The main reason for Francis' trip to the United States was the meeting World Families Day. What were his proposals?

"God did not want to come into the world in any other way than through a family. (...) And this has been from the beginning his dream, his quest, his tireless struggle to tell us: 'I am the God with you, the God for you'" (speech at the Feast of Families and Prayer Vigil, Philadelphia, 26-IX-2015).

 To want to form a family," Francis proclaims, "is to dare to be part of God's dream, it is to dare to dream with Him, (...) it is to dare to play with Him this story of building a world where no one feels alone, where no one feels left out or has no place". Three points stand out as proposals of the Pope.

1. Society must support the family. This is not a rose-tinted story. "Gambling for love is not in itself an easy thing to do. Just as for the Master, there are moments when this 'gambling' goes through cross situations. Moments where it seems that everything becomes uphill".

Hence a first proposal, addressed to the society that is all of us: "The dream of God remains irrevocable, remains intact and invites us to work, to commit ourselves to a pro-family society. A society where 'bread, the fruit of the earth and the work of men' (Roman Missal), continues to be offered on every roof, nourishing the hope of its children".

2. Parents must show the family as a school and a way of love. Secondly, Francis has before him the fundamental problem: the insecurity of young people, their fear of committing themselves to form a family.

It is therefore coherent and Christian that parents can present their own lives and efforts as "arguments" to encourage their children to form a family; because difficulties are school, life, opportunities to grow and share love:

"This is a great bequest that we can leave to our children, a very good teaching: we make mistakes, yes; we have problems, yes; but we know that this is not the final thing. We know that mistakes, problems, conflicts are an opportunity to get closer to others, to God".

3. Pastors and educators should present positively the Christian project of the family and help it in its difficulties. "The family is not for the Church primarily a source of concern, but the confirmation of God's blessing to the masterpiece of creation". (speech to the Bishops invited to the meeting World of Families, Philadelphia, 27-IX-2015). In other words, "appreciation and gratitude must prevail over regret, despite all the obstacles we have to face".

It is therefore not possible to remain in pessimism. Nor should we take refuge in theory. We must show - on internship- that "it is families that transform the world and history". But "do we know - Francis asks - how to be with them, to share their difficulties and their joys?"

It is as if to say: if we want to encourage young people to "take a chance" for the family and for others, let us go ahead with the facts, confident that we can all do better, to participate in this fascinating adventure of the family, God's dream.