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Calling Couples to Christ

~ Building strong, joy-filled marriages

Calling Couples to Christ

Tag Archives: love

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: Defender of Hope

04 Sunday Jul 2021

Posted by Dennis and Rose Wingfield in Family, Marriage

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Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, charity, intercessor, love, Man of the Beatitudes, service

Frassati_01

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who St. John Paul II called “The Man of the Beatitudes”[1] and a “living witness and courageous defender of hope on behalf of the young Christians of the twentieth century.”[2]

Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in Turin, Italy on April 6, 1901, the son of Alfredo and Adelaide Frassati. Pier Giorgio’s father owned the anti-Fascist Italian newspaper La Stampa and was influential in Italian politics, holding positions as an Italian Senator and Ambassador to Germany. His mother was an artist.

Neither of his parents were particularly pious, in fact, his father was an agnostic. But his mother saw to it that he and his sister Lucia received the sacraments. Consumed by their own interests and activities, his parents were unaware of the deep faith and spiritual movement in Pier Giorgio’s heart and mind, and his love for Jesus.

At an early age, Pier Giorgio joined the Marian Sodality and the Apostleship of Prayer. He obtained permission to receive daily Communion, which was rare at that time. He assisted at daily Mass, received Holy Communion, and spent much time in intense personal prayer after Mass. He also had special devotion to the Blessed Mother. His intense spiritual life moved him to action. At 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society to serve the sick and needy. Like his father, He also became a political activist. But instead of following the steps of his father, he chose to pursue a civil engineering degree, much to his father’s disappointment.

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St. Joseph: Model of Fatherhood

20 Sunday Jun 2021

Posted by Dennis and Rose Wingfield in Family, Marriage

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Father's Day, John Paul II, love, Pillar of Families, Redemptoris Custos, St. Joseph, Terror of Demons

St. Joseph 5

Father’s Day is celebrated in the United States on the third Sunday of June. It is a day to celebrate fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society, especially in the foundation of society, the family.

The Church holds up St. Joseph as the model and exemplar of fatherhood. In Joseph’s marriage to Mary, God ushers in the sacrament of the New Covenant. St. John Paul II in his apostolic exhortation Redemptoris Custos (On the Person and Mission of Saint Joseph in the Life of Christ and of the Church), speaks of how God used Mary and Joseph to break the curse of original sin ushered in by Adam and Eve…

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Family Devotion to the Two Hearts

11 Friday Jun 2021

Posted by Dennis and Rose Wingfield in Family, Marriage

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compassion, Enthronement, Immaculate Heart of Mary, love, mercy, Sacred Heart of Jesus

Two Hearts_01

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and tomorrow, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12, 2021). Devotion to both the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart is encouraged three times in the Fatima message.

First, in the spring of 1916, the Angel of Peace spoke these words to the three children of Fatima: “The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications.”

Again in the summer of 1916, the Angel says: “The Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs for you.”

Finally, in the fall of 1916, the angel dictates a prayer to the children which in part says: “And I draw upon the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary that You might convert poor sinners.”

In addition, on several occasions, Jesus told Sister Lucia that He desired adoration of both hearts.

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The Way of the Cross: Path to Joy

04 Sunday Apr 2021

Posted by Dennis and Rose Wingfield in Family, Marriage

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forgiveness, generosity, happiness, Jesus Christ, joy, love, mercy, obedience, salvation

The Resurrection_Andrea Mantegna, 1459

The Resurrection
Andrea Mantegna, c. 1459

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Halleluiah!

On this day that Jesus burst forth from the tomb, conquering sin and death, it is important to comprehend and appreciate what He has done for us by dying on the cross. Let us begin with prayer:

Lord, help me to understand the cross. Help me to comprehend all that Christ has done for me in dying for the forgiveness of my sins. Lord, give me grateful awe as I ponder the mystery of the cross. Give me the grace to respond to your generosity by giving you my all, my very life, for your love and mercy are beyond compare. I ask this through Christ Jesus, Amen.

To begin to understand Christ’s willingness to suffer and die for you, imagine heaven. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are looking at you with unimaginable love. They are discussing your life, how you have sold yourself into sin and slavery. They see you lost and without hope, heading to eternal destruction. The Father speaks, “Who will bring him back?” The eternal Son of God, robed in majesty and splendor, immediately responds, “I will go.” The Holy Spirit realizes what this will cost. God’s magnificent plan for your salvation is set into motion. The Son leaves heaven to be nailed to a cross…for you!

