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101 Tips for Marrying the Right Person

101 Tips for Marrying the Right Person

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Are you confused about how to find your true love? Do you want to work on a current dating relationship, preparing it for engagement and marriage?

Packed into 101 bite-sized suggestions, 101 Tips for Marrying the Right Person is the help you need to approach dating with confidence and joy, while at the same time helping you become the best, most marriage-ready version of yourself. Jennifer Roback Morse and Betsy Kerekes offer inspiration and advice for all stages of your relationship.

With research conducted by the Ruth Institute and almost fifty years of marriage experience between them, authors Jennifer Roback Morse and Betsy Kerekes have compiled their best tips to inspire and support Catholic singles during all stages of dating and engagement. The life-changing ideas in 101 Tips for Marrying the Right Person offer short, practical suggestions that will help you find a mate and build a strong relationship.

You'll find advice for meeting other Catholic singles, questions to ask yourself before getting too serious, and topics to talk about before engagement. Tips include:

  • When you're on the first date, or once you're in a relationship, see the other person for who they are. Avoid thinking you can change him or her; only God can do that.
  • Don't expect your significant other to be perfect when you know that you are not.
  • If you're interested in someone who isn't Catholic, have an open discussion about how you each expect faith to impact your relationship and potential marriage.
  • Morse and Kerekes clearly articulate the challenges that face single Catholics today. The hook-up and cohabitation culture is prevalent in our society and in the media, making the temptation to succumb strong. The authors want you to know that you aren't weak for being interested in these options, but you are strong enough to resist them. You can combat these challenges by recognizing single life and dating as ideal times to discern your own call to the vocation of marriage as well as your dating relationship's readiness for the sacrament.

    ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband How to find and marry a great guy

    ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband How to find and marry a great guy

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    Every Woman Should Read This Book Before Making a Mistake That Leads to Life-long ProblemsLet's face it. Finding a good man is no easy task in our materialistic, pleasure-seeking, divorce-plagued society. In fact, many women today have given up hope of ever finding a good man to marry. This unique new book offers practical and insightful advice to women on how to choose a partner for life and restores hope that a lasting, loving, and fulfilling marriage is possible in a divorce-prone world. Here are just a few of the topics covered: The #1 predictor of divorceHow to develop communication skillsThe answer to the common question "How far can I go before marriage?"The best places to find good, eligible menQuestions to ask before saying "I do"When are you ready to marry?How you can avoid regrets after marriage.The ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband offers a solid new way to prepare for marriage in a world where relationships are falling apart. Many children today come from families scarred by divorce. Even those who come from stable homes have seen marriages collapsing all around them. Nevertheless, Steve Wood believes that young adults are ready for the radical solutions he proposes, solutions that embody the traditions and wisdom of the Catholic Church.What others are saying: "This book should be required reading for every woman as she prepares to make the most important decision of her life." - Johnette Benkovic, Author & Television Host of Women of Grace"Parents need this book. So do their children. And so do men who have been looking for a long time and who have grown weary of the dating culture." - Scott Hahn, Ph.D., founder St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology"Pastors should make this book available to their parish youth, singles, and pre-Cana programs." - Mary Schneider, Homiletic and Pastoral Review"Steve Wood offers invaluable insight into choosing a good spouse; if acted upon, his suggestions may change your life." - Jeff Cavins, author, speaker, and media host"I highly recommend Stephen Wood's The ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband. This book is not only for those seeking a husband but also for all of us who want to know how we can strengthen marriages and families in our society. This book inspires hope." - Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life.This book is a must-have for Catholic parents since its storehouse of solid, biblical-based advice makes it the only book of its kind. Parents, make sure you don't make the "single biggest mistake" with your children. Read The ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband, and start preparing your daughters for courtship and marriage now!Reader Testimony: "Thank you for the book The ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband. It arrived promptly...along with Breaking Free and the Purity Memory Cards for my boyfriend. Has Steve ever thought of making the "R" chapter in the ABC Husband book into a booklet or book on its own? The R Chapter ("Ruinous Effects of Pornography on your Future Marriage") and the B chapter (Beware of the Trigger Effect) make the book worth ten times its price. I will encourage every girl I know to get a copy....it's crazy how widespread this problem is!" - Angie"I can't thank you enough for the book we just received in the mail: The ABC'S of Choosing a Husband!!! It is so good. We are a Catholic homeschooling family and I was wanting to teach my young ones about marriage...this book is perfect!!! My 12 and 13-year-old sons can learn much as well as my 6-year-old daughter!"
    Be Devoted: Restoring Friendship, Passion, and Communion in Your Marriage

