MARFAM FAMILY WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER 31 DECEMBER 2025

No, not “out with the old and in with the new,” say Pope Francis – posthumously, and Pope Leo, today.  We look back and move on, from hope to hope, from Pope Francis’ Dilexit nos – (he has loved us) and the love of Jesus,  to Pope Leo’s  Dilexi Te – (I have loved you) and God’s love for the poor.   We are called from being Pilgrims of Hope to being Apostoles of Hope in action.  In our world of today, our church and beginning in our families.  

Taking a look at life – the approach for MARFAM’s THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY and OUR WORLD A FAMILY OF FAMILIES – includes the present. Today, New Year’s Eve, we are in the middle of a very significant week. The day after Christmas, the feast of St Stephen, the first martyr, was also the Day of Goodwill – not just Boxing Day for exchanging unwanted presents. The Sunday after Christmas was Holy Family Sunday, especially dedicated to prayer and support for all human families of the world, in particular those suffering the effects of war and other disasters.  But let us not forget all the families of creation too, during this holiday season where many of us – as families – are out, away from home, maybe out in the country, at the sea, or the mountains, enjoying time with nature. 

We pray with Pope Francis, “Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division; may all who have been hurt or scandalised find ready comfort and healing. Make us once more mindful of the sacredness of the family and its beauty in God’s plan.   Jesus, Mary and Joseph, graciously hear our prayer.  Amen.   From 2016 Amoris Laetitia 325.  

The feast of the Holy Innocents, also on 28th, could have been remembered on the Monday for reflection and sharing on the value of life and the sacrificing of many unborn innocent children through abortion.  They were refused the gift of birth, but are nevertheless welcomed into God’s home.   

New Year’s Day has two important commemoration. Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, a model for all mothers,  who loved and cared for her son, all the days of his life – standing with him at the most painful moment of all, his arrest, mockery of a trial and his death by crucifixion.  It is also the 59th World Day of Prayer for peace.    

Sunday coming up, is the feast of the Epiphany, Jesus revealed to the Gentiles and the whole world, is the final closing of the Jubilee Year. The closing of the door,  should not be the closing of our minds and hearts as the opening message of the Jubilee Year is as relevant as ever, “Hope does not disappoint.” Throughout the time of preparation and the last months of his life Pope Francis spoke often and wrote much about hope.  Not some airy-fairy wishful thinking thought, but something firmer, stronger.  He wrote,           

Although the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV has chosen the message “Peace be with you all, an unarmed and disarming peace” for 1 January, World Day of Prayer for Peace, it is certainly a message that has already run through all of the eight months of his pontificate.  On his election in May 2025 it was his very first greeting. As an American, who has spent many years of his life in Peru in South America, where there has been constant conflict in different places for many years, that message of peace is no doubt very much part of his vision for the Church and the world.  In his recent visits to Turkey and Lebanon the same message resounded strongly, and of course also in the many Jubilee events throughout the year.    

“Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope.”  SNC1.

This reality has no doubt been part of our lves in the last year.  As we thank God for the old and pray for the new, thanking God especially for Pope Francis and Pope Leo,  may hope not disappoint us in 2026, and may the year be one of growing peace and growing in love of God and those who are poor and suffering in any way.   

May we, as MARFAM, continue to support our followers, as best we can, on our journey of life and love. We thank you and our advertisers for your support and look forward with hope as we Care for our Common Home (Laudato Si,) bringing the Joy of Love, (Amoris Laetitia) to a family-centred world. Toni Rowland

IMPORTANT NOTICE!. The 2026 FAMILY YEAR PLANNER is available from us. Cost is R15 for print version, plus courier or delivery through various outlets. Contact Toni Rowland +27 825521275 or [email protected]. The digital version will be uploaded on https://marfam.org.za/ in A3 and A4 format and with an additional overview document.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

31 December. New Year’s Eve.  JESUS.   Read, reflect, share, pray.   The name Jesus means Saviour, meaning something active, but it should also, maybe, be understood as gift.  God’s merciful gift of love that he gave to us at Christmas in the Incarnation, is not only an abstract idea but a person, God’s Son who is also our brother and friend.  He came as a poor, humble helpless baby. He lived a simple life in a small country, mixing with ordinary people, the land and the creatures, but showed us the way of unconditional love and complete self-giving, by his life and finally his death.  His Resurrection completed God’s plan of salvation and paved the way for us. How can we show our love and thank him for this saving gift? Scripture: The greatest gift a person can give is to give his life for his friends.  John 15:13.   Pope Francis.  The Holy Father lamented when we Christians do not reflect the joy and hope offered by Christ’s closeness to us. “These unhappy Christians forget: an encounter with Jesus always brings you joy and if this does not happen to you it is not a true encounter with Jesus. Each of us today should take a little time and think: ‘Jesus, You are within me: I want to meet You every day. You are a Person, not an idea; You are a companion, not a programme. You are Love that solves so many problems. You are the beginning of evangelisation. You, Jesus, are the source of joy. November 2024.  The year 2025, ends today.  It is a time to thank God for the gifts of life during the year and ask his blessing on the year ahead.  The Jubilee year, with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” ends on the feast of the Epiphany early in the New Year.  We hope and trust that MARFAM’s eco-family-focused vision  and theme FAMILY IN CREATION, HOPE FOR THE WORLD will contribute to renew hope and discover a vision to restore access to the earth’s resources for everyone.

Pope Leo’s message to the world at the end of the Season of Creation 2025 and the Raising Hope conference is an apt way to end the THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY for 2025.  “I would like to conclude with a question that concerns each of us. God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that he created (cf. Gen 2:15), for the benefit of all and for future generations, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters (cf. Gen 4:9; Jn 13:34). What will be our answer?