We must recognise and treasure our Catholic faith not only at an individual level but the familial, says the Vicar for Family Life.

 “The challenge is for our families to recognise that our faith is the ultimate treasure - our faith in the life of Jesus Christ,” Fr Robert Llanos said as he preached the sermon at last Sunday’s Mass during the August Laventille Devotions.

Fr Llanos, chair of the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC), related an amusing incident he witnessed on the plane while returning to Trinidad from a short visit to New York.

Anthony and Angela Mithcell, members of the Marriage Preparation Ministry, lead the Prayers of the Faithful at last Sunday's Laventille Devotions

A woman, assigned a seat in the emergency exit row, clung onto her handbag instead of placing it in the overhead bin. She did not want another seat, and the plane was fully booked.

US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations prevent anyone seated in the emergency exit row to have any carry-on baggage on his/her lap or stowed under the seat in front of them. The plane could not depart until all baggage was properly stowed.

Fr Llanos said the flight was delayed for minutes because of her reluctance to put away the handbag. Requests from two flight attendants were rejected.

The situation was resolved when an FAA official advised the woman she had two options: either place the bag in the overhead bin, or be forcibly removed from the plane. She eventually chose the former.

There was much laughter at Laventille as Fr Llanos spoke of the incident. But he pointed out, “If we recognise our real treasure in life we would hold onto it, like that woman, with great tenacity… Do we consider the faith given to us at baptism the real treasure of our lives? If we did, we would behave differently to how we currently behave.”

He cited Mary and Joseph who acted not for themselves but for their family, their community and the world: “They were willing to treasure their inheritance.”

He warned against embracing things in the secular world which seek to destroy family life saying, “There are few things in the secular world that contributes to, or builds, the well being of the family”. He said secular society encourages, among other things, individualism, selfishness, pride, anger and bitterness.

He advised Catholic faithful to not become attached to physical things, to be alert and vigilant in their spiritual lives, and stressed the need to inculcate service to others.

“What is missing in the family - in Western culture - is an attitude of service. Teach service within the family and a whole lot of other things will fall into place.”

The Southern Vicariate Association of Men’s Groups led the singing and the recitation of the Rosary, assisted by couples involved in the archdiocese’s Marriage Preparation Ministry. Members of this ministry, which is part of the AFLC, led the intercessory prayers. - RS