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.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Feast of Saint Damien of Molokai

Good morning. In the Gospel this morning Jesus said to them and to us “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” As I read this morning my thoughts turned back to a week ago to the words of the Bishop-Elect for our Diocese indicating that whatever he saw himself doing as the Bishop of Evansville Bishop-Elect Charles Thompson sees the Altar as being at the center of it. What joyous words these were to hear. As a marriage counselor I experience this same sort of joy when couples rediscover or discover for the first time the importance of having a Christ-centered marriage. Just as our Saint for today, Saint Damien of Molokai, laid his troubles before the altar in his life-long service to the people of Molokai, our marriage can likewise endure anything if Christ is at the center of it. Christ gives us everything we need for a happy and successful marriage and will give us the direction we need towards always doing what needs to be done to strengthen our bonds of love. Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Damien of Molokai.

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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.