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

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    Winner of a third-place award for marriage and family life books from the Catholic Media Association.

    Drawing from his popular healing conferences, forty years of marriage, and decades of clinical work as a couple's therapist, bestselling author Bob Schuchts presents his first resource for married and engaged couples and those who desire true love in their relationships: Be Devoted. This highly anticipated guide delivers sound Catholic teaching, rich storytelling, and practical tools for healing, along with psychological insights and expertise to help couples create a relationship that is rich in trust, passion, and unity.

    The key to a healthy and passionate marriage is as simple as fostering genuine love and affection, or devotion, according to retired couple's therapist and healing expert Bob Schuchts of the John Paul II Healing Center. True devotion only develops, however, when both spouses take responsibility for their actions and emotional wounds--something each of us brings to all of our relationships. These wounds, which are often rooted in childhood and past relationships, exist in all of us to some degree, making it difficult for couples to cultivate friendship, resolve conflicts, and build trust.

    Drawing on the riches of St. John Paul II's theology of the body, Be Devoted is an essential guide to healing from these wounds within your marriage, while providing practical tools for cultivating unity. The first part of the book focuses on building intimacy, unity, and communion, and the second part offers wisdom and guidance for restoring trust when it is damaged. You'll find practical tools for cultivating intimacy, resolving conflicts, and restoring sexual passion.

    To help you engage deeply and prayerfully, Be Devoted includes:

  • Take A Moment reflection questions
  • prayer guides for couples
  • scripts for apologizing and tackling difficult discussions
  • practical ways for understanding and working through conflicts
  • spiritual exercises for healing past wounds
  • prompts for journaling
  • appendices with extended prayer exercises and resources
  • Catholic Annulment: Spiritual Healing

    Catholic Annulment: Spiritual Healing

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    Catholic annulment is often viewed as an obstacle to marriage or a formality of cannon law. Few people realize that annulment is more than just a process -- annulment leads to healing. The authors draw upon their own experience of Catholic annulment to describe not only the procedure but also the peace it brought into their lives.

    Beginning with the process of annulment, the book presents a section of frequently asked questions, such as: What is the cost? How long will it take? Then the book explains why an annulment process is necessary, and tells how to find a procurator to initiate the annulment process. After discussing the process, the book considers the healing aspects of annulment. Healing must include forgiving others and yourself for all past pain and sorrow. The last chapter of the book discusses how to deal with your children after an annulment.

    Booklet

    Catholic Church Saved My Marriage Discovering the Hidden Grace in the Sacrament of Matrimony

    Catholic Church Saved My Marriage Discovering the Hidden Grace in the Sacrament of Matrimony

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    “The Catholic Church saved my marriage
    and, quite possibly, my life.”

    So begins David Anders in this remarkably forthright book. In it, David reports that by the early 2000s, his marriage was so painful he actually longed for death. It wasn’t simple incompatibility; he and his wife had just one thing in common: contempt for each other.

    Today, David and his wife are happy together – not because of marriage therapy, but because they came to know and fully embraced the Catholic Church’s teachings on marriage.

    Many people who encounter such teachings are shocked by their rigor. Yet the Church offers much more than rules about sexual restraint; she offers a way to make marriage into something supernatural, even mystical. 

    Here Dr. Anders shares his personal discovery of the Church’s teaching on marriage and offers a robust defense of the Church’s most controversial teachings, including divorce, remarriage, gay marriage, and contraception.

