Marriage Topics
"Every marriage is an event in human history," declared renowned preacher Msgr. Ronald Knox, articulating the animating principle of Bridegroom and Bride. "In the tapestry that Divine Providence weaves out of our lives, love of man for woman and love of woman for man" is the underlying structure.
Msgr. Knox delivered a treasure trove of wedding homilies -- whether at the marriages of earls or those of numerous former students whom he served as chaplain. The result is this classic spiritual gem of a collection containing twenty-four wedding sermons befitting for both engaged and married couples as well as all seekers of genuine human affection. Each chapter is "the kind of thing for which five minutes is too short and ten minutes is too long."
With his customary charm, wisdom, and assurance, Msgr. Knox underscores the goodness and beauty of human love. Taking its cues from the features and Scripture readings of the nuptial liturgy, these precious pages i
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
Marriage has been variously described as a great work, a great adventure, a great responsibility, and a great joy. Author Frederick Marks' Catholic Handbook for Engaged & Newly Married Couples (Third Edition) supplies everything needed to make a marriage truly great in every way.
First introducing the nature of the sacrament of marriage, Marks then proposes ways that couples can grow closer emotionally and spiritually both before and after their wedding. Emphasizing "marriage preparation" over "wedding planning", the Catholic Handbook for Engaged & Newly Married Couples offers a mature perspective on the first years of marriage as well as family life, spirituality, and sexuality.
About the Author
Frederick Marks has lectured widely and taught courses on the fundamentals of the Catholic faith at both the university and parish level. He is the author of numerous articles and several books, including Think and Believe.
Endorsements
"If you are looking for some help to make your Catholic marriage the best it can possibly be, in my opinion, you will be amply rewarded by a careful reading and reflection on the Catholic Handbook for Engaged & Newly Married Couples and by having a frank discussion of it with your spouse."
--Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J., former editor of Homiletics & Pastoral Review
Marriage has been variously described as a great work, a great adventure, a great responsibility, and a great joy. Author Frederick Marks’ Catholic Handbook for Engaged & Newly Married Couples (Third Edition) supplies everything needed to make a marriage truly great in every way.
First introducing the nature of the sacrament of marriage, Marks then proposes ways that couples can grow closer emotionally and spiritually both before and after their wedding. Emphasizing “marriage preparation” over “wedding planning”, the Catholic Handbook for Engaged & Newly Married Couples offers a mature perspective on the first years of marriage as well as family life, spirituality, and sexuality.
- 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Fr. Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II's name before he became the pontiff in 1978) published Love and Responsibility in 1960. It revealed his fully formed philosophy of marriage and sheds light on the dynamics between men and women. Some consider his analysis of the true meaning of human love as life changing and practical, shedding light on real issues between men and women.
This updated and expanded edition of Edward Sri's classic meditation on Pope John Paul II's Love and Responsibility includes a new introduction, new chapters for single people and engaged couples, and maybe most importantly the stories of people whose lives have been transformed by Pope John Paul II's foundational teaching on relationships. "Edward Sri is a gifted teacher and an equally talented writer. This book shows why. He breaks open Karol Wojtyla's great text, Love and Responsibility, in a way that's clear, engaging and very practical for the challenges of daily life." - Charles J. Chaput, OFM, Archbishop of Philadelphia.
In Men, Women and the Mystery of Love, Edward Sri breaks down the contents of John Paul's epic work, making it more accessible to the reader. It isn't a manual on sexual ethics, more so a no-nonsense discussion on issues we face as couples. He emphasizes the down-to-earth nature of Love and Responsibility, giving readers actionable advice on issues like: How to determine if a relationship is one of authentic love or is doomed to failure; The problem of pornography; The meaning of friendship; How to achieve greater intimacy in marriage; The difference between feeling "I'm in love" and love itself; and so many other valuable questions.
While this book is a great personal resource, it also can be used in a variety of situations like small group studies, marriage preparation classes, and other parish settings. It offers valuable advice for just about everyone, from young single adults and engaged couples to newlyweds and couples celebrating their 35th anniversary. Study questions with each chapter make this a valuable resource not only for individual personal reading, but also for small group study.
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.
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
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.