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array_files[0]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/intro.html","2008-11-19","14K","Introductory Letter    ","",""," Introductory Letter Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Introductory Letter Introductory Letter Dear Monsignor/Father, Cardinal OMalley, Bishop of Coleman, Bishop McDonnell, and Bishop McManus are deeply concerned with the significant decline in Catholic marriages in Massachusetts. The number of sacramental marriages entered into by Massachusetts Catholics has declined sharply over the last two decades - by nearly 60 percent. In 1986, 19,462 Catholic marriages were held in Massachusetts. In 2006, that number was only 7,477. To address this decline the four Bishops charged the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the public policy office of the Church in Massachusetts, with the task of developing a program to catechize Catholics anew on the natural and supernatural aspects of the vocation to marriage. After all, young families are the future of our parishes. The results of both national and local surveys indicate that Catholics are interested in learning more about the Churchs teaching on marriage. These surveys show a desire by the faithful to hear about marriage in homilies, in bulletin inserts, and from speakers in parish settings. The conference has developed The Future Depends on Love in response to the directive of the four Bishops. To assist you, parochial vicars, deacons, pastoral associates, and parish volunteers with the work of this initiative, the Conference has prepared the Parish Resource Binder on marriage. It contains materials that can be used in a variety of parish settings. Two electronic resources are included: a DVD, The Vocation to Marriage, by the Knights of Columbus and a CD, Contraception: Why Not, by Janet Smith, Ph.D. Facilitation Suggestions and study questions are enclosed for both. Eight bulletin inserts and corresponding suggestions are provided. The inserts are available in Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Haitian Creole. Please contact the Conference if you would like any of these translations. The Resource Binder also contains: fact sheets and bulletin inserts from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); a list of presentations and retreats available from Worldwide Marriage Encounter and Retrouvaille (ministry for trouble marriages); and fact-sheets from secular sources. There is a separate section containing resources for separated and divorced Catholics. The Conference stands ready to assist you in bringing The Future Depends on Love to the faithful throughout the Commonwealth. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or requests. We appreciate all the work that you do in serving the Catholic faithful in Massachusetts. We ask for your prayers that, through the intercession of the Holy Family, this initiative will help re-focus and educate the people on the beautiful vocation of marriage and bring about a future built on love. Sincerely, Edward F. Saunders Jr., Esquire Executive Director Massachusetts Catholic Conference Angela Franks, Ph.D. J. David Franks, Ph.D. Coordinators The Future Depends on Love All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[1]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/intro.html","2008-11-19","14K","Introductory Letter    ","",""," Introductory Letter Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Introductory Letter Introductory Letter Dear Monsignor/Father, Cardinal OMalley, Bishop of Coleman, Bishop McDonnell, and Bishop McManus are deeply concerned with the significant decline in Catholic marriages in Massachusetts. The number of sacramental marriages entered into by Massachusetts Catholics has declined sharply over the last two decades - by nearly 60 percent. In 1986, 19,462 Catholic marriages were held in Massachusetts. In 2006, that number was only 7,477. To address this decline the four Bishops charged the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the public policy office of the Church in Massachusetts, with the task of developing a program to catechize Catholics anew on the natural and supernatural aspects of the vocation to marriage. After all, young families are the future of our parishes. The results of both national and local surveys indicate that Catholics are interested in learning more about the Churchs teaching on marriage. These surveys show a desire by the faithful to hear about marriage in homilies, in bulletin inserts, and from speakers in parish settings. The conference has developed The Future Depends on Love in response to the directive of the four Bishops. To assist you, parochial vicars, deacons, pastoral associates, and parish volunteers with the work of this initiative, the Conference has prepared the Parish Resource Binder on marriage. It contains materials that can be used in a variety of parish settings. Two electronic resources are included: a DVD, The Vocation to Marriage, by the Knights of Columbus and a CD, Contraception: Why Not, by Janet Smith, Ph.D. Facilitation Suggestions and study questions are enclosed for both. Eight bulletin inserts and corresponding suggestions are provided. The inserts are available in Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Haitian Creole. Please contact the Conference if you would like any of these translations. The Resource Binder also contains: fact sheets and bulletin inserts from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); a list of presentations and retreats available from Worldwide Marriage Encounter and Retrouvaille (ministry for trouble marriages); and fact-sheets from secular sources. There is a separate section containing resources for separated and divorced Catholics. The Conference stands ready to assist you in bringing The Future Depends on Love to the faithful throughout the Commonwealth. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or requests. We appreciate all the work that you do in serving the Catholic faithful in Massachusetts. We ask for your prayers that, through the intercession of the Holy Family, this initiative will help re-focus and educate the people on the beautiful vocation of marriage and bring about a future built on love. Sincerely, Edward F. Saunders Jr., Esquire Executive Director Massachusetts Catholic Conference Angela Franks, Ph.D. J. David Franks, Ph.D. Coordinators The Future Depends on Love All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[2]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/sitemap.html","2008-11-19","57K","The Future Depends on Love - Sitemap    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love - Sitemap Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Survey Contact Information Parish Assessment The Future Depends on Love - Site Map Home Initiative Statement Statement on Adultery Ads by Bishops Bulletin Inserts As featured in: The Boston Pilot, and The Catholic Free Press From Cardinal Seans Blog About Mission Statement Massachusetts Bishop Statements Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston Most Reverend George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River Most Reverend Timothy A. McDonnell, Bishop of Springfield Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, S.T.D., Bishop of Worcester Massachusetts Catholic Conference Link Learn Fact Sheets Bulletin Inserts Marriage: At the Heart of Social Justice Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex What the Church Teaches, social science confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives, and for their Children Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies God will not leave us: How Lifelong Married Love shows God to the World The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility Marriage versus Cohabitation: Is There a Difference? More than a Wedding: Why get Married in the Church? Download all the Bulletins Inserts USCCB Resources - English downloads available What Promotes a Lasting and Happy Marriage? What Difference Does Marriage Education Make? Why is Natural Family Planning Good for Your Marriage? How Does Legalizing Same Sex Marriage Deny the True Nature of Marriage? How Does Society Benefit From Strong Marriages? Thinking About Divorce? Think Again Why Do Children Need Married Parents? Why is Marriage Good For Men and Women? Why Isn’t It Good to Live Together Before Marriage? Download all 9 fact sheets in English together USCCB Resources - Spanish downloads available ¿Qué genera un matrimonio duradero y feliz? ¿Que diferencia hace la preparación al matrimonio? ¿Por qué la planificación familiar natural (PFN) es buena para su matrimonio? ¿Cómo es que legalizando el “matrimonio de personas del mismo sexo” se niega la verdadera naturaleza del matrimonio? ¿De qué manera se beneficia la sociedad con unos matrimonios sólidos? ¿Está Pensando en Divorciarse? Piéselo Bien. ¿Por Que Los Niños Necesitan Que Sus Padres Esten Casados? ¿Por Qué el Matrimonio es Bueno Para el Hombre y la Mujer? ¿Por Qué No Es Bueno Vivir Juntos Antes Del Matrimonio? Download all 9Fact Sheets in Spanish together. FAQ on Marriage - USCCB Addresses many common questions about Catholic marriage, including annulments. The Debate About Same-Sex Marriage - USCCB Marriage is a basic human and social institution. Though it is regulated by civil laws and church laws, it did not originate either from the church or the state, but from God. Therefore, neither church nor state can alter the basic meaning and structure of marriage. Marriage in the Catholic Church: FAQ Australian Bishops Conference Divorce in the Catholic Church: FAQ Australian Bishops Conference Church Documents Catechism of the Catholic Church The Sacrament of Matrimony The Fourth Commandment The Sixth Commandment Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, 1965 Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, 1968 Encyclical Letter on the Regulation of Birth Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 1981 Apostolic Exhortation on the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World Pope John Paul II, Mulieris Dignitatem, 1988 Apostolic Letter on the Dignity and Vocation of Women Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 1995 Encyclical Letter on the Value and Inviolability of Human Life Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 2005 Encyclical Letter on Christian Love Power Points Events Video Files Videos on the Initiative Jay Fadden interviews Angela Franks about marriage, her upcoming Catholic TV series and more! Father Reed, Jay Fadden and Kevin Nelson welcome professor Angela Franks into the Catholic TV living room to discuss Theology of the Body. Father Eriksons homily on launch of marriage initiative! The Future Depends on Love - Catholic TV Series A Frank look at the vocation of marriage: Join Doctors Angela and David Franks and their expert guests for an insightful look at the vocation of marriage. Episode 1, Guest: Damon Owens - Guest: Damon Owens of Ascension Press - Topic: Theology of the Body for Non-theologians. Episode 2, Guest: Fr. Roger Landry - Guest: Fr. Roger Landry - Topic: Angela and David Franks speak with Fr. Roger Landry about Theology of the Body in Pastoral Work Today. Episode 3, Guest: Dr. John Haas - Guest: Dr. John Haas - Topic: Dr. John Haas, President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center sits down with Angela and David Franks to discuss Life-Giving Marriage. Episode 4, Guest: Bishop Robert McManus - Guest: Bishop Robert McManus - Topic: Angela and David Franks are joined by Bishop Robert McManus from the Worcester, MA diocese to discuss: Love Like God Does: Life-Giving Love in Marriage. Episode 5, Guests: Bishop Daniel Reilly & William Donovan - Guest: Bishop Daniel Reilly & William Donovan - Topic: Angela and David Franks are joined by Knights of Columbus Chaplain Bishop Daniel Reilly (emeritus, Worcester, MA) and William F. Donovan, State Deputy, MA Knights of Columbus to discuss The Vocation to Marriage. Episode 6, Guest: Cassandra DeBenedetto - Guest: Cassandra DeBenedetto - Topic: Cassandra DeBenedetto, founder of Anscombe Society of Princeton, a chastity club talks about Looking for the One: A Spirituality for Young Adults with Angela and David Franks. Episode 7, Guests: Dr. Paul Carpentier & Katie Elrod - Guest: Dr. Paul Carpentier & Katie Elrod - Topic: Dr. Paul Carpentier and Katie Elrod discuss Natural Family Planning: Its Not Catholic Birth Control with Angela and David Franks. Episode 8, Guest: Maggie Gallagher - Guest: Maggie Gallagher - Topic: Angela and David Franks sit down with syndicated columnist and president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy Maggie Gallagher for a discussion on Making the Case for Marriage. Episode 9, Guest: Chris Godfrey - Guest: Chris Godfrey - Topic: Chris Godfrey, President and Founder of Life Athletes, Inc. discusses Chastity: The Freedom to Love with hosts Angela and David Franks. Get Involved Volunteer Oportunities Would you like to volunteer for The Future Depends on Love?  We need people at the parish level to implement programs, as well as volunteer speakers.  