The pathway to belonging to the Movement is “the Church’s way, from the time of the Council of Jerusalem, (which) has always been the way of Jesus, the way of mercy and reinstatement (…) for true charity is always unmerited, unconditional and gratuitous”. (Amoris laetitia, 296)
The members of the Movement strive for holiness according to the charism of the Families of Cana. Nevertheless, they may find themselves in different situations in their personal or family lives. Those who belong to the Movement or who may belong are:
- Families that together – parents and children – commit themselves to living according to the charism proposed. Not all of these families are rooted in the sacrament of matrimony, but they should all desire the sacrament. Therefore, there are families of divorced people in the Movement, who live in a new union and correspond to the profile laid out by Pope Francis in Amoris Laetitia: “… a second union consolidated over time, with new children, proven fidelity, generous self giving, Christian commitment, a consciousness of its irregularity and of the great difficulty of going back without feeling in conscience that one would fall into new sins.” (AL 298) Families resulting from a non-marital partnership that has no impediment in relation to receiving the sacrament of matrimony can only be Families of Cana after matrimony, because that non-marital partnership does not suggest a longing for sacramental life. Nonetheless, the Movement can and should accompany these families in order to cultivate in them a thirst for God, which is necessary so that they too can come to drink the “new wine” of Jesus.
- Families where only one of the married couple wishes to commit him- or herself given a lack or immaturity in faith of their spouse. Refusal to accept them would be to increase the pain of the husband or wife who is a believer. For these families the words of Saint Paul prevail: “… the unbelieving husband is made one with the saints through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made one with the saints through her husband. If this were not so, your children would be unclean whereas in fact they are holy.” (1 Cor 7:14)
Families that experience all kinds of problematic situations, like single mothers, parents whose children have abandoned the faith and others. It is enough that one of the members of the family has a desire to be committed. Pope Francis was inspired by the Holy Spirit when he presented the Church as a “field hospital”: “This is the mission of the Church: the Church heals, it cures. Sometimes, I speak of the Church as if it were a field hospital. It’s true: there are many, many wounded! So many people need their wounds healed! This is the mission of the Church: to heal the wounds of the heart, to open doors, to free people, to say that God is good, God forgives all, God is the Father, God is affectionate, God always waits for us.” (Homily, 5 February 2015) This image comes in the same biblical vein that presents Jerusalem as ruins that the Lord has the joy to rebuild: “Break into shouts of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for Yahweh is consoling his people” (Is 52:9) “They will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise what has long lain waste” (Is 61:4) Jesus was born in the stable of Bethlehem and transformed it into a sacred place. In Cana, Jesus restored the fountain of joy. In a most beautiful homily on the mystery of the wedding at Cana, Pope Francis made prophetic statements, referring precisely to these broken families: “And the best wine is yet to come, in spite of all the variables and statistics which say otherwise. The best wine will come to those who today feel hopelessly lost. Say it to yourselves until you are convinced of it. Say it to yourselves, in your hearts: the best wine is yet to come. Whisper it to the hopeless and the loveless. Have patience, hope, and follow Mary’s example, pray, open your heart, because the best wine is yet to come. God always seeks out the peripheries, those who have run out of wine, those who drink only of discouragement. Jesus feels their weakness, in order to pour out the best wines for those who, for whatever reason, feel that all their jars have been broken.” (Homily, 6 July 2015)
- Young people who find in the charism of the Movement a way to holiness.
- Consecrated laypersons who find in the mystery of Cana a calling to serve families, especially broken families, according to
the charism of the Movement. - Diocesan priests the wish to “drink from the Six Clay Water Jars of Cana”.
I want to be a Family of Cana
The important thing is to have a desire to celebrate the wedding of Cana every day of your life, inviting Jesus and Mary to the feast and bringing Jesus, with the help of Mary, your “six clay jars of Cana”. If you listen to the voice of Jesus calling you or your family to the feast, write to info@familiasdecana.pt or contact the Village of Cana nearest you.
If possible, Families of Cana participate in a Families of Cana retreat and in other retreats and meetings that are organised, as well as in their local Village of Cana gatherings. But the greatest and truly most important meetings of all are those that take place close to the Families of Cana, at home in daily family prayer and in the local parish church at Sunday mass. Don’t miss the wedding feast!
Hymns