    With the Church’s teachings and the writings of the saints as his guide, he also offers practical, time-tested ways to improve your marriage, such as how to live in peace despite an unhappy marriage, the value of suffering, and ways to overcome your reluctance to forgive grave offenses.

    In a culture that breaks apart marriages and undermines human dignity, Dr. David Anders offers a hope-filled alternative for those who live moral and spiritual lives in union with Christ and His Church.

    Catholic Guide to Dating After Divorce

    Catholic Guide to Dating After Divorce

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    Encouraging yet forthright, The Catholic Guide to Dating After Divorce offers sound advice to anyone who has experienced the deflating effects of divorce, but is not ready to give up on love. Affirming the universal need for intimacy, relationship expert Lisa Duffy shows that faith can be a catalyst for healthy relationships, helping to identify and uproot emotionally harmful habits and boosting authenticity and confidence. Duffy identifies five essential characteristics of spiritually healthy peoplebeing available, affectionate, communicative, faithful, and magnanimousand shows how cultivating these qualities can bring out the best, most confident, and most attractive version of anyone.
    Choice Wine, The - 7 Steps to A Superabundant Marriage

    Choice Wine, The - 7 Steps to A Superabundant Marriage

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    God doesn't want your marriage to simply survive. He wants it to be superabundant. Indeed, Christ's first public miracle was to bring joy to a young couple when he turned approximately 150 gallons of ordinary water into the choicest of wines. The Choice Wine: 7 Steps to a Superabundant Marriage moves well beyond divorce-proofing your marriage to place a happier, healthier, and wealthier future within your grasp.

    Follow Steve Bollman on an amazing journey as he integrates the latest findings from modern science with the wisdom of the ages and a little common sense to expand your vision of marriage, including
    - the neurological research revealing the reality that husband and wife truly "become one,"
    - the medical science indicating that the human person transcends the limits of the visible world, and
    - the neurological reality that spouses are driven to be profoundly merciful to each other.

    Along the way, you'll hear amazing stories destined to touch your heart:
    - the Nobel Laureate in Medicine who witnessed two instantaneous miracles,
    - the mother whose prayers transformed the heart of a mafia enforcer, and
    - a very special couple who reveals the power of love to transcend the limits of this world to have a foretaste of Paradise.

    The Choice Wine will help you experience the superabundant joy intended for marriage from the beginning.

    Christian Dating in a Godless World

    Christian Dating in a Godless World

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    In these pages, Fr. Thomas Morrow, author of the best-selling book, Overcoming Sinful Anger, offers a practical guide to dating in a secular world.

    He explores a range of dating issues including choosing Mr. or Miss Right, the four meanings of love, how to have a warm but chaste relationship, the goodness of affection, modesty, restoring the dignity of women, and how to overcome the most common problems with communication.

    Daily Companion for Married Couples

    Daily Companion for Married Couples

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    In a few short minutes, the Scripture quotes, passages from Church documents, and thoughts from the Saints which begin the days in this book will provide comfort and guidance for married couples as they seek to live their vocation to the fullest. A brief reflection and prayer complete this dynamic daily practice.

    First Comes Love?

    First Comes Love?

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    In an entertaining yet factual manner, the author explores 21 different traditions of marriage in our biblical, European, North American heritage. It is the author's hope that this book will help people transcend some of the overblown rhetoric and heated emotions surrounding the institution of marriage.
    Getting Married Steps on the Journey The Ideal Partner Questions Couples Ask

    Getting Married Steps on the Journey The Ideal Partner Questions Couples Ask

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    Everyone seeks happiness and love and most people experience them in marriage. While dreaming about this kind of love, young adults often misunderstand the true meaning of marriage and lack the attitudes and skills needed for successful relationships. The material in this booklet has been drawn from the experiences of many married and engaged couples. The first section helps individuals choose a partner and build a happy relationship. The second section highlights facets of a lifelong, holy marriage.

    Getting Married will help couples begin their journey from the period of dating to married life and support them during their first years of marriage.

