Monthly Archives: September 2020

Do You Have a Heart Condition?

27 Sunday Sep 2020

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

heart-cath_crop

What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart. Matthew 15:18

Just as a nutritional diet low in saturated fats and exercise is important to the physical health of your heart, so is a regular regiment of prayer, Scripture reading, and reception of the Sacraments important for the spiritual health of your heart. A steady diet high in sodium and saturated fats leads to plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart, leading to heart disease.

The same is true of your spiritual heart. Like plaque, unresolved anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness can severely weaken your spiritual heart, blocking the flow of God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness to your spouse and family. This heart disease is at the root of marital strife and can result in the death of a marriage.

Continue reading →

Take Up Your Cross

20 Sunday Sep 2020

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Christ on the Cross_Eugène Delacroix_c1835 Christ on the Cross, Eugène Delacroix, c. 1835

Last week, we commemorated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross by urging you to view your spouse as your cross, your path to sanctification. This week, we want to delve into the theology behind the exhortation.

Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23).

Denying ourselves and taking up our cross entails sacrifice. It means giving up something for the sake of something better. For example, we might give up time that we would have spent taking a nap so that we can read a book to our three-year-old daughter. Or it might mean biting our tongue instead of lashing out at our spouse who has just said something hurtful.

Continue reading →

Feast of the Exultation of the Cross

14 Monday Sep 2020

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

ExaltationoftheCross

We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is our salvation, our life and our resurrection: through him we are saved and made free.[1]

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross. This feast is a celebration of God’s greatest work: Christ’s salvific death on the Cross and His Resurrection, through which death was defeated and the gates to Heaven were opened. The cross is the universal image of Christian belief. Today is a time to ponder what Christ accomplished through His horrific Passion. Look upon the wounds of Christ, gaze into His eyes. See the love that He has for you; His willingness to suffer and die so that you may gain eternal life.

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Jesus calls us to follow him by taking up our cross daily. In marriage, your spouse is your cross. Some of you may be snickering in agreement with this statement but this cross is your path to sanctification. As Christ was wounded and died on the cross, marriage binds two wounded individuals in a lifelong covenant. The wounds of your spouse are holy ground. We are called to unite our woundedness and suffering to those of Christ on the cross.

Continue reading →

Book Review – Be Devoted: Restoring Friendship, Passion, and Communion in Your Marriage

06 Sunday Sep 2020

Posted by in Family, Marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Be Devoted Bob SchuchtsIs there a gap between what you desire for your marriage and reality?

Are you and your spouse locked into an ongoing battle of wills?

Are there recurring unresolved conflicts in your marriage?

Do you want greater intimacy and connection with your spouse?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you need Be Devoted: Restoring Friendship, Passion, and Communion in Your Marriage, by Bob Schuchts. This book is a tremendous resource for all married couples and those contemplating marriage.

Be devoted to one another in love. Romans 12:10

Schuchts explains that “to be devoted is to know true and lasting love.”[1] He gives both synonyms and antonyms to help understand what it means to be devoted.

Continue reading →