK-KSP: Video/Talks on Family, with some sharing of the participants,
• Family is a GIFT – c/o CFC

4) The fourth and last Sunday (July 28) is the celebration for grandparents and the elderly. It coincides with the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly as has been declared by his holiness Pope Francis to be celebrated every month of July since 2021. Here are the suggested activities:

• Blessing of grandparents in all Masses. Their families are encouraged to bring gifts/tokens to be given to them after the Holy Mass, otherwise the Family & Life Apostolate will be the one to prepare some tokens/gifts for them.
• It is recommended to prepare a prayer for Grandparents/Elderly during the KSP in the GKK and also to visit and bring gifts to the elderly members of the GKK who cannot participate in the KSP due to illness and old age.

The highlight of the celebration of this month is the Archdiocesan Festival of Families to be held on July 27, 2024 at the St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary Gymnasium (ReMaSe). Each parish is expected to send 5-7 families which would include, children, youth, parents, grandparents. There will be two talks on this day which will focus on the “joy of parenting and family life” with the sharing of the chosen family. The next topic will be about the “pastoral accompaniment of persons with same sex attraction” (PSSA) which would include members of the LGBTQ+++.

This Festival of Families holds great significance as it addresses many pressing issues the Church encounters today, such as divorce, same-sex unions, domestic violence, dysfunctional families, contraception, and cyber prostitution. There is a need to strengthen the Christian families so that they will be strong enough to resist evil forces that threaten to destroy its very existence. All of us are aware that the basic unit of the society is the family. Moreso, in the language of the Church, the family is a church in a home, i.e., a “domestic church”.

Finally, it is worth remembering the words of St. John Paul II when he was still the Pope of the Universal Church with His Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio published on November 22, 1981 who succinctly taught that “The Future of Humanity passes by way of the family” (FC, 86). It is our mission as religious and lay faithful to protect every family because it is the basic unit of the society that the future of our country and the world depends upon. In fact, St. John Paul II also said: “It is therefore indispensable and urgent that every person of good will should endeavor to save and foster the values and requirements of the family.” (FC, 86)

We hope that the celebration on the FESTIVAL of FAMILIES in the month of July would awaken in the heart of every lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Davao the urgent call to defend life, marriage, and family at all cost. In so doing we give glory to the Creator who, at the beginning of creation, called man and woman to establish a family for the good of the society and the world as a whole. (Rev. Fr. Orlando Angelia)