Please fill out the following form to let us know how you could help! Request a Speaker Would you like to have a speaker on marriage come to your organization or parish? Fill out a speaker-request form here. Links Visit the resources available from the National Pastoral Initiative on Marriage. Family Life Offices For Your Marriage See how to use the marriage prayer card of The Future Depends on Love as a wedding favor. Opinion Survey Contact Information Leave us comments or feedback on the initiative. Parish Assessment Assess the Effectiveness of the Parish Materials: Download an evaluation form to help The Future Depends on Love evaluate its materials. Parish Resources Homiletics and Bulletin Inserts Bulletin Inserts Marriage: At the Heart of Social Justice Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex What the Church Teaches, social science confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives, and for their Children Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies God will not leave us: How Lifelong Married Love shows God to the World The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility Marriage versus Cohabitation: Is There a Difference? More than a Wedding: Why get Married in the Church? Download all the Bulletins Inserts Homiletic Suggestions August 24, 2008, Week #1 : God’s desire for our happiness; moral laws lead to happiness. August 31, 2008, Week #2: True freedom is the freedom to do the good. September 7, 2008, Week #3: True freedom is love that is guided by truth. September 14, 2008, Week #4: We are made for self-gift. Marriage, priesthood, and religious life are all about self-gift. September 21, 2008, Week #5: God’s moral law leads to our happiness and well-being. September 28, 2008, Week #6: God and the Church want to heal us of our sins. October 5, 2008, Week #7: The importance of purity and chastity for true freedom. October 12, 2008, Week #8: Christ is the Bridegroom because He loves the Church with a life-giving love even unto death. October 19, 2008, Week #9: Marriage and the family should be promoted in civic affairs. October 26, 2008, Week #10: Fostering the vocation to love in our society. November 2, 2008, Week #11: Life in heaven and the value of life on earth. November 9, 2008, Week #12: The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. November 16, 2008, Week #13: Openness to, and education of, children as a responsibility of parents. November 23, 2008, Week #14: Living justly in my intimate relationships. November 30, 2008, Week #15: God’s mercy and our need for the sacraments. December 7, 2008, Week #16: Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility. December 14, 2008, Week #17: Our hunger for God is filled by His faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy. December 21, 2008, Week #18: Openness to life and the use of natural family planning. December 28, 2008, Week #19: God created families. January 4, 2009, Week #20: The goodness of our bodies and the need for chastity. January 11, 2009, Week #21: Loving in marriage as God loves. January 18, 2009, Week #22: The universal call to holiness and cohabitation. Bulletin Briefs Week 1 August 24 Week 2 August 31 Week 3 September 7 Week 4 September 14 Week 5 September 21 Week 6 September 28 Week 7 October 5 Week 8 October 12 Week 9 October 19 Week 10 October 26 Week 11 November 2 Week 12 November 9 Week 13 November 16 Week 14 November 23 Week 15 November 30 Suggested Calendar DVD Facilitation The Vocation to Marriage, by the Knights of Columbus - Download or Order Contraception: Why Not, by Janet Smith, Ph.D. 1a: Marriage: Whats the Point? - An evening of adult catechesis of marriage prep with the DVD. 1b: Marriage and Our Kids - A session for parents of children in religious education with the DVD. 1c: Marriage: Whats the      ");
array_files[3]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter/september/index.html","2008-11-19","28K","September Newsletter    ","","","September Newsletter If you have trouble reading this e-mail, go to http://masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter Bulletin Resources from The Future Depends on Love September 2008 This is the second mailing of The Future Depends on Love marriage initiative directly from the Massachusetts Catholic Conference (MCC) office to your parish! The Future Depends on Love is an initiative of the four bishops of Massachusetts through the MCC, which is the public-policy voice of the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. This email contains links to the resources recommended for use in bulletins in the upcoming weeks. Resource Seminars presenting Parish Resources for Marriage ring binders are being held throughout the state, and your parish will be getting a hard copy of these resources soon, if you have not received it already. We all recognize the need for the faithful of Massachusetts to be better educated and catechized on the nature of lifelong, life-giving marriage, so we encourage you to utilize these resources. Your assistance in this work of service is greatly appreciated! Three pdfs of bulletin inserts are downloadable through links; possible use dates are given below. In addition, you are urged to continue to run a weekly The Future Depends on Love box in your bulletin (bulletin brief) with a brief quote from a Church document. Those quotes are given below, and you can also access JPGs of these bulletin briefs through the links in this email. Homiletic aids are also included for each weekly theme, also linked to this email. All these documents are available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Click on Parish Resources. Greetings! All these documents are available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Click on Parish Resources. Please see the other announcements below concerning all the exciting events going on with The Future Depends on Love! Parish Resources Week #7 (October 5) Week #8 (October 12) Week #9 (October 19) Week #10 (October 26) Upcoming Events Suggested weekly themes and bulletin items for the upcoming month are the following: Week #7 (October 5) Week #7 (October 5): The importance of purity and chastity for true freedom. The Future Depends on Love (FDOL) box in the bulletin: Week 7 JPG We should say what we mean and mean what we say with sex. And sex says marriage. Sexual intercourse is the body language which accompanies and expresses, again and again, the wedding vows. It is the language of total gift. If one or both persons are not yet ready to say I give all that I am, including my body and I accept from you the gift of all that you are, including your body, then they are not ready for sex. If a couple does not fear becoming a real gift to each other, they should not fear marriage. Australian Bishops Conference, Marriage in the Catholic Church: Frequently Asked Questions, 2006 Bulletin insert: Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies Bulletin announcement: A new TV show, The Future Depends on Love, is being shown on Catholic TV. The series features a variety of guests speaking on topics related to marriage, including family life and the theology of the body. It can also be viewed on www.CatholicTV.com and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Week #8 (October 12) Week #8 (October 12): Christ is the Bridegroom because He loves the Church with a life-giving love even unto death.FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 8 JPG: It can seem difficult, even impossible, to bind oneself for life to another human being. This makes it all the more important to proclaim the Good News that God loves us with a definitive and irrevocable love, that married couples share in this love, that it supports and sustains them, and that by their own faithfulness they can be witnesses to Gods faithful love. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1648Bulletin insert: More Than a Wedding: Why Get Married in the Church?Bulletin announcement: A new TV show, The Future Depends on Love, is being shown on Catholic TV. The series features a variety of guests speaking on topics related to marriage, including family life and the theology of the body. It can also be viewed on www.CatholicTV.com and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Week #9 (October 19) Week #9 (October 19): Marriage and the family should be promoted in civic affairs.FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 9 JPG:Christians, redeeming the present time and distinguishing eternal realities from their changing expressions, should actively promote the values of marriage and the family, both by the examples of their own lives and by cooperation with other men of good will.Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, #52 Week #10 (October 26) Week #10 (October 26): Fostering the vocation to love in our society.FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 10 JPG:Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it.Pope John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis, #10Bulletin Insert: Cohabitation vs. Marriage: What is the difference? Sincerely, The Future Depends on LoveMassachusetts Catholic Conference Parish News Do you want a speaker on Marriage in your Parish? Please contact the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-367-6060 or email Kathy Magno to scheadule a speaker! Deadline extended for orders of the Janet Smith CD! This terrific resource can come to your parish for a very low cost-or even free! Please fill out the reservation form available here. Get it to the Massachusetts Catholic Conference office by September 30!Flyer for The Future Depends on Love series on Catholic TV is available here.Please consider posting this flyer in your parish.A Parish Assessment form is available and will also be distributed near the end of the initiative around January 2009. It can be downloaded at here. Upcoming Events Speaker-Training Workshops on September 26, 7-9:30 pm, at the Archdiocese of Bostons Pastoral Center. See the application here. Please post the application and consider recommending the event to parishioners whom you think might be excited by the opportunity. Clergy are also welcome.     ");
array_files[4]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter/september/index.html","2008-11-19","28K","September Newsletter    ","","","September Newsletter If you have trouble reading this e-mail, go to http://masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter Bulletin Resources from The Future Depends on Love September 2008 This is the second mailing of The Future Depends on Love marriage initiative directly from the Massachusetts Catholic Conference (MCC) office to your parish! The Future Depends on Love is an initiative of the four bishops of Massachusetts through the MCC, which is the public-policy voice of the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. This email contains links to the resources recommended for use in bulletins in the upcoming weeks. Resource Seminars presenting Parish Resources for Marriage ring binders are being held throughout the state, and your parish will be getting a hard copy of these resources soon, if you have not received it already. We all recognize the need for the faithful of Massachusetts to be better educated and catechized on the nature of lifelong, life-giving marriage, so we encourage you to utilize these resources. Your assistance in this work of service is greatly appreciated! Three pdfs of bulletin inserts are downloadable through links; possible use dates are given below. In addition, you are urged to continue to run a weekly The Future Depends on Love box in your bulletin (bulletin brief) with a brief quote from a Church document. Those quotes are given below, and you can also access JPGs of these bulletin briefs through the links in this email. Homiletic aids are also included for each weekly theme, also linked to this email. All these documents are available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Click on Parish Resources. Greetings! All these documents are available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Click on Parish Resources. Please see the other announcements below concerning all the exciting events going on with The Future Depends on Love! Parish Resources Week #7 (October 5) Week #8 (October 12) Week #9 (October 19) Week #10 (October 26) Upcoming Events Suggested weekly themes and bulletin items for the upcoming month are the following: Week #7 (October 5) Week #7 (October 5): The importance of purity and chastity for true freedom. The Future Depends on Love (FDOL) box in the bulletin: Week 7 JPG We should say what we mean and mean what we say with sex. And sex says marriage. Sexual intercourse is the body language which accompanies and expresses, again and again, the wedding vows. It is the language of total gift. If one or both persons are not yet ready to say I give all that I am, including my body and I accept from you the gift of all that you are, including your body, then they are not ready for sex. If a couple does not fear becoming a real gift to each other, they should not fear marriage. Australian Bishops Conference, Marriage in the Catholic Church: Frequently Asked Questions, 2006 Bulletin insert: Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies Bulletin announcement: A new TV show, The Future Depends on Love, is being shown on Catholic TV. The series features a variety of guests speaking on topics related to marriage, including family life and the theology of the body. It can also be viewed on www.CatholicTV.com and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Week #8 (October 12) Week #8 (October 12): Christ is the Bridegroom because He loves the Church with a life-giving love even unto death.FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 8 JPG: It can seem difficult, even impossible, to bind oneself for life to another human being. This makes it all the more important to proclaim the Good News that God loves us with a definitive and irrevocable love, that married couples share in this love, that it supports and sustains them, and that by their own faithfulness they can be witnesses to Gods faithful love. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1648Bulletin insert: More Than a Wedding: Why Get Married in the Church?Bulletin announcement: A new TV show, The Future Depends on Love, is being shown on Catholic TV. The series features a variety of guests speaking on topics related to marriage, including family life and the theology of the body. It can also be viewed on www.CatholicTV.com and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Week #9 (October 19) Week #9 (October 19): Marriage and the family should be promoted in civic affairs.FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 9 JPG:Christians, redeeming the present time and distinguishing eternal realities from their changing expressions, should actively promote the values of marriage and the family, both by the examples of their own lives and by cooperation with other men of good will.Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, #52 Week #10 (October 26) Week #10 (October 26): Fostering the vocation to love in our society.FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 10 JPG:Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it.Pope John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis, #10Bulletin Insert: Cohabitation vs. Marriage: What is the difference? Sincerely, The Future Depends on LoveMassachusetts Catholic Conference Parish News Do you want a speaker on Marriage in your Parish? Please contact the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-367-6060 or email Kathy Magno to scheadule a speaker! Deadline extended for orders of the Janet Smith CD! This terrific resource can come to your parish for a very low cost-or even free! Please fill out the reservation form available here. Get it to the Massachusetts Catholic Conference office by September 30!Flyer for The Future Depends on Love series on Catholic TV is available here.Please consider posting this flyer in your parish.A Parish Assessment form is available and will also be distributed near the end of the initiative around January 2009. It can be downloaded at here. Upcoming Events Speaker-Training Workshops on September 26, 7-9:30 pm, at the Archdiocese of Bostons Pastoral Center. See the application here. Please post the application and consider recommending the event to parishioners whom you think might be excited by the opportunity. Clergy are also welcome.     ");
array_files[5]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter/october/index.html","2008-11-19","26K","October Newsletter    ","",""," October Newsletter Bulletin Resources from The Future Depends on Love October 2008 Greetings! This October update contains links to the resources on marriage for use in bulletins in the upcoming weeks in November. The Future Depends on Love is an initiative of the four bishops of Mwassachusetts through the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, which is the public policy arm of the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. Resource Seminars distributing the Parish Resources for Marriage ring binders are being held throughout the state; watch for one near you. We all recognize the need for the faithful of Massachusetts to be better educated and catechized on the nature of lifelong, life-giving marriage, so we encourage you to utilize these resources. Your assistance in this work of service is greatly appreciated! Three bulletin inserts (in PDF format) are downloadable through links given below; possible use dates are also given. In addition, it is suggested that you run a weekly The Future Depends on Love box in your bulletin (bulletin brief), containing a quote from a Church document. Those quotes are given below, and you can also access JPGs of these bulletin briefs through the links in this email. Homiletic aids are also included for each weekly theme, also linked from this email. All these documents are available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Click on Parish Resources. Please note the other announcements below concerning exciting events going on with The Future Depends on Love! Parish Resources Week #11 (November 2) Week #12 (November 9) Week #13 (November 16) Week #14 (November 23) Week #15 (November 30) For the Upcoming Weeks: Suggested weekly themes and bulletin items for the upcoming month are the following: Week #11 (November 2): Life in heaven and the value of life on earth. The Future Depends on Love (FDOL) box in the bulletin: Week 11 JPG The marriage of a man and a woman is not just one form of association or institutional model among many others. Marriage as the union between a man and a woman has served the common good by providing children with both a mother and father, and by bringing men and women together according to the moral order. Bishop George Coleman of Fall River, 11/18/2003 Suggested Bulletin Insert: Marriage at the Heart of Social Justice Week #12 (November 9) Week #12 (November 9): The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 12 JPG It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, #101 Week #13 (November 16) Week #13 (November 16): Openness to, and education of, children as a responsibility of parents. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 13 JPG The innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. Pope John Paul II, Familiaris consortio, #32 Suggested bulletin insert (If not used in September): Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex Week #14(November 23) Week #14 (November 23): Living justly in my intimate relationships. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 14 JPG It is only the rock of total, irrevocable love between a man and a woman that can serve as the foundation on which to build a society that will become a home for all mankind. Pope Benedict XVI, 5/11/2006 Week #15 (November 30) Week #15 (November 30): Gods mercy and our need for the sacraments. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 15 JPG The spouses union achieves the twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life. These two meanings or values of marriage cannot be separated without altering the couples spiritual life and compromising the goods of marriage and the future of the family. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2363 Suggested bulletin insert (If not used in September): What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms Weekly homiletic aids corresponding to these themes can be linked here. Sincerely, The Future Depends on LoveMassachusetts Catholic Conference Parish News Do you want a speaker on marriage in your parish? Please contact the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-367-6060 or at kathymagno@macathconf.org to schedule a speaker! See the flyer concerning the speaker-bureau program. Parish Resource Binders will be handed out throughout the fall to parishes that did not have personnel at a Resource Seminar in the spring. Look for us coming to your area soon! The Future Depends on Love TV Series! A new TV show, The Future Depends on Love, is now on Catholic TV! Drs. J. David and Angela Franks host the 13-part series that features a variety of guests speaking on topics concerning marriage, family life, and the theology of the body. Watch this interesting new series only on CatholicTV! It will be available on www.CatholicTV.com and in our video section! Download a flyer here with more information. You may also see it on these New England cable and satellite carriers: Comcast: Channel 268 (183 in some areas) FullChannel: channel 117 RCN: channel 85 SkyAngel: channel 142 Verizon: channel 296 SCHEDULE: Mon. 5:30PM, Tues. 1:30PM, Weds. 3:30AM, Thurs. 11:30AM, 8PM, Sun. 3:30PM     ");
array_files[6]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter/october/index.html","2008-11-19","26K","October Newsletter    ","",""," October Newsletter Bulletin Resources from The Future Depends on Love October 2008 Greetings! This October update contains links to the resources on marriage for use in bulletins in the upcoming weeks in November. The Future Depends on Love is an initiative of the four bishops of Mwassachusetts through the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, which is the public policy arm of the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. Resource Seminars distributing the Parish Resources for Marriage ring binders are being held throughout the state; watch for one near you. We all recognize the need for the faithful of Massachusetts to be better educated and catechized on the nature of lifelong, life-giving marriage, so we encourage you to utilize these resources. Your assistance in this work of service is greatly appreciated! Three bulletin inserts (in PDF format) are downloadable through links given below; possible use dates are also given. In addition, it is suggested that you run a weekly The Future Depends on Love box in your bulletin (bulletin brief), containing a quote from a Church document. Those quotes are given below, and you can also access JPGs of these bulletin briefs through the links in this email. Homiletic aids are also included for each weekly theme, also linked from this email. All these documents are available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Click on Parish Resources. Please note the other announcements below concerning exciting events going on with The Future Depends on Love! Parish Resources Week #11 (November 2) Week #12 (November 9) Week #13 (November 16) Week #14 (November 23) Week #15 (November 30) For the Upcoming Weeks: Suggested weekly themes and bulletin items for the upcoming month are the following: Week #11 (November 2): Life in heaven and the value of life on earth. The Future Depends on Love (FDOL) box in the bulletin: Week 11 JPG The marriage of a man and a woman is not just one form of association or institutional model among many others. Marriage as the union between a man and a woman has served the common good by providing children with both a mother and father, and by bringing men and women together according to the moral order. Bishop George Coleman of Fall River, 11/18/2003 Suggested Bulletin Insert: Marriage at the Heart of Social Justice Week #12 (November 9) Week #12 (November 9): The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 12 JPG It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, #101 Week #13 (November 16) Week #13 (November 16): Openness to, and education of, children as a responsibility of parents. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 13 JPG The innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. Pope John Paul II, Familiaris consortio, #32 Suggested bulletin insert (If not used in September): Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex Week #14(November 23) Week #14 (November 23): Living justly in my intimate relationships. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 14 JPG It is only the rock of total, irrevocable love between a man and a woman that can serve as the foundation on which to build a society that will become a home for all mankind. Pope Benedict XVI, 5/11/2006 Week #15 (November 30) Week #15 (November 30): Gods mercy and our need for the sacraments. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 15 JPG The spouses union achieves the twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life. These two meanings or values of marriage cannot be separated without altering the couples spiritual life and compromising the goods of marriage and the future of the family. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2363 Suggested bulletin insert (If not used in September): What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms Weekly homiletic aids corresponding to these themes can be linked here. Sincerely, The Future Depends on LoveMassachusetts Catholic Conference Parish News Do you want a speaker on marriage in your parish? Please contact the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-367-6060 or at kathymagno@macathconf.org to schedule a speaker! See the flyer concerning the speaker-bureau program. Parish Resource Binders will be handed out throughout the fall to parishes that did not have personnel at a Resource Seminar in the spring. Look for us coming to your area soon! The Future Depends on Love TV Series! A new TV show, The Future Depends on Love, is now on Catholic TV! Drs. J. David and Angela Franks host the 13-part series that features a variety of guests speaking on topics concerning marriage, family life, and the theology of the body. Watch this interesting new series only on CatholicTV! It will be available on www.CatholicTV.com and in our video section! Download a flyer here with more information. You may also see it on these New England cable and satellite carriers: Comcast: Channel 268 (183 in some areas) FullChannel: channel 117 RCN: channel 85 SkyAngel: channel 142 Verizon: channel 296 SCHEDULE: Mon. 5:30PM, Tues. 1:30PM, Weds. 3:30AM, Thurs. 11:30AM, 8PM, Sun. 3:30PM     ");