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Spiritual Checkup: Fourth Sunday of Lent

14 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by Dennis and Rose Wingfield in Family, Marriage

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Holy Spirit, Lenten Mission, love, mind, moral conscience, moral judgment

Slide4

We are at the half-way point in our Lenten Mission. Last week, we continued on our mission by looking at the second portion of the Great and First Commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your …soul…” (Mt 22:37b). This week, we will look at the third portion:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your… mind.” Matthew 22:37c

What does it mean to love God with all your mind? Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines mind as “The intellectual or rational faculty in man; the understanding; the intellect; the power that conceives, judges, or reasons… the faculties of thinking, willing, choosing, and the like.” That sounds like our conscience.

Now, let’s look at what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about the formation of our conscience…

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Spiritual Checkup: Third Sunday of Lent

07 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by Dennis and Rose Wingfield in Family, Marriage

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divine life, Lenten Mission, love, self-gift

Slide3

Last week, we continued on our Lenten Mission by looking at the first portion of the Great and First Commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (Mt 22:37a). This week, we will look at the second portion:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your…soul…” Matthew 22:37b

What does it mean to love God with all your soul? First, we must look at what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about the human soul…

Endowed with “a spiritual and immortal” soul (Gaudium et Spes, §14:2), the human person is “the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake” (GS, §24:3). From his conception, he is destined for eternal beatitude.[1]

God created each and every human person out of love and for intimate friendship with Himself. He endowed each person with an immortal soul and His desire is for each of us to spend all eternity with Him in heaven. What should our response be to such an unmerited gift?

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Spiritual Checkup: Second Sunday of Lent

28 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by Dennis and Rose Wingfield in Family, Marriage

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agape, Deus Caritas Est, God, God is love, Lenten Mission, love

Slide2

Last week, we embarked on a Lenten Mission to give our hearts a spiritual checkup. Throughout the mission, we are focusing on this key passage of Scripture:

And one of [the Pharisees], a lawyer, asked [Jesus] a question, to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” And [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40

Our journey began by examining the priorities in our life with the goal of God being first place in all that we do. This week, we will be looking at the first portion of the Great and First Commandment:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…” Matthew 22:37a

What does it mean to love God with all your heart? First, we must ask the question, “What is love?” St. John the Evangelist in his first letter tells us “God is love.” In full context, he says:

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Lenten Mission: A Spiritual Checkup

21 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by Dennis and Rose Wingfield in Family, Marriage

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God, great commandment, Lent, Lenten Mission, love, neighbor, treasure

Slide1

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24

This Lent we are taking you on a Lenten Mission, a spiritual checkup if you will. This is the key passage for our Lenten reflection:

And one of [the Pharisees], a lawyer, asked [Jesus] a question, to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” And [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40 (emphasis added)

Each Sunday during Lent, we will meditate on a portion of this passage. This will require slowing down from our normal routines so we can listen to God through His written word. With all meekness and humbleness, as we reflect on the two greatest commandments, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the condition of your spirit. Meditate and pray on each verse. What is the Spirit revealing to you? Do you need to repent of any spiritual sickness? Ask God to forgive you of your shortfalls. Pray for God to give you the grace to be better in the future. Make a commitment on how you are going to grow in one area.

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To Have, To Hold, To Honor

14 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by Dennis and Rose Wingfield in Family, Marriage

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culture, family, love, prayer, Sacrament of Marriage, service, World Marriage Sunday

World Marriage Sunday 2021

To bear witness to the inestimable value of the indissolubility and fidelity of marriage is one of the most precious and most urgent tasks of Christian couples in our time.[1]

Today the Church celebrates World Marriage Sunday. Fittingly, this year it coincides with the Feast of St. Valentine, patron saint of happy marriages. “To Have, To Hold, To Honor” is the theme designated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. According to the Bishops, it is a time to reflect on the gift marriage is to our Church and our country, as well as an opportunity for couples to build up their own marriages.

Indeed, marriage is a gift to the Church and our country. St. John Paul II said, “The future of humanity passes by way of the family.”[2] The family is the bedrock of society. The health of our culture and nation depends on the health of families. We are living in troubling times and many of our social ills are related to the breakup of the family.

What does a healthy family look like? It is a family that fulfills its mission. St. John Paul II, in his Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (The Family in the Modern World), said…

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February: A Month Dedicated to the Holy Family

07 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by Dennis and Rose Wingfield in Family, Marriage

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cardinal virtues, faith, fortitude, Holy Family, hope, justice, love, prudence, temperance, Theological Virtues, virtues

Holy Family Stained Glass_02

The family is indeed—more than any other human reality— the place where an individual can exist “for himself” through the sincere gift of self. St. John Paul II[1]

The Church dedicates the month of February to the Holy Family. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is the model of virtue for all Christian households. In these troubling times, when families are no longer valued and are disintegrating, it is of paramount importance that we emulate this virtuous family.

The Holy Family lived out what the Church calls the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance and the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. Cardinal is the Latin word for “hinge.” All of the other virtues hinge around these four virtues. The higher theological virtues of faith, hope, and love are the fruit of the cardinal virtues.

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