Posts by Francine & Byron Pirola
Mercy – The Gift you Give Yourself
The Year of Mercy began on December 8 and forgiveness is in the air. Pope Francis has called this extraordinary Jubilee year to draw attention to the need for mercy at all levels of society and in the church community too. But seeking mercy is not easy and giving it can be equally hard. None-the-less,…
Read MoreAnnulments made easy…really?
In September when Pope Francis announced a reform of the annulment process, media headlines suggested the Church was stepping towards the acceptance of divorce. However, the closing of the Synod on the Family just one month later saw confirmation that the Church would not change its teaching on the indissolvability of marriage. So what is…
Read MoreMaking Peace with Francis
If there is one thing for which the great Saint of Assisi is revered, it’s his peacemaking (feast day: October 4). Pope Francis, through the Year of Mercy is building on his namesake’s priorities and calls us all to seek peace in our homes. Pope Francis’ peacemaker mission is clearly articulated in his Jubilee Year…
Read MoreFor Better or Worse?
Byron and Francine Pirola discuss the importance of hope in navigating the inevitable ‘for worse’ times that afflict our marriages. This short video is a sample from their popular online course, ‘The Marriage Kit’ which has over 500 ocuples enrolled.
Read MoreIs marriage meant to make you happy?
Byron & Francine Pirola discuss the purpose of marriage is this excerpt from The Marriage Kit, an online course for married couples. Marriage isn’t meant to make us happy. Rather, marriage is meant to help us grow and ultimately that leads to fulfilment. There can be no fulfilment without growth. We all seek happiness, but…
Read MoreUnplanned Blessings
Not all pregnancies happen in the best circumstances yet sometimes there is unexpected joy in the unplanned. Planned Parenthood (PP) is the largest provider of abortion in USA and receives millions in government subsidies. It has been in the news of late following a series of expose videos taken by undercover actors posing as agents…
Read MoreAnd baby makes three… or not
The big family planning issue for most couples used to be how to avoid unexpected pregnancies. As more couples marry later in life, increasingly this is shifting to be how to achieve the number of pregnancies they desire. In our last column, we discussed the ‘Goldilocks’ principle as it relates to the optimum age to…
Read MoreWhen should Goldilocks marry?
Almost everyone has an opinion about the optimum age to marry – usually heavily influenced by their own happy or unfortunate history. But what does the research tell us? A recent study by Nicholas Wolfinger (USA) and reported in the Institute of Family Studies (here) challenges the common perception that divorce incidence decreases with age…
Read MoreLove Overcomes F.O.M.O.
In our previous column, we talked about FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and the harm it does to relationships, especially among young adults who can so easily be diverted from pursuing enduring values and life ambitions by the fear that their peers are having more momentary fun than they are. Of course, it’s not just…
Read MoreThe Hidden Cost of a Fear Driven Lifestyle
Have you heard of FOMO? It stands for ‘Fear Of Missing Out’ and it’s an epidemic in our culture. Many parents fall into the FOMO trap wanting their child to experience every possible opportunity that might give them a competitive advantage over their peers. Not only does it make childhood hectic and stressful, young people…
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