“These pages are a response to the numerous requests we have received to share something about our life experience with some priests who are in the process of beatification. Whether that process is completed or not will be decided by God and the Church, but it is certain, and a source of family emotion, that many today are turning to them for favors. Their image is already available in thirteen languages.”

Thus begins the prologue by Rafael, one of Tomás and Paquita Alvira’s nine children, in the recent publication of a new biography of this couple entitled “When Love Builds the Family” (ed. Rialp). María Isabel, the eighth, develops the profile. There are already several biographies about this couple. This one joins them all, from the affectionate, close, and grateful perspective of a home where nothing goes unnoticed. Because children notice everything… and they share it here with the reader.

How love builds a family

The family is built on love, which acts as its essential foundation and primary driving force. This love is not merely a passive feeling, but a conscious and voluntary action that is nurtured daily through selflessness, understanding, empathy, and solidarity. It is within the family that we learn to love unconditionally, without conditions or expectations, and where the personalities of each member are forged. Love in the family is manifested in everyday gestures, words of affection, mutual support, and respect for each individual’s differences.

Benevolent love, which desires the good of others for their own sake and not for their qualities, is the necessary foundation for the formation of a family. However, this love must be accompanied by a total and exclusive gift and acceptance of the other, which implies a continuous effort to grow as individuals and to build harmonious coexistence.

Love sustains the family

Marital love, as a model of love for children, is fundamental, since it is within the couple that children learn their first lessons on how to love and be loved. The example of love children see in their parents is the best way to educate them in love.

This familial love not only strengthens the family’s internal unity but also has a profound impact on the development of individuals and society as a whole. The family is considered the first and most important school of love, where virtues such as respect, honesty, responsibility, and gratitude are cultivated, preparing its members to face life with integrity. Furthermore, love in the family is contagious, influencing its members’ future relationships and transmitting values ​​that benefit the community. In short, love not only builds the family, but also sustains and grows it.

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