10 Saturday Dec 2016
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A recent Pew Research Center Study asked respondents how important each of seven factors were to marital success. Topping the list was having shared interests, a satisfying sexual relationship and sharing household chores. Shared religious beliefs ranked fifth on the list of marriage success factors (see below).
03 Saturday Dec 2016
Marriage is called to be not only an object but a subject of the new evangelization.[1]
With these words, Pope Benedict XVI opened the thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith. He explained that:
Matrimony is a Gospel in itself, a Good News for the world of today, especially the dechristianized world. The union of a man and a woman, their becoming “one flesh” in charity, in fruitful and indissoluble love, is a sign that speaks of God with a force and an eloquence which in our days has become greater because unfortunately, for various reasons, marriage, in precisely the oldest regions evangelized, is going through a profound crisis. And it is not by chance. Marriage is linked to faith, but not in a general way. Marriage, as a union of faithful and indissoluble love, is based upon the grace that comes from the triune God, who in Christ loved us with a faithful love, even to the Cross. Today we ought to grasp the full truth of this statement, in contrast to the painful reality of many marriages which, unhappily, end badly.[2] (emphasis added)
25 Friday Nov 2016
Today is the feast day of Blessed Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi. They are a model of virtuous married love and unwavering commitment to the faith. Their inspiring example is a source of encouragement for all married couples.
24 Thursday Nov 2016
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In the United States, the fourth Thursday of November is set aside as a day to thank God for the bountiful blessings and abundant gifts he has bestowed upon our nation. The Pilgrims, who were fleeing religious prosecution in their native England, celebrated the first thanksgiving in America in 1621, one year after arriving on the Mayflower. The tradition of celebrating a day of thanksgiving continued for many years, although inconsistently in spacing or season, until President Abraham Lincoln made it an annual national holiday in 1863.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. (Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation)
19 Saturday Nov 2016
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The Jubilee Year of Mercy draws to a close this Sunday, November 20, on the Solemnity of Christ the King. However, we must continue helping people personally encounter the love, kindness, generosity and incredible mercy of God. During the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis called Catholics around the world to “open wide” the doors of their hearts to forgive others.
It is in the family, where husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, guided by the Holy Spirit, model love and mercy to each other and their children. Jesus shows us how to do this; it is through forgiving those who have grievously offended us.
12 Saturday Nov 2016
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“And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” (Mk 3:25)
This passage appears in all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Abraham Lincoln echoed these words from Scripture on June 16, 1858 to more than 1,000 delegates at the Republican State Convention in Springfield, Illinois. They had just chosen Mr. Lincoln as their candidate for the U.S. Senate, running against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.[1]
Lincoln’s speech was controversial; it cost him the election to Douglas. A little more than two years later, people began to grasp the truth of his words and he was elected to the Presidency of the United States on November 6, 1860.
This past week, our nation elected a new president. The election has uncovered a deep and wide divide in our nation. It has left many feeling sad, angry, and disillusioned. Others are jubilant, hopeful and encouraged. Between these extremes are many that are just fed up with the ugliness of this election. How do we bridge the biggest divide in our country since the Civil War?
05 Saturday Nov 2016
A few summers ago our faith community was shaken when two young people experienced life-threatening accidents. In both instances, our community went into action via various social media forums to spread the word and request immediate prayer. Within a few hours, people throughout the country were praying for the healing of these two precious souls. God performed several miracles on both of these individuals that were not expected to survive. Today they are both thankful to alive.
While praying for these two individuals, we were struck by the thousands of equally great tragedies that occur every day yet go largely unnoticed in the Christian community. No one is calling the faithful to pray for these individuals. We are heartbroken over the lack of concern for these suffering souls. Why have we grown so numb to an epidemic that is destroying hundreds of thousands of lives every year? Lord, have mercy on us for being so uncaring for those who are suffering in our midst.
29 Saturday Oct 2016
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church. (Eph 5:31-32)
Do you know the point of marriage? St. Paul is his letter to the Church at Ephesus calls it a “great mystery.” In the original Greek, Paul used the word mystērion, a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding (Strong’s Concordance G3466). In rabbinic writings, the word mystērion denotes a mystic or hidden sense to a biblical saying. What is this hidden sense of marriage that Paul is speaking about?
22 Saturday Oct 2016
Today the Church celebrates the Feast Day of St. John Paul II. Traditionally, the feast of a saint is held on dies natalis, the day of the saint’s death and his heavenly birthday. St. John Paul II died on April 2, 2005 however that day can fall during Holy Week. To guarantee the day would be solemnly celebrated every year, the Vatican elected to set his day of liturgical memory on October 22, the Anniversary of the Inauguration Mass for his pontificate.
16 Sunday Oct 2016
Several years ago, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a pastoral letter entitled Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan[i]. This document clearly explains the central points of Catholic teaching on marriage. In addition, it identifies the contemporary challenges to marriage and how the Church addresses those challenges.
Calling Couples to Christ 