“Life is Difficult.” With those three opening words of profound truth, M. Scott Peck began a self-help revolution in his classic, The Road Less Traveled. It is really a provocative opening line for a book, a statement of the incredibly obvious, and yet a revelation. As one of the central institutions of civilization marriage, too, […]
Following in the noble tradition of his immediate predecessors, Pope Francis encouraged married couples to have children and be open to life. In the homily at his daily Mass on Monday, the Pope said that the “culture of comfort” seeks to convince us: “It’s better not to have children! It’s better! You can go explore the […]
The opportunity was too good to pass up. On a trip to the Holy Land, our group included a visit to Cana. We were offered the chance to renew our wedding vows at the place where Jesus made marriage a sacrament, an efficacious sign of his presence. My wife and I were only too happy […]
One of the things I hear the most from engaged couples is that they do not pray together. This is crucial for a successful marriage. Remember that marriage is a covenant relationship. It takes three- bride, groom and God. No more than we can imagine a day going by without speaking to one another, just […]
What do half-a-dozen major sex crimes in America have in common? According to a new documentary by Family Watch International (FWI), they often start with pornography. Launched at the first End Exploitation summit last week, which was primarily organized by Morality in Media, “The Porn Pandemic: The Devastating Effects on Children, Family and Society” features […]
Dear Anthony, I could use some advice as the non-Catholic party in my relationship. My boyfriend is a very nice Catholic guy. He knew I was not Catholic. We get along just great. But he’s “really” Catholic, and I’m “really” not. He isn’t insisting on me being Catholic or anything like that. But I can’t […]
Marriage Ministries recently gave me the opportunity to demo their Catholic Marriage Prep Class AND their Natural Family Planning Class—both of which are available exclusively online. Below is my review. Marriage is easily and often misrepresented in our society today, not necessarily always as something bad, but certainly often as something far short of the glorious elevated […]
Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, whom I do not know personally and don’t have any authority or desire to judge, having their own back-stories, needs, and wounds (just like me!), are “consciously uncoupling” from their marriage. This phrase I feel I can objectively judge. ‘Cause it’s goofy. Their advisors, Dr. Habib Sadeghi and Dr. Sherry Sami, are […]
Love is in the will. When a man and a woman get married, they pledge their love to each other with the words “I do.” That “I do” is a consent of the will. Our will is that aspect of us that decides and acts. The will differs from feelings and emotions. Your will is […]
A friend of mine recently asked: “What graces are promised in sacramental marriage? Is the guarantee and promise something that we give or something we expect to get?” The answer is: The grace to do the work of marriage is promised to a baptized man and woman who unite in matrimony. What they do with that grace is […]
I watched a thirty-seven year marriage end. It was a tragedy for everyone involved. The husband’s infidelities came to light and his wife was overwhelmed by deep and justifiable feelings of betrayal and grief. She was an emotional wreck: One moment she was shouting and stomping around her house, the next moment she was sad […]
Don’t ever imagine that infidelity can’t happen to you. The Internet is abuzz with a duel of sorts between Patheos blogger Simcha Fisher and young, engaged-to-be-married Emma Smith, who wrote on Catholic Exchange that she knows for a fact that she and her husband will never have to face the issue of infidelity. “God is faithful, but we’re not […]
Out of habit, I still had an extra home pregnancy kit around. When a pink line emerged indicating a positive result, it took my breath away. “Well, okay; here we go,” I thought. I would be 47 and Mark 48 when the baby was due. At ages 50 and 51, we would have a 3-year-old. Our family numbered […]
When a man and woman profess their vows and drive off with a “Just Married” banner, will they find enough service stations down the road to fill their relationship tank and fix what may break down? That’s the kind of question some experts are asking about the support—or lack of it—the Church and the Catholic […]
Much has been made of Catholics’ negativism toward Church teaching and practice on marriage as it was reflected in survey results released by several European bishops’ conferences and some U.S. dioceses. The mostly self-selected respondents predictably disagreed with the Church about many things, leading progressive Catholic media to claim this showed the need for change. […]
Dear Anthony, I’m confused, and slightly worried. I recently read an article by a respected Catholic author talking about being married to the person you lose your virginity to, that it is a fact the Bible teaches, and that those who marry someone else are not really married in the eyes of God. It was […]
In Emilie Barnes book More Hours in My Day I read the story of a woman who was upset because her husband wanted her to pack his lunch everyday. She didn’t want to do it. Then Emilie asked her, “If the Lord were to ask you to pack Him a lunch, would you do it?” Her […]
When we first started hammering out details for this series, I got really excited. Then, I saw the word homemaker used repeatedly. Not really knowing much about the word, I looked up the definition and found: HOME·MAK·ER [hohm-mey-ker] noun 1. a person who manages the household of his or her own family, especially as a principal occupation 2. a person employed to manage a household and do household chores for others, as for the sick or elderly. Origin: 1885–90; home + maker Can be confused: homemaker, housewife (see usage note at housewife). Usage note 1. See housewife. HOUSE·WIFE [hous-wahyf or, usually, huhz-if for 2] noun, plural house·wives [hous-wahyvz] 1. Sometimes Offensive. a married woman who manages her own household, […]
If a Catholic man needs several years of theological training to become a priest, does it make sense for a Catholic couple to get married with only a day of formal preparation? Both Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony are vocations and lifelong commitments. Both are sacraments. Both the priest and the spouses are called to […]
Money troubles are a leading cause of divorce, and studies show that the more frequently couples argue over money the more likely the marriage is to fall apart. So how can couples avoid this marriage-killer? To start with, forget the idea of my money vs. your money, or his money vs. her money. That kind […]
If there’s a crisis in Catholic marriage and family life today, the solution will come not solely from the higher echelons of the Church. The active involvement of faithful couples will also be needed. That’s the view of a lay official of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), looking ahead to the synod […]
The Church considers the family so important that it will be devoting the next two years to intensive discussions about the challenges the basic unit of society is facing today. Pope Francis has called an Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2014 on “pastoral challenges for the family in the context […]
Aimed at greater intimacy than the one-flesh union, married love “leads to forming one heart and soul,” states the Catechism. (Section 1643). How do married couples become one in heart and soul, especially when the demands of daily life keep getting in the way? Becoming One Heart Talk to your beloved about what’s in your […]
All of Rome is sold out for the end of this April. St. Peter’s Square, and every road around it will be jammed with people on Mercy Sunday (April 27, 2014). On that day, Pope Francis will announce the canonization of the most beloved Pope of modern times, Pope John Paul II. Never has there […]
