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 23, 2011

Feast of Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk

Good morning. In today’s Gospel we hear about the perfect gift. If we love God, we will keep His laws. “If anyone loves me, he will observe my word, and my Father will love him and we shall come to him and make a home in him. Anyone who does not love me does not keep my words”. Here we find the essence of love, that the object of our love is the number one priority in all that we do and say. Those who love make a gift of their life for that other. People tend to show their love in the way they feel it should be shown, or as how they would choose to be loved. Often we give out of our own need, rather than that of the other. But that is not real giving. Real giving is when we give out of our partner’s need, not our own. It is like weight lifting, we know when we are truly giving when we feel it. Just like doing as God asks is not always easy, it isn’t always easy to truly give to the one we love. As Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us, “It is in giving that we receive.” This is the essence of love. Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk.

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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.