Posts by Francine & Byron Pirola
A Source of Grace
“Give way to one another out of reverence for Christ” Eph 5:21 St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians paints a vision of husband and wife tenderly giving themselves to each other in total self-donation. Husband and wife desire to communicate God’s life-giving love to the other through their own love. They are inspired to love…
Read MoreFriends To Call On
When couples experience difficulties… ..in their marriage and doubts about their spouse, they often feel very alone and unsupported. The friends and family who were so active and involved when they were celebrating their wedding tend to ‘mind their own business’ and try not to interfere when the relationship begins to dissolve. This comes from…
Read MoreThe Catholic Family
In a very real way for Catholics and Christians, ‘church’ is a faith family. Like any family we may like some relatives more than others, but we will still dance at their weddings and cry at their funerals. It is not about being right or better. Like a family, it is simply a special belonging…
Read MoreA Living Sign
It is no coincidence that Christ’s love can be expressed in sexual terms given: His desire to be one with us How passionately he pursues us How he gives his body and allows us to take him inside us He is always fully present and responsive to our needs He intimately knows us His love is…
Read MoreSpiritual Intimacy
It is often difficult for a couple to share their personal faith experiences with each other. This is so for couples of different faith traditions, but is also true even if they are of the same religion. We are trained to avoid talking about religion in polite company because this topic is laden with strong…
Read MoreMarriage or Matrimony?
Are you getting married ‘in the Church’ or simply ‘at a church’? People call a lot of things ‘marriage’. Everything from heterosexual cohabitation (common law marriage) to civil contracts (secular marriage) to the Judeo-Christian concept of covenant. In a Christian marriage there is a desire for the marriage to be open to the Lord and…
Read MoreLiving the Truth in our Bodies
The Moral Difference Some people ask, “If natural fertility methods are so effective, what is the moral difference between them and contraception? After all, the result might be the same – pregnancy is avoided.” As in any moral decision, couples need to consider not just the ‘end’, but also the ‘means’ by which that end…
Read MoreA Vision For Life and Love
In our society there is a strong culture of self-entitlement when it comes to sex. Society tells us that sex is about our individual personal fulfilment and that sexual satisfaction is our right. Rather than helping couples develop deeply intimate and meaningful intimacy, these attitudes lead them into selfish and often disordered sex lives. Scripture…
Read MoreIntentional Lovemaking
Avoiding Pregnancy…confidently If a couple using Natural Fertility Methods wish to avoid a pregnancy at a particular time, they must abstain from intercourse during the time of their combined fertility. The reliability of different birth control methods in avoiding pregnancy is summarised in the appendix on page 5.3. The Billings Ovulation Method, Creighton Method and…
Read MoreOne Flesh Union
The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except perhaps by…
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