Marrying Young

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Almost everyone has an opinion about the optimum age to marry but what does the data tell us? We had an interesting call recently from a priest who had just interviewed an engaged couple. He was looking for some marriage preparation as the couple were ‘very young’. As he went on, it became apparent that…

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Engaged Couples Ask Pope Questions

On the feast of St Valentine’s Day, Pope Francis answered the questions of three engaged couples in St. Peter’s Square, with an audience of 20 000 other young engaged couples. Here are their questions: Question 1: The fear of the “forever” Holiness, so many today think that to promise faithfulness for the whole of life…

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Growing in Love

The popularity of St Valentine’s Day grew out of the joy of celebrating romantic married love. The celebration also encourages us to renew and develop that love. God is love and this year we focus on one particular aspect of deepening the love of a couple, whether they are engaged or married – that is,…

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St Valentine for the Modern Church

For a number of years we have been involved in the St Valentine’s Day initiative of the Australian Catholic Marriage and Family Council. It’s a simple project: provide an easily reproducible print kit to Catholic parishes, schools and family movements with content relevant to married and engaged couples. When talking about this resource we get…

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Hold on to what you love!

As we fall across the ‘Christmas-NY’ line, we look back on the past month with a sigh of relief and a tinge of regret… yet another frantic Advent with barely time to think about Jesus or our loved ones except to curse the ones who obstinately remain difficult to buy for. Every year, we swear…

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Finding Mr or Mrs Right

Many people think that the key to a successful marriage is finding the right person. Clearly there is some common sense to this notion – after all, having someone who shares your beliefs and values, has similar interests and is a person of virtue and integrity all make marriage a whole lot easier. And in…

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Two of Us: Negativity

An exercise to help us grow in the area of ‘affirmation’ rather than ‘criticism’ to enrich our relationships rather than grid-lock them. Reflect Separately, say the prayer and spend some time reflecting on the questions. Write some notes and then share your answers more fully with your spouse.   Prayer Father,  You have chosen me to…

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A How To Guide for Your Catholic Wedding

Your Catholic Wedding Ceremony will be a rich and wonderful celebration, based on universal traditions, and flavoured with your own unique personality. At least one fiancé must be a baptised Catholic in order to marry in the Catholic church. A Catholic wedding can take place within holy Mass (called a Nuptial Mass) or with the…

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Pornography and Infidelity

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Another contribution to sexual problems is the use of pornography. Pornography has be shown to stimulate the same neural pathways which are associated with other addictions. Like drugs or alcohol, a pornographic image loses it’s impact with repeated exposure leading to be an escalation in the amount and type of porn. Typically, porn addicts progress from…

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