Tag Archives: Catholic
Jesus Christ: Source of Hope and Love in Marriage
Bishop Olmsted, Catholic, civilization of love, Complete My Joy, culture of life, family, little church, Marriage
On the Feast of the Holy Family, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted promulgated Complete My Joy, an Apostolic Exhortation to husbands and wives, mothers and fathers in the Diocese of Phoenix, This exhortation is relevant to all husbands and wives, mothers and fathers.
Listen to Bishop Olmstead describe his reason for writing this exhortation.
Complete My Joy – Official Trailer
It is a great privilege and a great duty, that we strengthen and encourage [husbands and wives, mothers and fathers], and that we remind them that their vocation is a vital contribution to the world. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
Marriage: Radiating the Love of Christ to the World – Part II
Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, Catholic, Humanae Vitae, married love, procreative, self-gift, The Splendor of Love, unitive
Last week we introduced Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila's pastoral letter The Splendor of Love, written in honor of the 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae. His purpose in writing the pastoral letter was "to affirm the great beauty of the Church's consistent teaching through the centuries on married love, a love that is so desperately needed today" (SL, 5).
This week, we will continue looking into Archbishop Aquila's pastoral letter by delving into the goodness of sexuality and how couples can proclaim the splendor of God's love in their marriages and families.
Praise God for the Gift of Marriage
anniversary, Blessed Mother, Catholic, God's faithfulness, Marriage, rosary
Today we are celebrating 15 years of marriage. In honor of this blessed day, we would like to share with you the story of how God worked mightily in our lives – even in the midst of hardships, trials, and grief – to bring us together.
It was late in the summer of 2000. Dennis sat there in heavy traffic hoping that he would not be late. He was on the way to the hospital to meet with a group of doctors who were caring for his wife. What was supposed to be a four-day hospital stay had turned into four months. Dennis suspected that this special meeting with the doctors could only mean that his wife's condition was becoming grave.
During that sad four months, God had reassured him with scripture after scripture that He was going to heal his wife of her illness. They prayed for a miracle, they prayed for healing. Dennis found comfort in God Word's and he believed that God would grant his wife the miracle of healing.
Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for Us
Blessed Virgin Mary, Catholic, Christ, family, holiness, John Paul II, peace, prayer, rosary, unity
Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in the Roman rite of the Catholic Church. Since the sixteenth century when St. Dominic was inspired to develop the devotion, the Rosary has been used to combat both physical and spiritual enemies.
This feast was instituted by Pope St. Pius V to honor Mary for the Christian victory over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. He attributed the victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was invoked through praying the Rosary throughout Europe for protection from the Turkish invasion.
Straining for the Goal
Catholic, faith, heaven, husband, righteousness, wife
The Last Judgment, Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo, c. 1536-1541
Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you know that your mission as a husband or a wife is to help your spouse get to Heaven? Of the seven sacraments in the Catholic Church, only two are called "Sacraments of Service," Holy Orders and Matrimony. Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says about these two sacraments:
Making Your Marriage a Sacrifice of Praise
Catholic, Christ, Marriage, prayer, sacrifice
Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!" The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Psalm 50:5-6
Our parents grew up during the Great Depression and both of our fathers served in World War II. Back then, self-sacrifice was a normal part of life. However, in modern times, we have an aversion to sacrifice; it is to be avoided at all costs. But, the increasing rates of divorce, suicide and substance abuse suggest that people are not happy. That's because true happiness is found in giving ourselves totally for the good of another, in imitation of Christ's self-sacrificial love for His bride, the Church.
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Hebrews 13:15
Families: The center of evangelization efforts in the Archdiocese of Detroit
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, Catholic, Christ, Detroit, disciples, Evangelization, family, Jesus, prayer, Unleash the Gospel
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit
Photo Credit: The Michigan Catholic
On June 3rd, the Vigil of Pentecost, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit issued a pastoral letter, Unleash the Gospel. This letter is the game plan for the transformation of the Archdiocese into a "joyful band of missionary disciples."
Praying Scripture for your Marriage and Family
Catholic, Christ, family, Marriage, prayer
Christ the Teacher (Photo Credit: orthodoxy-icons.com)
This week, we invite you to pray for your marriage and family using Psalms 127 and 128. Pray these passages with your spouse and meditate on a verse that particularly strikes you. God's Word is a fountain of blessings. May He bless you richly.
Entrust Your Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Catholic, Evangelization, family, Jesus, Marriage, prayer
During the entire month of June, Holy Mother Church honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated this year on June 23. The Directory of Popular Piety and the Liturgy says, "The term 'Sacred Heart of Jesus' denotes the entire mystery of Christ, the totality of his being, and his person…Devotion to the Sacred Heart…calls for a fundamental attitude of conversion and reparation, of love and gratitude, apostolic commitment and dedication to Christ and his saving work" (166, 172).
Marriage: Wounded by the Fall, Redeemed by Christ
Catholic, Marriage
The Marriage Feast at Cana, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1672
Marriage has been "wounded by the fall and our own personal sin," but "the redemptive work of Christ renews and restores the goodness of creation and hence of marriage," says Dr. Eduardo J. Echeverria, Professor of Philosophy and Systematic Theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. He has written an excellent article to dispel the confusion surrounding marriage in our modern culture. The article has been posted to The Catholic Thing website and can be read by clicking on the following link…