Late last year Pope Francis asked the people of the Church to respond to a questionaire on marriage and family life. This invitation drew thousands of responses from every part of the world. The results have been collated in a document that will form the framework for the Synod on the Family in October of this year.

This document has been described as realistic and optimistic. The Church often struggles to communicate the beauty of Christian faith to people who may be overwhelmed by the demanding realities of secular life. I suggest that this document, and the widespread process of consultation that led to its publication, is a clear sign of the willingness of the Church to listen to the joys, the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age.

You might like to set an hour this weekend to read it. At very least you will find it informative about family joys and struggles in different parts of the world. You may even get a taste of the beauty of the challenge faced by those who seek to live Christian faith fully, in the midst of many who may not have had the life-changing joy of encountering Christ’s love.