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A reflection by Fr. Oscar Pezzarini, director of Cottolengo Don Orione

Father Oscar Pezzarini

"Family is the first educator"

On the Feast of the Holy Family Fr. Oscar, in charge of the weekly comment in "La Manga" on behalf of Fr. Grassi said that family as an institution is under attack and eroding. He also mentioned the values of steadfastness and persistence, which are a necessity for family life. "The world of immediacy should not restrict our interior life", he stated.

Buenos Aires, Sunday, December 29, 2002.- Fr. Oscar Pezzarini, director of Cottolengo Don Orione, in charge of the weekly comment in "La Manga", Fr. Julio Grassi's radio program (Radio Rivadavia -AM 630 kHz- Sundays from 2 to 5 a.m.) said tonight that "family is the first educator with whom we learn to walk in life".

"The Holy Family is a keepsake for Jesus, Mary and Joseph. God, who wanted to come to Earth, wanted to grow up in a family from which to redeem the human being."

"The family institution is heavily under attack and eroding through fake progress which is playing it down. However, we should remember that family is the basic cell of Society, as it doubtlessly is the base of the Church, up to the point that it is called 'domestic Church'".

"We need to review what is happening with family, through poverty, through unemployment, and with overthrown values such us engagement and persistence. It's very difficult to persist in what we are doing. Therefore we need to rescue the persistence of the disabled", Fr. Oscar said.

"Man needs engagement, and he's is able to engage for all his life. Thereafter some help is needed, the fuel to put in the means, both spiritual and human, so persistence may be converted into a grace of God. In the case of marriage, this fuel will be love and the home will be for the family."

"The world of immediacy should not restrict our interior life. We also are not handing over the values of persistency and of steadfastness to our new generations. Today there´s no struggle nor effort to bring forth anything. To fence a hurdle is part of human life, and it should not be avoided."

"Family is the very first educator with whom we learn to walk in life. Institutions such as the Church or schools go along with family education. If we leave family education to a side we are going to forfeit many of these values. Let's show our young people the examples of those who are able to carry on, like the family."

"We are made to live in family", the director of Cottolengo Don Orione noted as he referred to those people who were left alone or who never had a family.

Fr. Oscar Pezzarini reflected on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, which were remembered yesterday by the Catholic Church: "On the Feast of the Holy Innocents the Catholic Church remembers those children aged two years or less who gave their lifes at the same time Jesus was born, when King Herod learned about His birth. Herod tought the Newborn was a 'human king' who would take over the kingdom so he commanded all male children less than two year to be killed".

"When we traspose this to our time we must ask us how many innocents keep on dying in this world through war, starvation and abortion."

"There is no King Herod today but there are others, whether they are kings or not, who by their doings and omissions allow that many innocents suffer and die in a world which on one side shows such great progress but on the other allows these things to happen."

Towards the end Fr. Oscar invited the community to "reflect on how this year was lived, on the struggles, and the crises and also on community solidarity". Regarding Fr. Grassi's situation, Fr. Pezzarini stated that "this year marked us with Father Julio's cross. We need to ask ourselves what God is trying to tell us through this very large cross, which is such because if it were not so it would be no cross, because the cross is heavy".

"This year will be remembered for the attacks suffered by the Church and by civil institutions, through positions and struggles in which egotism prevails. Starting with the Church, on to State and Justice. Don't let us allow this attack to go on further since the erosion of institutions is very dangerous" he closed.

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