A Virtual Marriage Retreat: Day Six

Today’s Theme: Marriage is a Journey of Human and Spiritual Growth Breaking Open the Theme Each stage of marriage has its own joys and sorrows, opportunities and challenges. When understood in the light of Christ’s own journey, they can contribute to human growth and spiritual maturity. That is, a couple grows in holiness by journeying [...]

A Virtual Marriage Retreat: Day Three

Today’s Theme: Marriage Is a Communion of Love and Life Breaking Open the Theme In creating man and woman for each other, God made marriage to be love-giving and life-giving. We call these two purposes or ends of marriage the unitive and the procreative. They are inseparably connected and are ordered to each other. The [...]

A Virtual Marriage Retreat: Day Two

Today’s Theme: Marriage Is the Unique Union of a Man and a Woman Breaking Open the Theme In the beginning, says Sacred Scripture, God created man and woman in his image, “male and female He created them” (Gn. 1:27). In His wisdom, God planned that man and woman would be made for each other.  God [...]

A Virtual Marriage Retreat: Day Seven

Today’s Theme: Marriage Is a School of Love and Gratitude Breaking Open the Theme As Adam recognized Eve as God’s gift to him, likewise, spouses should recognize each other as God’s gift in their lives.  Through life’s journey, sometime a husband or wife may need to reflect on the gift of the other, especially when [...]

A Virtual Marriage Retreat: Day One

Today’s Theme: Marriage is a Natural and a Supernatural Gift Breaking Open the Theme Marriage is a natural gift to society; it is also a supernatural gift to the Church. As a natural institution marriage retains certain God-given characteristics. It is the permanent, faithful union of a man and a woman, intended for the good [...]

A Virtual Marriage Retreat: Day Four

Today’s Theme: Marriage is a Sacrament of Christ’s Love Breaking Open the Theme Jesus heals marriage and restores it to its original purity of permanent self-giving in one flesh. But the Lord does not stop there. Christ generously invites husband and wife to participate in his spousal love for his Church. Christian spouses are invited [...]

A Virtual Marriage Retreat: Day Five

Today’s Theme: Marriage Is the Foundation of the Family and Society Breaking Open the Theme The early Church understood the Christian family as an ecclesia domestica, or domestic church. This idea recognizes that the smallest expression of Church is not the parish, but the Christian family. The family, our first community, is the basic way [...]

Immigration Reform: Keeping Families Clearly in Mind

Scripture “is filled with migrating people who journey toward God,” said Archbishop Wilton Gregory in a speech encouraging strong support for comprehensive immigration reform. His speech, given at a conference sponsored by the U.S. Catholic bishops, highlighted the bishops’ concern that “family reunification remain the cornerstone of our nation’s immigration policy.”

June 22, 2012

Every once in a while surprise him/her with a gesture of kindness, such as a cup of coffee or help with the dishes.

Moments of Grace

Author Christopher de Vinck gratefully contemplates the people, events and things of daily life. Our reviewer says: “Readers are likely to come upon a few mirror images of themselves in this book’s pages.”

The social community

From The Human Family, A Community of Peace Message of Pope Benedict XVI for World Day of Peace 2008 The social community, if it is to live in peace, is also called to draw inspiration from the values on which the family community is based.

A souce of great security for children

From Address of Pope Benedict XVI at the Fifth World Meeting of Families The love between father and mother is a source of great security for children and it teaches them the beauty of faithful and lasting love.

In November 2009 the U.S. Catholic Bishops approved a pastoral letter entitled “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan.” The letter brings together the Church’s key teachings on marriage as both a natural gift and a sacrament. It explains how marriage is a public commitment between a man and a woman, intended for the [...]

Home Again

So, we made it home from Alabama safely and without any further damage, thank God! Of course, I guess we would have to be extremely unlucky to have a problem on both legs of the trip (or be extremely bad drivers). At the rehearsal dinner last Friday, Daniel and his cousin Michael dressed up as [...]

The Lunch Box Legacy

This is a generational story about lunch boxes. My daughter, Carole, wanted a new lunch box for first grade. To save money, I spray painted the old one, much to her dismay.

Family of Origin Exercise

Exchange answers with your fiancé(e). Which experience of your fiancé(e) is most different from yours? Discuss what impact this might have on your future marriage.

7 Reasons Not to Marry

The decision to marry is the biggest decision that most people make in a lifetime. Following is a list of danger signs. If any of these are present in your relationship now, it is best to postpone the marriage until the issue is resolved.

Ten Important Research Findings On Marriage

A study from the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University.