Moses Mui - Training Coordinator​

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The Feast of St Joseph, 19 March 2026, will be the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia – “On Love in the Family.” Perhaps it is a good time for us to reflect on marriage and family life in our Church and in wider society. 

In Catholic teaching, marriage and family life are understood not merely as social institutions, but as sacred vocations that unfold over time. Because these vocations involve growth, struggle, and grace, the Church emphasises the importance of accompaniment—walking patiently and compassionately with couples and families as they seek to live out God’s call. This vision is deeply rooted in Scripture and articulated clearly in Amoris Laetitia. 

From the beginning, Scripture reveals that human beings are not meant to journey alone. “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Marriage itself is a form of mutual accompaniment, where spouses support one another emotionally, spiritually, and practically. The Christian family, often called the “domestic Church” (cf. Lumen Gentium, 11), is a place where faith is nurtured through shared life, prayer, forgiveness, and love. Yet Scripture is honest about human weakness, reminding us that families require patience and mercy. St Paul exhorts believers to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2), a principle that applies powerfully within marriage and family relationships. 

Jesus’ own ministry provides the model for accompaniment. He walked with His disciples, listened to their fears, corrected them gently, and remained with them even in moments of failure. The story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35) beautifully illustrates accompaniment: Jesus walks beside them, listens before teaching, and gradually opens their hearts to truth. This pastoral style informs the Church’s approach to families today. 

In Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis calls the Church to accompany families with realism and tenderness. He recognises that marriages and families exist in diverse and often challenging circumstances, and therefore accompaniment is especially important in times of crisis—during marital conflict, economic hardship, illness, or moments of failure. The Church, he writes, must be “a field hospital,” offering healing and encouragement rather than condemnation (AL, 291). Through pastoral care, community support, and spiritual guidance, families are strengthened to persevere and mature in love. 

Ultimately, accompaniment reflects God’s own way of loving humanity: a love that is faithful, patient, and present. By embracing this core principle, marriage and family life become not only places of struggle, but privileged paths of holiness and grace.

 
Let us pray for those families who are struggling in their life. May they not despair, but trust in God’s presence amidst their pain to bring comfort in times to come, and provide them with good friends to accompany them.