    Booklet

    Good News About Sex & Marriage Answers to Your Honest Questions about Catholic

    Good News About Sex & Marriage Answers to Your Honest Questions about Catholic

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    The author, a diocesan director of marriage and family life, answers the questions about human sexuality and marriage that he always encounters in the numerous adult audiences he addresses. He provides thoughtful responses that present Catholic Church teaching in a fresh, thoroughly appealing, and convincing manner.

    The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

    Good, the Messy, and the Beautiful joys and struggles of real married life

    Good, the Messy, and the Beautiful joys and struggles of real married life

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    No marriage is perfect, and neither is the Sri's. This book is packed full of hilarious and relatable stories from their 20+ years of marriage. The Good, the Messy, and the Beautiful goes into the nitty-gritty, explaining what to do when reality hits--when the rubber hits the road.
    How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul 21 Secrets for Women

    How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul 21 Secrets for Women

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    Single women often feel left alone to find answers to their deep questions about love and intimacy. Some hang out and hook up, hoping for love. Others are afraid even to hope. At some point, every woman needs reassurance that she and her standardsare not the problem. "How to Find Your Soulmate without Losing Your Soul" presents 21 strategies to help single women raise the bar, instead of sitting at it, waiting around for Mr. Wonderful.
    Intimate Graces How Practicing the Works of Mercy

    Intimate Graces How Practicing the Works of Mercy Brings Out the Best in Marriage

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    Winner of a Catholic Press Association Award: Family Life Books (First Place).

    In Intimate Graces, bestselling author and Catholic media personality Teresa Tomeo and her husband, Dominick Pastore, invite couples to enrich their marriages by practicing the fourteen Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. Through their own story and that of other married couples, Tomeo and Pastore demonstrate how reciprocating the works of mercy brings out the best in a marriage.

    The Catholic Church encourages believers to perform Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, tangible actions that show charity toward others. In Intimate Graces, Teresa Tomeo and her husband, Dominick Pastore, demonstrate how applying the fourteen traditional virtues of Catholic spirituality can foster deeper intimacy in any marriage. The couple uses personal stories and reflections, as well as the experiences of other Catholic couples, to show how a husband and wife can become, in a real way, a haven of compassion and virtue for each other.

    Tomeo and Pastore each write in their own voice and include reflection questions, practical suggestions, and a prayer at the end of each chapter.

    Love, Marriage, Money: Your Guide to a Financially Healthy Family

    Love, Marriage, Money: Your Guide to a Financially Healthy Family

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    There are certain aspects of life that we simply shouldn’t tackle alone, one of them being finances. The complexities of financial responsibility—from life insurance to health insurance, debts to savings, assets to charitable donations, and everything in between—can seem like rocket science! In this highly user-friendly book, Joe Salem offers a solid, well-balanced outline for financial stability and responsibility that will benefit all married couples.

    As a firm believer that strong marriages are the basis of every healthy society, Joe lends his expertise so that the financial pillar of your marriage will benefit greatly. His advice is sure to mitigate financial tensions, collaborate on a long-term plan, and help you see eye-to-eye as you work towards your financial goals and dreams.  If you desire to move forward in your married life with a commitment to living financially responsibly, in solidarity as a couple, these pages will prove quite indispensable. 

    Marriage And The Common Good

    Marriage And The Common Good

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    This volume consists of the addresses delivered to the 22nd Annual Convention of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars held in Chicago in September 1999. Each chapter includes a discussion of one of the major themes related to the contemporary question of marriage and the common good expounded by a competent senior scholar, followed by a response on the same subject by a younger scholar. The end result is an in-depth treatment of several of the major issues that concern marriage and the family today.
    Marriage Small Steps Big Rewards

    Marriage Small Steps Big Rewards

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    The secret of a good marriage, for the most part, is that there are no secrets, only commonsense, time-tested ideas practiced by countless others who have done it well.--from the Introduction

    Marriage expert Dr. Ray Guarendi has counseled enough couples to know that building a better relationship with your spouse doesn't mean learning exotic new communication techniques or rearranging your lifestyle. In fact, a few of his ten "small steps" are lessons you learned in grade school, such as:

  • Say "I'm Sorry"
  • Listen a Minute
  • Make a List
  • Use Your Manners
  • Plus, with his "resistance rationales," Dr. Ray helps you overcome any reluctance you might feel to taking these small steps. Filled with straightforward advice, this book reminds you that a happier, more rewarding marriage is just a few small steps away.