array_files[7]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter/november/index.html","2008-11-19","26K","November Newsletter    ","","","November Newsletter If you have trouble reading this e-mail, go to http://masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter Bulletin Resources from The Future Depends on Love November 2008 Greetings! This November update contains links to the resources on marriage available for use in bulletins during December. The Future Depends on Love is an initiative of the four bishops of Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, which is the public policy arm of the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. Parish Resources for Marriage ring binders continue to be distributed throughout the state this fall. We all recognize the need for the faithful of Massachusetts to be better educated and catechized on the nature of lifelong, life-giving marriage, so we encourage you to utilize these resources. Your assistance in this work of service is greatly appreciated! Three bulletin inserts (in PDF format) are downloadable through links given below; possible use dates are also given. In addition, it is suggested that you run a weekly The Future Depends on Love box in your bulletin (bulletin brief), containing a quote from a Church document. Those quotes are given below, and you can also access JPGs of these bulletin briefs through the links in this email. Homiletic aids are also included for each weekly theme, also linked from this email. All these documents are available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Click on Parish Resources. Please note the other announcements below concerning exciting events going on with The Future Depends on Love! Parish Resources Week #16 (December 6) Week #17 (December 14) Week #18 (December 21) Week #19 (December 28) For the Upcoming Weeks: Suggested weekly themes and bulletin items for the upcoming month are the following:Week #16 (December 7): Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility. The Future Depends on Love (FDOL) box in the bulletin: Week 12 JPG [Jesus] unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond may have left some perplexed and could seem to be a demand impossible to realize. However, Jesus has not placed on spouses a burden impossible to bear, or too heavy ... By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, He Himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1615 Bulletin insert: God will not leave us: How Lifelong Married Love Shows God to the World Week #17 (December 14) Week #17 (December 14): Our hunger for God is filled by His faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 17 JPG:Christ inscribed in the human body-in the body of every man and of every woman-a new dignity, because he himself has taken up the human body together with the soul into union with the person of the Son-Word. From this new dignity, through the redemption of the body, a new obligation was born at the same time, about which Paul writes in a concise but very moving way: You were bought at a great price (I Cor 6:20). Pope John Paul II, 2/11/1981 Week #18 (December 21) Week #18(December 21): Openness to life and the use of natural family planning.FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 18 JPGMarriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their parents. Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et spes, #50 Suggested bulletin insert: The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility Week #19 (December 28) Week #19(December 28): God created families. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 19 JPG Man and woman were made for each other-not that God left them half-made and incomplete: He created them to be a communion of persons, in which each can be helpmate to the other, for they are equal as persons and complementary as masculine and feminine. In marriage God unites them in such a way that, by forming one flesh, they can transmit human life: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #372 Suggested bulletin insert (if not used in the fall): What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives, and for Their Children Sincerely, The Future Depends on LoveMassachusetts Catholic Conference Weekly Homiletic Aids Weekly homiletic aids corresponding to these themes can be found here. A Parish Assessment form is available and will also be distributed near the end of the initiative around January 2009. It can be downloaded at here. Upcoming Events Do you want a speaker on marriage in your parish? Please contact the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-367-6060 or at kathymagno@macathconf.org to schedule a speaker! See the attached flyer concerning the speakers bureau program.Parish Resource Binders will be handed out throughout the fall to parishes that did not have personnel at a Resource Seminar in the spring. Look for us coming to your area soon! Free Resources For Your Parish! Obtain free copies of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops statement Between Man and Woman.Click here to see how!     ");
array_files[8]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter/november/index.html","2008-11-19","26K","November Newsletter    ","","","November Newsletter If you have trouble reading this e-mail, go to http://masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter Bulletin Resources from The Future Depends on Love November 2008 Greetings! This November update contains links to the resources on marriage available for use in bulletins during December. The Future Depends on Love is an initiative of the four bishops of Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, which is the public policy arm of the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. Parish Resources for Marriage ring binders continue to be distributed throughout the state this fall. We all recognize the need for the faithful of Massachusetts to be better educated and catechized on the nature of lifelong, life-giving marriage, so we encourage you to utilize these resources. Your assistance in this work of service is greatly appreciated! Three bulletin inserts (in PDF format) are downloadable through links given below; possible use dates are also given. In addition, it is suggested that you run a weekly The Future Depends on Love box in your bulletin (bulletin brief), containing a quote from a Church document. Those quotes are given below, and you can also access JPGs of these bulletin briefs through the links in this email. Homiletic aids are also included for each weekly theme, also linked from this email. All these documents are available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Click on Parish Resources. Please note the other announcements below concerning exciting events going on with The Future Depends on Love! Parish Resources Week #16 (December 6) Week #17 (December 14) Week #18 (December 21) Week #19 (December 28) For the Upcoming Weeks: Suggested weekly themes and bulletin items for the upcoming month are the following:Week #16 (December 7): Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility. The Future Depends on Love (FDOL) box in the bulletin: Week 12 JPG [Jesus] unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond may have left some perplexed and could seem to be a demand impossible to realize. However, Jesus has not placed on spouses a burden impossible to bear, or too heavy ... By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, He Himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1615 Bulletin insert: God will not leave us: How Lifelong Married Love Shows God to the World Week #17 (December 14) Week #17 (December 14): Our hunger for God is filled by His faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 17 JPG:Christ inscribed in the human body-in the body of every man and of every woman-a new dignity, because he himself has taken up the human body together with the soul into union with the person of the Son-Word. From this new dignity, through the redemption of the body, a new obligation was born at the same time, about which Paul writes in a concise but very moving way: You were bought at a great price (I Cor 6:20). Pope John Paul II, 2/11/1981 Week #18 (December 21) Week #18(December 21): Openness to life and the use of natural family planning.FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 18 JPGMarriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their parents. Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et spes, #50 Suggested bulletin insert: The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility Week #19 (December 28) Week #19(December 28): God created families. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 19 JPG Man and woman were made for each other-not that God left them half-made and incomplete: He created them to be a communion of persons, in which each can be helpmate to the other, for they are equal as persons and complementary as masculine and feminine. In marriage God unites them in such a way that, by forming one flesh, they can transmit human life: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #372 Suggested bulletin insert (if not used in the fall): What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives, and for Their Children Sincerely, The Future Depends on LoveMassachusetts Catholic Conference Weekly Homiletic Aids Weekly homiletic aids corresponding to these themes can be found here. A Parish Assessment form is available and will also be distributed near the end of the initiative around January 2009. It can be downloaded at here. Upcoming Events Do you want a speaker on marriage in your parish? Please contact the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-367-6060 or at kathymagno@macathconf.org to schedule a speaker! See the attached flyer concerning the speakers bureau program.Parish Resource Binders will be handed out throughout the fall to parishes that did not have personnel at a Resource Seminar in the spring. Look for us coming to your area soon! Free Resources For Your Parish! Obtain free copies of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops statement Between Man and Woman.Click here to see how!     ");
array_files[9]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter/august/index.html","2008-11-19","31K","August Newsletter    ","",""," August Newsletter If you have trouble reading this e-mail, go to http://masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter Bulletin Resources from The Future Depends on Love August 2008 Greetings! This is the first monthly mailing of The Future Depends on Love marriage initiative directly from the Massachusetts Catholic Conference (MCC) office to your parish! We hope that you will find these resources useful. Please enter this email address into your address book to avoid future emails being sent to a spam folder. This email contains links to the resources on marriage for use in bulletins in the upcoming weeks. The Future Depends on Love is an initiative of the four bishops of Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, which is the public-policy voice of the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. Resource Seminars presenting Parish Resources for Marriage ring binders are being held throughout the state and your parish will be getting a hard copy of these resources soon. We all recognize the need for the faithful of Massachusetts to be better educated and catechized on the nature of lifelong, life-giving marriage, and we encourage you to utilize these resources. Your assistance in this work of service is greatly appreciated! Two bulletin inserts (in PDF format) are downloadable through links given below; possible use dates are also given. In addition, it is suggested that you run a weekly The Future Depends on Love box in your bulletin (bulletin brief) with a brief quote from a Church document. Those quotes are given below, and you can also access JPGs of these bulletin briefs through the links in this email. Homiletic aids are also included for each weekly theme, also linked from this email. All these documents are available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Click on Parish Resources. Please see the other announcements below concerning all the exciting events going on with The Future Depends on Love! Parish Resources Week #1 (August 24) Week #2 (August 31) Week #3 (September 7) Week #4...(September 14) Week #5 (September 21) Week #6 (September 28) For the Upcoming Weeks: Suggested weekly themes and bulletin items for the upcoming month are the following: Week #1 (August 24): Gods desire for our happiness; moral laws lead to happiness. The Future Depends on Love (FDOL) box in the bulletin: Week 1 JPG In the Christian view, chastity by no means signifies rejection of human sexuality or lack of esteem for it: rather it signifies a spiritual energy capable of defending love from the perils of selfishness and aggressiveness, and able to advance it towards its full realization. Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, #33 Bulletin announcement: The Future Depends on Love marriage initiative of the bishops of Massachusetts will hold two speaker-training workshops! The first is on September 10 from 7-9:30 pm at the Chancery library, 49 Elm Street, Worcester. The second is on September 26 from 7 to 9:30 pm at the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Center, 66 Brooks Drive, Braintree. Visit www.MassCatholicMarriage.org for an application. The training will equip you to accurately and persuasively present the Churchs teaching on marriage. Week #2 (August 31) Week #2 (August 31): True freedom is the freedom to do the good. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 2 JPG:The human being is made for love and cannot live without love. When it is manifested as the total gift of two persons in their complementarities, love cannot be reduced to emotions or feelings, much less to mere sexual expression. The truth of conjugal love and sexuality exist where there is a full and total gift of persons, with the characteristics of unity and fidelity Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, #223 Bulletin announcement: The Future Depends on Love marriage initiative of the bishops of Massachusetts will hold two speaker-training workshops! The first is on September 10 from 7-9:30 pm at the Chancery library, 49 Elm Street, Worcester. The second is on September 26 from 7 to 9:30 pm at the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Center, 66 Brooks Drive, Braintree. Visit www.MassCatholicMarriage.org for an application. The training will equip you to accurately and persuasively present the Churchs teaching on marriage. Week #3 (September 7) Week #3 (September 7): True freedom is love that is guided by truth. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 3 JPGChristian faith and ethics are not meant to stifle love, but to make it healthier, stronger, and moretruly free. Pope Benedict XVI, Fifth World Meeting of Families, Valencia, Spain, 7/8/2006 Suggested bulletin insert: Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex Week #4(September 14) Week #4 (September 14-Triumph of the Holy Cross): We are made for self-gift. Marriage, priesthood, and religious life are all about self-gift. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 4 JPG Just as the Incarnation of the Son of God reveals its true meaning in the Cross, so genuine human love is self-giving and cannot exist if it seeks to detach itself from the Cross. Pope Benedict XVI, 6/6/2005 Week #5 (September 21) Week #5 (September 21): Gods moral law leads to our happiness and well-being.FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 5 JPGThe Lord Jesus opened up vistas closed to human reason, for He implied a certain likeness between the union of the divine Persons, and the unity of Gods sons in truth and charity. This likeness reveals that man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself. Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et spes, #24 Suggested bulletin insert: What the Church Teaches, Social Science ConfirmsWeekly homiletic aids corresponding to these themes can be linked here. Week #6 (September 28) Week #6 (September 28): God and the Church want to heal us of our sins. FDOL box in the bulletin: Week 6 JPG The characteristic traits of marriage are: totality, by which the spouses give themselves to each other mutually in every aspect of their person, physical and spiritual; unity which makes them one flesh (Gen 2:24); indissolubility and fidelity which the definitive mutual giving of self requires; the fruitfulness to which this naturally opens itself. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, #217 Weekly homiletic aids corresponding to these themes can be linked here. Sincerely, The Future Depends on LoveMassachusetts Catholic Conference Parish News Get low cost--or even free--copies of a terrific resource for your parishioners! Reserve your copies of Dr. Janet Smiths CD, Contraception: Why Not. Download the order form hereand get it to the Massachusetts Catholic Conference office by September 30. (The form will not obligate you to buy anything.)A Parish Assessment form is available and will also be distributed near the end of the initiative around January 2009. It can be downloaded at here. Upcoming Events Resource Seminar for clergy and laity on August 11, 7-9 pm, at St. Stephens Parish Hall, 355 Grafton St., Worcester. See here for more details. People coming from other dioceses may also attend. More seminars will be scheduled throughout the fall. Dont miss out on this great opportunity to learn about resources that will strengthen marriage in your parish! Speaker-Training Workshops on September 10, 7-9:30 pm, at Worcesters Chancery library and on September 26, 7-9:30 pm, at the Archdiocese of Bostons Pastoral Center. See the application here. Please post the application and consider recommending the event to parishioners whom you think might be excited by the opportunity. Clergy are also welcome.     ");
array_files[10]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/index.html","2008-11-19","29K","Massachusetts Catholic Marriage - The Future Depends on Love    ","",""," Massachusetts Catholic Marriage - The Future Depends on Love Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Events Resources Contact An initiative of the Roman Catholic bishops of Massachusetts ... An initiative to evangelize on the vocation of marriage! The personal and reciprocal yes of the man and the woman (in marriage) makes room for the future, for the authentic humanity of each of them. At the same time, it is an assent to the gift of a new life. Benedict XVI June 6th 2005 Address to the Ecclesial Congress of the Diocese of Rome Bishops Issue Statement on Ads Promoting Adultery The following statement was released today by the Roman Catholic Bishops in Massachusetts: We, the Roman Catholic Bishops in Massachusetts, as pastors and teachers, are compelled to speak in support of marriage in light of a recent advertising campaign promoting adultery in the Commonwealth. The ads encourage the use of an online dating service for married persons contemplating adulterous relationships.  This wrongful enterprise threatens not only the oldest and most foundational of human institutions but also the common good of all. Marriage requires honesty, loyalty, trust, self-sacrifice, personal responsibility, respect, and commitment.  Marriage is a vocation that benefits all of society by building and strengthening human relationships within the family home and beyond with relatives, neighbors and one’s community.  Marriage is the basis for the family, the fundamental human society.  A healthy committed marriage helps to insure the well-being of children, create social stability and improve the quality of life for all citizens. The activity promoted by this advertising effort will not benefit families and the ads send the wrong message to our young.  The ad campaign will further erode the unique and important role that marriage has in contributing to the common good.  Where marriage is weakened the social cost is enormous.  We commend those media outlets that have refused this advertising and ask that other media outlets do the same. We honor and support those couples who have committed themselves to each other in the vocation of marriage and offer prayers that they remain strong in the face of increasing social pressures to abandon their promise of fidelity. Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley Most Rev. George W. Coleman Archdiocese of Boston Diocese of Fall River Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell Most Rev. Robert J. McManus Diocese of Springfield Diocese of Worcester Free Resource for Your Parish!! Obtain free copies of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement “Between Man and Woman.” Click here to see how! Watch The Future Depends on Love on Catholic TV! A new TV show, The Future Depends on Love, is now on Catholic TV! Drs. J. David and Angela Franks host the 13-part series that features a variety of guests speaking on topics concerning marriage, family life, and the theology of the body. Watch this interesting new series only on CatholicTV! It will be available on www.CatholicTV.com and in our video section! Download a flyer here with more information. You may also see it on these New England cable and satellite carriers: Comcast: channel 268 (183 in some areas) FullChannel: channel 117 RCN: channel 85 SkyAngel: channel 142 Verizon: channel 296 SCHEDULE: Mon. 5:30PM, Tues. 1:30PM, Weds. 3:30AM, Thurs. 11:30AM, 8PM, Sun. 3:30PM As Featured on The Catholic Free Press The purpose of the initiative, which began with prayer last summer, is “to educate and inspire Catholics about the vocation of marriage and its importance in the Church and in society,” Bishop McManus says in a letter to priests sent out last week.Check out The Catholic Free Press story on the initiative. As Featured on The Boston Pilot The Boston Pilot, Americas Oldest Catholic Newspaper, published on February 8th a story on the Massachusetts Catholic Conferences The Future Depends on Love initiative. Bulletin Inserts for National Use Download our Bulletin Inserts here! Download All Invite The Future Depends on Love to your Parish or Organization! Click here to learn more about our speakers bureau and new presentation, entitled Marriage: Where Love and Life Transform the World! From Cardinal Seans Blog I wanted to share with you news about the Massachusetts Marriage Initiative, which is sponsored by the Massachusetts Catholic Conference... I encourage you to visit and to learn more about the initiative. One of the crucial tasks of the Catholic Church is to help people have a sense of vocation in their lives: the vocation to holiness, to friendship to discipleship and to a particular calling in life. We realize that God is calling most people to the sacrament of marriage. Therefore, this initiative will also help our young people to have a greater understanding of the sacrament and to prepare them better to receive it in a world where fewer people seem to be getting married. Visit Cardinal Seans Blog All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[11]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/index.html","2008-11-19","29K","Massachusetts Catholic Marriage - The Future Depends on Love    ","",""," Massachusetts Catholic Marriage - The Future Depends on Love Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Events Resources Contact An initiative of the Roman Catholic bishops of Massachusetts ... An initiative to evangelize on the vocation of marriage! The personal and reciprocal yes of the man and the woman (in marriage) makes room for the future, for the authentic humanity of each of them. At the same time, it is an assent to the gift of a new life. Benedict XVI June 6th 2005 Address to the Ecclesial Congress of the Diocese of Rome Bishops Issue Statement on Ads Promoting Adultery The following statement was released today by the Roman Catholic Bishops in Massachusetts: We, the Roman Catholic Bishops in Massachusetts, as pastors and teachers, are compelled to speak in support of marriage in light of a recent advertising campaign promoting adultery in the Commonwealth. The ads encourage the use of an online dating service for married persons contemplating adulterous relationships.  This wrongful enterprise threatens not only the oldest and most foundational of human institutions but also the common good of all. Marriage requires honesty, loyalty, trust, self-sacrifice, personal responsibility, respect, and commitment.  Marriage is a vocation that benefits all of society by building and strengthening human relationships within the family home and beyond with relatives, neighbors and one’s community.  Marriage is the basis for the family, the fundamental human society.  A healthy committed marriage helps to insure the well-being of children, create social stability and improve the quality of life for all citizens. The activity promoted by this advertising effort will not benefit families and the ads send the wrong message to our young.  The ad campaign will further erode the unique and important role that marriage has in contributing to the common good.  Where marriage is weakened the social cost is enormous.  We commend those media outlets that have refused this advertising and ask that other media outlets do the same. We honor and support those couples who have committed themselves to each other in the vocation of marriage and offer prayers that they remain strong in the face of increasing social pressures to abandon their promise of fidelity. Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley Most Rev. George W. Coleman Archdiocese of Boston Diocese of Fall River Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell Most Rev. Robert J. McManus Diocese of Springfield Diocese of Worcester Free Resource for Your Parish!! Obtain free copies of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement “Between Man and Woman.” Click here to see how! Watch The Future Depends on Love on Catholic TV! A new TV show, The Future Depends on Love, is now on Catholic TV! Drs. J. David and Angela Franks host the 13-part series that features a variety of guests speaking on topics concerning marriage, family life, and the theology of the body. Watch this interesting new series only on CatholicTV! It will be available on www.CatholicTV.com and in our video section! Download a flyer here with more information. You may also see it on these New England cable and satellite carriers: Comcast: channel 268 (183 in some areas) FullChannel: channel 117 RCN: channel 85 SkyAngel: channel 142 Verizon: channel 296 SCHEDULE: Mon. 5:30PM, Tues. 1:30PM, Weds. 3:30AM, Thurs. 11:30AM, 8PM, Sun. 3:30PM As Featured on The Catholic Free Press The purpose of the initiative, which began with prayer last summer, is “to educate and inspire Catholics about the vocation of marriage and its importance in the Church and in society,” Bishop McManus says in a letter to priests sent out last week.Check out The Catholic Free Press story on the initiative. As Featured on The Boston Pilot The Boston Pilot, Americas Oldest Catholic Newspaper, published on February 8th a story on the Massachusetts Catholic Conferences The Future Depends on Love initiative. Bulletin Inserts for National Use Download our Bulletin Inserts here! Download All Invite The Future Depends on Love to your Parish or Organization! Click here to learn more about our speakers bureau and new presentation, entitled Marriage: Where Love and Life Transform the World! From Cardinal Seans Blog I wanted to share with you news about the Massachusetts Marriage Initiative, which is sponsored by the Massachusetts Catholic Conference... I encourage you to visit and to learn more about the initiative. One of the crucial tasks of the Catholic Church is to help people have a sense of vocation in their lives: the vocation to holiness, to friendship to discipleship and to a particular calling in life. We realize that God is calling most people to the sacrament of marriage. Therefore, this initiative will also help our young people to have a greater understanding of the sacrament and to prepare them better to receive it in a world where fewer people seem to be getting married. Visit Cardinal Seans Blog All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[12]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/","2008-11-19","29K","Massachusetts Catholic Marriage - The Future Depends on Love    ","",""," Massachusetts Catholic Marriage - The Future Depends on Love Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Events Resources Contact An initiative of the Roman Catholic bishops of Massachusetts ... An initiative to evangelize on the vocation of marriage! The personal and reciprocal yes of the man and the woman (in marriage) makes room for the future, for the authentic humanity of each of them. At the same time, it is an assent to the gift of a new life. Benedict XVI June 6th 2005 Address to the Ecclesial Congress of the Diocese of Rome Bishops Issue Statement on Ads Promoting Adultery The following statement was released today by the Roman Catholic Bishops in Massachusetts: We, the Roman Catholic Bishops in Massachusetts, as pastors and teachers, are compelled to speak in support of marriage in light of a recent advertising campaign promoting adultery in the Commonwealth. The ads encourage the use of an online dating service for married persons contemplating adulterous relationships.  This wrongful enterprise threatens not only the oldest and most foundational of human institutions but also the common good of all. Marriage requires honesty, loyalty, trust, self-sacrifice, personal responsibility, respect, and commitment.  Marriage is a vocation that benefits all of society by building and strengthening human relationships within the family home and beyond with relatives, neighbors and one’s community.  Marriage is the basis for the family, the fundamental human society.  A healthy committed marriage helps to insure the well-being of children, create social stability and improve the quality of life for all citizens. The activity promoted by this advertising effort will not benefit families and the ads send the wrong message to our young.  The ad campaign will further erode the unique and important role that marriage has in contributing to the common good.  Where marriage is weakened the social cost is enormous.  We commend those media outlets that have refused this advertising and ask that other media outlets do the same. We honor and support those couples who have committed themselves to each other in the vocation of marriage and offer prayers that they remain strong in the face of increasing social pressures to abandon their promise of fidelity. Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley Most Rev. George W. Coleman Archdiocese of Boston Diocese of Fall River Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell Most Rev. Robert J. McManus Diocese of Springfield Diocese of Worcester Free Resource for Your Parish!! Obtain free copies of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement “Between Man and Woman.” Click here to see how! Watch The Future Depends on Love on Catholic TV! A new TV show, The Future Depends on Love, is now on Catholic TV! Drs. J. David and Angela Franks host the 13-part series that features a variety of guests speaking on topics concerning marriage, family life, and the theology of the body. Watch this interesting new series only on CatholicTV! It will be available on www.CatholicTV.com and in our video section! Download a flyer here with more information. You may also see it on these New England cable and satellite carriers: Comcast: channel 268 (183 in some areas) FullChannel: channel 117 RCN: channel 85 SkyAngel: channel 142 Verizon: channel 296 SCHEDULE: Mon. 5:30PM, Tues. 1:30PM, Weds. 3:30AM, Thurs. 11:30AM, 8PM, Sun. 3:30PM As Featured on The Catholic Free Press The purpose of the initiative, which began with prayer last summer, is “to educate and inspire Catholics about the vocation of marriage and its importance in the Church and in society,” Bishop McManus says in a letter to priests sent out last week.Check out The Catholic Free Press story on the initiative. As Featured on The Boston Pilot The Boston Pilot, Americas Oldest Catholic Newspaper, published on February 8th a story on the Massachusetts Catholic Conferences The Future Depends on Love initiative. Bulletin Inserts for National Use Download our Bulletin Inserts here! Download All Invite The Future Depends on Love to your Parish or Organization! Click here to learn more about our speakers bureau and new presentation, entitled Marriage: Where Love and Life Transform the World! From Cardinal Seans Blog I wanted to share with you news about the Massachusetts Marriage Initiative, which is sponsored by the Massachusetts Catholic Conference... I encourage you to visit and to learn more about the initiative. One of the crucial tasks of the Catholic Church is to help people have a sense of vocation in their lives: the vocation to holiness, to friendship to discipleship and to a particular calling in life. We realize that God is calling most people to the sacrament of marriage. Therefore, this initiative will also help our young people to have a greater understanding of the sacrament and to prepare them better to receive it in a world where fewer people seem to be getting married. Visit Cardinal Seans Blog All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[13]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/volunteer.html","2008-11-19","10K","Volunteer    ","",""," Volunteer Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Volunteer Opportunities Request a Speaker Volunteer for The Future Depends on Love! Would you like to volunteer for The Future Depends on Love?  We need people at the parish level to implement programs, as well as volunteer speakers.  Please fill out the following form to let us know how you could help! Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames., please go to http://www.masscatholiconference.org/webpages/resources/volunteer_form/form.php to complete the form All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[14]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/volunteer.html","2008-11-19","10K","Volunteer    ","",""," Volunteer Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Volunteer Opportunities Request a Speaker Volunteer for The Future Depends on Love! Would you like to volunteer for The Future Depends on Love?  We need people at the parish level to implement programs, as well as volunteer speakers.  Please fill out the following form to let us know how you could help! Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames., please go to http://www.masscatholiconference.org/webpages/resources/volunteer_form/form.php to complete the form All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[15]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/videos.html","2008-11-19","11K","The Future Depends on Love: Videos    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Videos Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files Watch our videos! Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. -- Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[16]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/videos.html","2008-11-19","11K","The Future Depends on Love: Videos    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Videos Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files Watch our videos! Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. -- Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[17]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/usccbresources.html","2008-11-19","21K","USCCB Resources    ","",""," USCCB Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Resources from the USCCB Resources from the USCCB The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has compiled many excellent resources on marriage. These include a whole website, ForYourMarriage. This website is a project of the National Pastoral Initiative on Marriage, which has commissioned a study on Catholic attitudes toward marriage. The NPIM will result in a pastoral letter on marriage in the near future. Please consider using fact sheets as background for your pastoral work; with adult-education or young adult discussion groups; in marriage preparation or enrichment; and as bulletin inserts or items for a parish literature rack. They may be photocopied. The USCCB resources in this section include: A flyer on the USCCB website, ForYourMarriage. “Making the Case for Marriage” factsheets produced as part of the National Pastoral Initiative on Marriage United States Catholic Conference of Bishops English Spanish What Promotes a Lasting and Happy Marriage? What Difference Does Marriage Education Make? Why is Natural Family Planning Good for Your Marriage? How Does Legalizing Same Sex Marriage Deny the True Nature of Marriage? How Does Society Benefit From Strong Marriages? Thinking About Divorce? Think Again Why Do Children Need Married Parents? Why is Marriage Good For Men and Women? Why Isn’t It Good to Live Together Before Marriage? Download all 9 factsheets together To order the two sample bulletin inserts provided in the pockets of the Parish Resource Binder, Between a Man and a Woman and Married Love and the Gift of Life, go to www.usccbpublishing.org. They are also available in brochure form. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[18]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/speaker.html","2008-11-19","10K","Request a Speaker    ","",""," Request a Speaker Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Volunteer Opportunities Request a Speaker Be trained as a speaker! Learn how to represent the Churchs vision of Marriage! Download an application to attend a speaker-training workshop in Worcester on September 10. Request a speaker from The Future Depends on Love! Would you like to have a speaker on marriage come to your organization or parish?  Fill out a speaker-request form here. Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames., please go to http://www.masscatholiconference.org/webpages/resources/volunteer_form/form.php to complete the form All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[19]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/speaker.html","2008-11-19","10K","Request a Speaker    ","",""," Request a Speaker Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Volunteer Opportunities Request a Speaker Be trained as a speaker! Learn how to represent the Churchs vision of Marriage! Download an application to attend a speaker-training workshop in Worcester on September 10. Request a speaker from The Future Depends on Love! Would you like to have a speaker on marriage come to your organization or parish?  Fill out a speaker-request form here. Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames., please go to http://www.masscatholiconference.org/webpages/resources/volunteer_form/form.php to complete the form All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[20]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/separatedresources.html","2008-11-19","14K","Separated and Divorced Resources    ","",""," Separated and Divorced Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Separated & Divorced Resources Separated and Divorced Resources Download Frequently asked questions on Divorce from YourMarriage.org, and the USCCB Top 10 Myths of Divorce by the National Project of Rutgers University Suggested Websites (Boston only)Annulment Information Gatherings (Boston only)Syllabus of A time to Heal (Boston only)Facilitator Training (Boston only)Sample Flyer All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[21]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/separatedresources.html","2008-11-19","14K","Separated and Divorced Resources    ","",""," Separated and Divorced Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Separated & Divorced Resources Separated and Divorced Resources Download Frequently asked questions on Divorce from YourMarriage.org, and the USCCB Top 10 Myths of Divorce by the National Project of Rutgers University Suggested Websites (Boston only)Annulment Information Gatherings (Boston only)Syllabus of A time to Heal (Boston only)Facilitator Training (Boston only)Sample Flyer All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[22]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/presourceshome.html","2008-11-19","20K","Parish Folder    ","",""," Parish Folder Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources Table of Contents Download Bulletin Inserts Here! Table of Contents INTRODUCTORY LETTER HOMILETICS AND BULLETIN INSERTS Homiletic Suggestions Bulletin Inserts Bulletin Briefs Suggested Calendar DVD FACILITATION Letter to Facilitator Facilitator Packet PRESENTATIONS AND AV RESOURCES Flyer on Audio-Visual Resources Flyer on Catholic TV Show, “The Future Depends on Love” Flyer on Worldwide Marriage Encounter Evening Events Speaker-Training Application SEPARATED AND DIVORCED RESOURCES “Frequently Asked Questions on Divorce” from www.foryourmarriage.org, USCCB “Top 10 Myths of Divorce” by the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University Suggested Websites Annulment Information Gatherings Syllabus of A time to Heal Facilitator Training Sample Flyer USCCB RESOURCES Introduction Flyer about the USCCB www.foryourmarriage.org site Fact sheets from www.USCCB.org ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Introduction “Preaching Points on In Vitro Fertilization” by the National Catholic Bio ethics Center “Helpful Facts for Young Adults” by the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University “Should We Live Together?” by the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University            Resources from Pauline Books and Media Resources from Emmaus Road Publishing Resources from Ascension Press Resource Recommendations: Marriage, Youth, and Chastity Education Recommended Websites: Marriage, Youth, and Chastity Education DIOCESAN RESOURCES Boston Introduction to Marriage Ministries in the Archdiocese of Boston Anniversary Mass PREP Program for Marriage Enrichment Submitting Marriage-Prep Programs to the Archdiocese Marriage-Prep Schedule Marriage Speakers from the Archdioceses Marriage Ministries Program Speakers from the Archdioceses Respect for Life Education program Parish Missions on the Theology of the Body from the Daughters of St. Paul POCKETS OF BINDER Between a Man and a Woman by the USCCB Married Love and the Gift of Life by the USCCB Pure Love by Jason Evert “Living Together: Questions and Answers Regarding Cohabitation” by the Bishops of Pennsylvania “Why Marriage Matters” by the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy                                            Retrouvaille flyer and brochure Worldwide Marriage Encounter brochure To download different files as PDF, please follow the links above, to buy a complete binder with included media (DVD and CD) along with color brochures from the binder pockets, please contact us. The Massachusetts Catholic Conference stands ready to assist you in bringing The Future Depends on Love to the faithful throughout the Commonwealth. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or requests. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[23]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/presourceshome.html","2008-11-19","20K","Parish Folder    ","",""," Parish Folder Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources Table of Contents Download Bulletin Inserts Here! Table of Contents INTRODUCTORY LETTER HOMILETICS AND BULLETIN INSERTS Homiletic Suggestions Bulletin Inserts Bulletin Briefs Suggested Calendar DVD FACILITATION Letter to Facilitator Facilitator Packet PRESENTATIONS AND AV RESOURCES Flyer on Audio-Visual Resources Flyer on Catholic TV Show, “The Future Depends on Love” Flyer on Worldwide Marriage Encounter Evening Events Speaker-Training Application SEPARATED AND DIVORCED RESOURCES “Frequently Asked Questions on Divorce” from www.foryourmarriage.org, USCCB “Top 10 Myths of Divorce” by the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University Suggested Websites Annulment Information Gatherings Syllabus of A time to Heal Facilitator Training Sample Flyer USCCB RESOURCES Introduction Flyer about the USCCB www.foryourmarriage.org site Fact sheets from www.USCCB.org ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Introduction “Preaching Points on In Vitro Fertilization” by the National Catholic Bio ethics Center “Helpful Facts for Young Adults” by the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University “Should We Live Together?” by the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University            Resources from Pauline Books and Media Resources from Emmaus Road Publishing Resources from Ascension Press Resource Recommendations: Marriage, Youth, and Chastity Education Recommended Websites: Marriage, Youth, and Chastity Education DIOCESAN RESOURCES Boston Introduction to Marriage Ministries in the Archdiocese of Boston Anniversary Mass PREP Program for Marriage Enrichment Submitting Marriage-Prep Programs to the Archdiocese Marriage-Prep Schedule Marriage Speakers from the Archdioceses Marriage Ministries Program Speakers from the Archdioceses Respect for Life Education program Parish Missions on the Theology of the Body from the Daughters of St. Paul POCKETS OF BINDER Between a Man and a Woman by the USCCB Married Love and the Gift of Life by the USCCB Pure Love by Jason Evert “Living Together: Questions and Answers Regarding Cohabitation” by the Bishops of Pennsylvania “Why Marriage Matters” by the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy                                            Retrouvaille flyer and brochure Worldwide Marriage Encounter brochure To download different files as PDF, please follow the links above, to buy a complete binder with included media (DVD and CD) along with color brochures from the binder pockets, please contact us. The Massachusetts Catholic Conference stands ready to assist you in bringing The Future Depends on Love to the faithful throughout the Commonwealth. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or requests. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[24]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/presentations.html","2008-11-19","12K","Presentations and AV Resources    ","",""," Presentations and AV Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Presentations and AV Resources Presentations & Audiovisual Resources Catholic TV shows · Multi-part “The Future Depends on Love” series on Catholic TV! · Coming Fall 2008 · See it at www.CatholicTV.com and purchase DVDs of individual shows PowerPoint presentations Both narrated and unnarrated presentations available by early fall 2008! Topics will include: What is Marriage? What You Need to Know About Marriage Today Cohabitation Theology of the Body Marriage for Confirmation-age groups Available here. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[25]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/presentations.html","2008-11-19","12K","Presentations and AV Resources    ","",""," Presentations and AV Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Presentations and AV Resources Presentations & Audiovisual Resources Catholic TV shows · Multi-part “The Future Depends on Love” series on Catholic TV! · Coming Fall 2008 · See it at www.CatholicTV.com and purchase DVDs of individual shows PowerPoint presentations Both narrated and unnarrated presentations available by early fall 2008! Topics will include: What is Marriage? What You Need to Know About Marriage Today Cohabitation Theology of the Body Marriage for Confirmation-age groups Available here. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[26]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/powerpoints.html","2008-11-19","11K","The Future Depends on Love: PowerPoint Presentations    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: PowerPoint Presentations Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files This page is still under development, please visit us again soon. Power Points You will need to have either Microsoft Power Point installed Or a PowerPoint Viewer, found here. Coming Soon _ All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[27]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/powerpoints.html","2008-11-19","11K","The Future Depends on Love: PowerPoint Presentations    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: PowerPoint Presentations Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files This page is still under development, please visit us again soon. Power Points You will need to have either Microsoft Power Point installed Or a PowerPoint Viewer, found here. Coming Soon _ All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[28]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/parishassesment.html","2008-11-19","9K","Parish Assessments    ","",""," Parish Assessments Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Survey Contact Information Parish Assessment Parish Assessment Assess the Effectiveness of the Parish Materials Download an evaluation form to help The Future Depends on Love evaluate its materials. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[29]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/parishassesment.html","2008-11-19","9K","Parish Assessments    ","",""," Parish Assessments Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Survey Contact Information Parish Assessment Parish Assessment Assess the Effectiveness of the Parish Materials Download an evaluation form to help The Future Depends on Love evaluate its materials. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[30]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/opinionhome.html","2008-11-19","9K","The Future Depends on Love: Give us your opinions!    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Give us your opinions! Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Survey Contact Information Parish Assessment Let us know what you think! The Future Depends on Love has a mandate to educate on marriage. What kind of materials do you want to see? Let us know! Fill a brief online survey. Or contact us. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[31]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/opinionhome.html","2008-11-19","9K","The Future Depends on Love: Give us your opinions!    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Give us your opinions! Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Survey Contact Information Parish Assessment Let us know what you think! The Future Depends on Love has a mandate to educate on marriage. What kind of materials do you want to see? Let us know! Fill a brief online survey. Or contact us. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[32]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/massbishops.html","2008-11-19","15K","The Future Depends on Love: Bishops    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Bishops Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Massachusetts bishops MCC Link Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston One of the crucial tasks of the Catholic Church is to help people have a sense of vocation in their lives: the vocation to holiness, to friendship to discipleship and to a particular calling in life. We realize that God is calling most people to the sacrament of marriage. Therefore, this initiative will also help our young people to have a greater understanding of the sacrament and to prepare them better to receive it in a world where fewer people seem to be getting married. Most Reverend George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River“It is my hope that the marriage initiative will bring about a greater awareness of the gift that Christ has given the Church by raising the marriage covenant to the dignity of a sacrament.” Most Reverend Timothy A. McDonnell, Bishop of SpringfieldFor too long marriage has been the overlooked vocation, and yet, it is the foundation from which all other vocations come.  In the Sacrament of Marriage, God enters into the life of a husband and wife and helps to make their love a mirror of the love God has for his people.  