A crisis might make you "wobble" a bit, but you can come out from it better than before. Thus, we shouldn't be afraid of crises.
This was the consoling observation that Pope Francis made November 6 in an address to members of the Retrouvaille Association, which ministers to couples in extreme crisis.
A crisis "makes you feel unpleasant things at time, but one can emerge from a crisis, provided that you emerge better," he said.
Retrouvaille began in 1977 as a French-language weekend for hurting marriages in the province of Quebec, Canada. It was adapted to English by the community in Toronto, and by 1991, was spreading around the world.
The program aims to provide help for couples who "live in the disappointment and pain of marriage problems," providing a weekend setting for couples "to learn communication in marriage in a respectful manner."
"No marriage is beyond hope," the program assures.
Taking the crisis in hand
The Holy Father, in his address, noted the importance of help in order to come out of crises. "It is difficult to emerge from a crisis alone: we must always all come out of a crisis together. I like this," he said.
"I identify with your experience, which invites us to consider crisis as an opportunity: yes, a painful opportunity, but an opportunity - in this case, an opportunity to make a qualitative leap in relationships," the Pope said.
Reading the Word
Pope Francis, who has often spoken about pastoral ministry for married couples, observed that those who have come through crises are a valuable resource.
The Holy Father thanked the couples for another thing. He said that their juxtaposition of two Biblical texts - the Good Samaritan and the Risen Jesus - helped him "to see better the link between the Good Samaritan and the Risen Christ, and to see that this link passes through the wounds, the sores."