    The audio edition of the book can be downloaded via Audible.

    Marriage The Rock on Which the Family is Built

    Marriage The Rock on Which the Family is Built

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    Is marriage the foundation of family life? Many people today would say, No! Others would say, Yes!, but they would define family and marriage in ways at odds with how the words have been used almost throughout human history. In this revised and expanded edition of Marriage: The Rock on Which the Family is Built, internationally-renowned theologian William E. May makes the case for marriage's foundational role for family, with marriage defined as the union of one man and one woman. Drawing on Pope John Paul II's theology of the body, he explains the person-affirming, love-enabling, life-giving, and sanctifying nature of marriage. He shows how marriage is necessarily a complementary union of man and woman and how this rules out the idea of same-sex marriage.

    May argues, drawing on Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, that marriage fully respects the equal dignity of husband and wife as persons, while recognizing their unique, exclusive, enduring, complementary contributions to their union. Likewise, he shows how marriage honors the truth that each new human life brought about by sexual union is a person equal in dignity to his mother and father. What's more, both reason and revelation are used to show that only the family, founded on marriage as an enduring, mutually-exclusive union of one man and one woman, provides the proper context for begetting and raising children.

    Reproductive technologies are also critically examined and the author argues that human beings ought to be begotten in an act of spousal love, not made through in vitro fertilization. Furthermore, the role of the family as the domestic church, a community of holiness, is explored. This expanded edition includes new chapters: 'Man and Woman He Created Them': Pope John Paul II's Catechesis on Human Sexuality and Pope Benedict XVI and Marriage, the latter summarizing Benedict's thought on marriage, particularly as found in his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est. Also included is Pope John Paul II's Letter to Families.

    Mending the Heart: A Catholic Annulment Companion

    Mending the Heart: A Catholic Annulment Companion

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    The author, who has been through the annulment process herself, examines the changes Pope Francis has made to help readers discover ways to find hope and healing in the midst of heartbreak.
    Prayers and Reflections for Newlyweds

    Prayers and Reflections for Newlyweds

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    It's a miracle!
    God created the miracle of marriage
    so we might realize and cherish
    God's love for each other
    even more....
    The ultimate love story.
    --From Prayers and Reflections for Newlyweds

    Inside are reflective meditations, Scripture, prayer, discussion questions, and activities for the two of you, all designed to help you create new memories together as husband and wife.

    Newlyweds, use this book to help you celebrate falling in love, getting engaged, the joy of the wedding day, and a long future together as a married couple--all surrounded by God's grace.

    Remaining in Truth of Christ

    Remaining in Truth of Christ

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    In this volume five Cardinals of the Church, and four other scholars, respond to the call issued by Cardinal Walter Kasper for the Church to harmonize "fidelity and mercy in its pastoral practice with civilly remarried, divorced people."

    Beginning with a concise introduction, the first part of the book is dedicated to the primary biblical texts pertaining to divorce and remarriage, and the second part is an examination of the teaching and practice prevalent in the early Church. In neither of these cases, biblical or patristic, do these scholars find support for the kind of "toleration" of civil marriages following divorce advocated by Cardinal Kasper. This book also examines the Eastern Orthodox practice of oikonomia (understood as "mercy" implying "toleration") in cases of remarriage after divorce and in the context of the vexed question of Eucharistic communion. It traces the centuries long history of Catholic resistance to this convention, revealing serious theological and canonical difficulties inherent in past and current Orthodox Church practice.

    Thus, in the second part of the book, the authors argue in favor of retaining the theological and canonical rationale for the intrinsic connection between traditional Catholic doctrine and sacramental discipline concerning marriage and communion.

