In the service of the People of God, St. John Paul II was the Pope of the family. Throughout his life, he incessantly pointed out to the Church and to society the need to protect and promote the family as the vital cell of humanity. His pontificate has distinguished itself in its commitment to make people understand the nature and meaning of the family as a domestic Church, where spouses are called to form a community of persons, growing continually through daily fidelity to the marriage promise of total mutual self-giving. The magisterium of this great pontiff on family issues represents a sure point of reference for finding concrete solutions to the many difficulties and countless challenges that families have to face in our day.” For the Polish pope, the communion of the family was characterized not only by unity, but also by its indissolubility, and within this communion, one understands the nature and meaning of the family as the domestic Church. The family, therefore, realizing itself, that is, becoming an authentic community of persons united in God, is the revelation and specific realization of the community of the Church.” In the apostolic exhortation “Familiaris Consortio,” St. John Paul II highlighted the “social” task given to the family: “The family is the privileged environment where each person learns to give and receive love and it is a necessary good for peoples, an indispensable foundation for society and a great treasure of spouses throughout their lives.” In today’s world there are increasing attacks on the institution of the family. Modernity proposes a life without commitments, without fundamental principles and values derived from divine and natural law. A sign of this is the many divorces and cohabitations, and the consequent difficulties in raising children. Educating the younger generations to live the values is an enormous challenge today. Children—the future of society and of the whole world—learn in the family the first lessons of interpersonal coexistence, mutual respect and solidarity, which are the basis of peaceful coexistence between individuals, peoples, and entire nations. Alongside the religious dimension of the family, there is also a social dimension and today, unfortunately, we are witnessing the spread of distorted and very dangerous visions, fueled by relativistic ideologies, pervasively spread by the media. It is exactly because of this that here at The Heritage Foundation we worked hard on producing a new report arguing that American families are in crisis (declining birth and marriage rates, especially) and strengthening marriage and family formation should be a core focus of federal policy. The question that will determine the course of America’s future is: what happens to a nation when its citizens largely stop having children? The only way for America to thrive in the future is to rebuild the family and revive the institution of marriage. “The families of our time need to get back on track! They must follow Christ!” St. John Paul II used to say. In these words, we feel a strength and a conviction that cannot leave us indifferent and pushes us not to give up. Power will do everything to silence our voice, but we are certain that the commitment that we sow today in the hardened furrows of history will sprout and bear abundant fruit. The family, St. John Paul II repeated incessantly, is the “hope of humanity,” because in it, life is welcomed, from its conception to its natural end.It’s undeniable that the future of humanity passes through the family. It is therefore indispensable and urgent that every person of goodwill commit himself to saving and promoting the values and needs of the family.  Christians who fear of being labeled as enemies of humanity because they proclaim the truth, bow to diplomatic compromises with the world and distort the sacramental character of the Church. Saint Pope John Paul II wrote this beautiful prayer: Lord God, from You every family in Heaven and on earth takes its name. Father, You are love and life. Through Your Son, Jesus Christ, born of woman, and through the Holy Spirit, the fountain of divine charity, grant that every family on earth may become for each successive generation a true shrine of life and love. Grant that Your grace may guide the thoughts and actions of husbands and wives for the good of their families and of all the families in the world. Grant that the young may find in the family solid support for their human dignity and for their growth in truth and love. Grant that love, strengthened by the grace of the sacrament of marriage, may prove mightier than all the weaknesses and trials through which our families sometimes pass. Through the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that the Church may fruitfully carry out her worldwide mission in the family and through the family. We ask this of You, Who is life, truth and love with the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. May we all come together today reciting this powerful prayer, remembering ultimately what family is all about: Forget About Me I Love You! The post Saint Pope John Paul II Gave Us Timeless Lessons About Family appeared first on The Daily Signal.