CatholicFamilyToday

As a Marriage and Family Therapist I celebrate the chance to help married couples come to a better understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage. Sadly we have lost a sense of marriage as it was intended by God in the beginning. This blog is about marriage as it applies to scripture and the lives of the saints. As a Marriage Counselor I invite you to walk with me on a journey within the rich anthropology of our faith. The sacredness of Marriage is what this blog, and my work is all about.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Feast of Saint Andrew of Bobola

Good morning. In the Gospel today we read of a very familiar image of Jesus. In the passage from John’s Gospel Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd, and that the “good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” That each of us is called to follow Him, we are each and every one of us called to lay down our lives for one another. This calling to give of ourselves is particularly asked of us in the Sacrament of Marriage. In marriage a man and a woman are called to lay down their lives for each other and likewise for their children. Marriage is more than a big party where the bride and groom receive gifts; marriage is about being that gift to each other. The late Blessed Pope John Paul II indicated that without this gift of self, “marriage would be empty.” Each day of our married lives together we are asked to give the gift of self to each other and to our children. What gifts have we to give today? Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Andrew of Bobola.

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BOOK OF THE MONTH

Awhile back I was out splitting wood when someone in passing introduced himself. Knowing me to be the parent of three of our four children whom the passerby knows he took the time to compliment me on what nice children Linda and I have. I suggested that most of the credit truly belongs to their mother and he responded that I likely had a play in it in some way and that whatever we did it should perhaps be put into a book. I thanked him and he went on his way and I resumed splitting wood with increased energy as a result of his kind words. This kind man is possibly correct about putting into a book whatever wisdom I might have to offer, but short of my ever getting any such wisdom published I might suggest reading the work of Peter Kreeft Before I Go: Letters to Our Children About What Really Matters. This delightful collection of instructional and at times humorous reflections by the author would likely reflect the type of things I would be inclined to put into words myself for my own children. Among many enlightening points the author makes, one which really needs to influence all that we as parents do is his point that the greatest gift which we give to our children is the gift of faith—their awareness of God. He likewise makes another critical point that when we are gone, “when the parent is dead, it’s too late to share the most precious things he knows.” This book should be part of every Christian family’s collection.