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.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Feast of Saint Regina

Good Morning. There is probably no teaching given to us by Our Lord more important and more challenging toward living a good life than that of the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes, outlined for us in today's Gospel, ask more of us than simply following the rules. In the Beatitudes we are asked to strive beyond just doing the right thing. In marriage this translates into going beyond just fulfilling the do’s and don’ts of married life, beyond taking out the garbage as scheduled. It means reaching beyond the minimum requirements and making every effort to be that person whom our spouse fell in love with. Yes, living the Beatitudes in our married life means waking up each and every morning and making the effort to be that person despite whatever else may be going on in our lives. The Beatitudes call us to live beyond the specific rules of marriage and they challenge us to be an attitude that takes us beyond just doing the absolute minimum. They challenge us to not only take out the garbage, but to do it with an attitude—to do it with love. So, choose your attitude! Make a great day!

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

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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.