June 8.  Mary said to her son Patrick, “you’ve been confirmed and are at university now, so you should be cleverer than me.  At the Synods on the Family in 2014 and 2015, and in the Church in general, there seem to be two groups, one who insist on strictly sticking to the laws and teachings of the Church and the other who are looking more at the needs and real-life situations of the people.  Pope Francis himself asks, ‘How can we be merciful to them?’  What would that mean? Which way would be correct, also for young people?”   

Reflect, share and act.      Scripture: “I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfil them. Matthew 5:17-19                   Pope Francis:   Countless studies have been made of marriage and the family, their current problems and challenges.  We do well to focus on concrete realities, since the call and the demands of the Spirit resound in the events of history.  AL31