    The various studies in this book lead to the conclusion that the Church's longstanding fidelity to the truth of marriage constitutes the irrevocable foundation of its merciful and loving response to the individual who is civilly divorced and remarried. The book therefore challenges the premise that traditional Catholic doctrine and contemporary pastoral practice are in contradiction.

    "Because it is the task of the apostolic ministry to ensure that the Church remains in the truth of Christ and to lead her ever more deeply into that truth, pastors must promote the sense of faith in all the faithful, examine and authoritatively judge the genuineness of its expressions and educate the faithful in an ever more mature evangelical discernment." - St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio

    Restoring Trust: A Couple's Guide to Getting Past Porn

    Restoring Trust: A Couple's Guide to Getting Past Porn

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    While pornography is the fastest growing epidemic in America, there is hope for couples suffering from this problem. Licensed clinical therapist Dr. Peter C. Kleponis, Ph.D., examines this issues, educates Catholics on the epidemic, and presents a plan to help heal and restore marriages that have been damaged by pornography addiction.
    Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage: 33 Day Self-Guided Retreat for Catholic Couples

    Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage: 33 Day Self-Guided Retreat for Catholic Couples

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    The ultimate goal for the Christian life is heaven, but what path should a couple take to get there?

    Dan and Amber DeMatte, who have worked together in youth and family ministry for more than fifteen years, believe it's holiness--living as Jesus did.

    Giving and receiving love and living for the sake of others--especially your spouse and children--will help you achieve holiness, the DeMattes say. You can even find holiness in the everyday tasks of marriage and family life such as doing the dishes, changing diapers, and cleaning up messes.

    In The Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage, the DeMattes walk you through a thirty-three -day retreat that culminates in consecrating your marriage to Christ. They will help you achieve perfect love for each other, your family, and God by incorporating the virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience into your life. This retreat will help you fall deeper in love with Christ, your spouse and children, and the world God calls you to serve.

    Each chapter includes discussion questions and a prayer for couples.

    Three to Get Married

    Three to Get Married

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    One of the greatest and best-loved spokesmen for the Faith here sets out the Church's beautiful understanding of marriage in his trademark clear and entertaining style. Frankly and charitably, Sheen presents the causes of and solutions to common marital crises, and tells touching real-life stories of people whose lives were transformed through marriage. He emphasizes that our Blessed Lord is at the center of every successful and loving marriage. This is a perfect gift for engaged couples, or for married people as a fruitful occasion for self-examination.


    

    It takes three to make Love in Heaven—

    Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.


    It takes three for Heaven to make love to earth—

    God, Man, and Mary, through whom God became Man.


    It takes three to make love in the Holy Family—

    Mary, and Joseph, and the consummation of their love, Jesus.


    It takes three to make love in hearts—

    The Lover, the Beloved, and Love.

    One of the greatest and best-loved spokesmen for the Faith here sets out the Church's beautiful understanding of marriage in his trademark clear and entertaining style.

    Frankly and charitably, Sheen presents the causes of and solutions to common marital crises and tells touching real-life stories of people whose lives were transformed through marriage. He emphasizes that our Blessed Lord is at the center of every successful and loving marriage.

    This is a perfect gift for engaged couples, or for married people as a fruitful occasion for self-examination.

    To that Woman who taught the sublime mystery of Love,

         Mary Immaculate,

            this book is dedicated.

            That nations, hearts, and homes may learn

            that love does not so much mean to give oneself to another

            as for both lovers to give themselves

            to that Passionless Passion,

            Which is God.

    Today We Became Engaged

    Today We Became Engaged

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    United in Christ: Preparing the Liturgy of the Word at Catholic Weddings

    United in Christ: Preparing the Liturgy of the Word at Catholic Weddings

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    Your Wedding A Guide to Getting Married in the Catholic Church

    Your Wedding A Guide to Getting Married in the Catholic Church

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    This easy-to-read, magazine-style guide is designed to help couples as they prepare for their marriage ceremony. Illustrated with full-color photographs throughout, it helps couples clarify their own approach to the sacrament of marriage and provide creative support for each other during the preparation period and on into their new lives together.