In highlighting the vocation of marriage, we hope to help all people grow in deeper understanding of the wonderful vocation to which each husband and wife is called. Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, S.T.D., Bishop of Worcester The marriage initiative, “The Future Depends on Love”, is a timely and much needed pastoral project. Its goal is to remind Roman Catholics of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and other people of good will how fundamentally important the institutions of marriage and the family are to the present and future well-being of the Church and society.  As marriage and the family go, so go the Church and society.  For the majority of Catholic lay faithful, the sacrament of marriage is the vocation through which these men and women work out, through faithful, monogamous and fruitful love, their baptismal call to holiness of life.  The true nature and purpose of marriage must be recalled and embraced in a time like our own when so much confusion about this institution and sacrament abounds. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[33]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/massbishops.html","2008-11-19","15K","The Future Depends on Love: Bishops    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Bishops Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Massachusetts bishops MCC Link Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston One of the crucial tasks of the Catholic Church is to help people have a sense of vocation in their lives: the vocation to holiness, to friendship to discipleship and to a particular calling in life. We realize that God is calling most people to the sacrament of marriage. Therefore, this initiative will also help our young people to have a greater understanding of the sacrament and to prepare them better to receive it in a world where fewer people seem to be getting married. Most Reverend George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River“It is my hope that the marriage initiative will bring about a greater awareness of the gift that Christ has given the Church by raising the marriage covenant to the dignity of a sacrament.” Most Reverend Timothy A. McDonnell, Bishop of SpringfieldFor too long marriage has been the overlooked vocation, and yet, it is the foundation from which all other vocations come.  In the Sacrament of Marriage, God enters into the life of a husband and wife and helps to make their love a mirror of the love God has for his people.  In highlighting the vocation of marriage, we hope to help all people grow in deeper understanding of the wonderful vocation to which each husband and wife is called. Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, S.T.D., Bishop of Worcester The marriage initiative, “The Future Depends on Love”, is a timely and much needed pastoral project. Its goal is to remind Roman Catholics of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and other people of good will how fundamentally important the institutions of marriage and the family are to the present and future well-being of the Church and society.  As marriage and the family go, so go the Church and society.  For the majority of Catholic lay faithful, the sacrament of marriage is the vocation through which these men and women work out, through faithful, monogamous and fruitful love, their baptismal call to holiness of life.  The true nature and purpose of marriage must be recalled and embraced in a time like our own when so much confusion about this institution and sacrament abounds. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[34]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/linkshome.html","2008-11-19","10K","The Future Depends on Love: Resources    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Family Life Offices For Your Marriage Preparing for Marriage? Caring for your marriage? Find resources from the Church here. Visit the resources available from the National Pastoral Initiative on Marriage. Visit your local family life office. See how to use the marriage prayer card of The Future Depends on Love as a wedding favor. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[35]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/linkshome.html","2008-11-19","10K","The Future Depends on Love: Resources    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Family Life Offices For Your Marriage Preparing for Marriage? Caring for your marriage? Find resources from the Church here. Visit the resources available from the National Pastoral Initiative on Marriage. Visit your local family life office. See how to use the marriage prayer card of The Future Depends on Love as a wedding favor. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[36]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/learnhome.html","2008-11-19","11K","The Future Depends on Love: Get Educated!    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Get Educated! Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files “God is love and in Himself He lives a mystery of personal loving communion… Love is therefore the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being.” –Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio “The Future Depends on Love” begins with prayer. Print and visual materials on marriage are currently being prepared. Please give us your opinion concerning what you would like to see! Download some fact sheets on various topics related to marriage and the family. Go to the sources!  Read Church documents on marriage and the family. Come visit our table at one of many events around Massachusetts. Watch videos on the initiative. If you would like to be notified when materials are prepared, please give your contact information. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[37]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/learnhome.html","2008-11-19","11K","The Future Depends on Love: Get Educated!    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Get Educated! Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files “God is love and in Himself He lives a mystery of personal loving communion… Love is therefore the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being.” –Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio “The Future Depends on Love” begins with prayer. Print and visual materials on marriage are currently being prepared. Please give us your opinion concerning what you would like to see! Download some fact sheets on various topics related to marriage and the family. Go to the sources!  Read Church documents on marriage and the family. Come visit our table at one of many events around Massachusetts. Watch videos on the initiative. If you would like to be notified when materials are prepared, please give your contact information. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[38]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/involvedhome.html","2008-11-19","9K","The Future Depends on Love: Get Involved!    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Get Involved! Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Volunteer Opportunities Request a Speaker “The future of humanity passes by way of the family.” – John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio Get involved with The Future Depends on Love! Offer to volunteer here. Request a speaker. And don’t forget to pray. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[39]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/involvedhome.html","2008-11-19","9K","The Future Depends on Love: Get Involved!    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: Get Involved! Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Volunteer Opportunities Request a Speaker “The future of humanity passes by way of the family.” – John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio Get involved with The Future Depends on Love! Offer to volunteer here. Request a speaker. And don’t forget to pray. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[40]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/homiletics.html","2008-11-19","26K","Parish Folder    ","",""," Parish Folder Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Homiletic & Bulletin Inserts Homiletic Aid,Bulletin Inserts,Bulletin Briefs& Suggested Calendar Bulletin Inserts Eight bulletin inserts have been provided in The Future Depends on Love parish resource binders and are also available here. Suggested dates for using these inserts are given along with the homiletic aids. 1. Marriage: At the Heart of Social Justice 2. Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex 3. What the Church Teaches, social science confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives, and for their Children 4. Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies 5. God will not leave us: How Lifelong Married Love shows God to the World 6. The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility 7. Marriage versus Cohabitation: Is There a Difference? 8. More than a Wedding: Why get Married in the Church? Download the Bulletin Inserts here. Homiletic Aids PURPOSE The following homiletic suggestions are meant to provide a progressive introduction to the Church’s teaching on marriage. USES They can be used: 1. to provide an occasional homiletic reference to marriage; 2. to present a complete homily on marriage; 3. to develop a comprehensive catechesis on marriage stretching over a longer period of time; and/or 4. as material for a “From the Pastor” column. PEDAGOGY The introductory suggestions for the fall emphasize the themes encapsulated in Gaudium et spes, 24: Man cannot find fulfillment except through a sincere gift of self. These suggestions aim to make holiness attractive again. Many of the homilies and bulletin excerpts focus on trusting God’s will, especially as expressed in the moral law. They emphasize that true freedom is the freedom to love well and that the moral law is not an arbitrary imposition but rather God’s wise design that leads to the fulfillment of our humanity: true happiness. In the winter, the focus shifts from this more general catechesis to presenting particular issues related to the theology of marriage. The homiletic suggestions are somewhat longer for these weeks, since the specific issues addressed require a little more unpacking to be comprehensible to congregations. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS The passages in bold are excerpts from Church documents that can run in the weekly bulletin, if desired. They correspond thematically to the homily suggestions. They are available below as JOG files in the Bulletin Briefs section. If you would like to have these passages in a formatted pdf with the logo of The Future Depends on Love for your bulletin, please give The Future Depends on Love an email address, contact Kathy Magno Phone: Email: WEEKLY THEMES Download the individual PDFs here. Bulletin Briefs Want to provide parishioners with a deeper knowledge of what the Church teaches about marriage and sexuality?  Put a weekly The Future Depends on Love “bulletin brief” into your bulletin.  Please note that the dates given below are suggestions for use; these bulletin briefs can run at any time. Download the Bulletin Briefs here. Suggested Calendar The following is the suggested timeline for using The Future Depends on Love’s parish resources for your bulletin. August 24, 2008, Week #1: God’s desire for our happiness; moral laws lead to happiness. August 31, 2008, Week #2: True freedom is the freedom to do the good. September 7, 2008, Week #3: True freedom is love that is guided by truth. Suggested bulletin insert: Marriage: God’s Loving Plan for Sex September 14, 2008 (Triumph of the Holy Cross), Week #4: We are made for self-gift. Marriage, priesthood, and religious life are all about self-gift. September 21, 2008, Week #5: God’s moral law leads to our happiness and well-being. Suggested bulletin insert: What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms September 28, 2008, Week #6: God and the Church want to heal us of our sins. October 5, 2008, Week #7: The importance of purity and chastity for true freedom. Suggested bulletin insert: Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies October 12, 2008, Week #8: Christ is the Bridegroom because He loves the Church with a life-giving love even unto death. Suggested bulletin insert: More Than a Wedding: Why Get Married in the Church? October 19, 2008, Week #9: Marriage and the family should be promoted in civic affairs. October 26, 2008, Week #10: Fostering the vocation to love in our society. Suggested bulletin insert: Cohabitation vs. Marriage: What’s the Difference? November 2, 2008 (All Souls), Week #11: Life in heaven and the value of life on earth. Suggested bulletin insert: Marriage at the Heart of Social Justice November 9, 2008 (Dedication of St. John Lateran), Week #12: The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. November 16, 2008, Week #13: Openness to, and education of, children as a responsibility of parents. November 23, 2008 (Christ the King), Week #14: Living justly in my intimate relationships. November 30, 2008 (First Sunday of Advent), Week #15: God’s mercy and our need for the sacraments. December 7, 2008 (Second Sunday of Advent), Week #16: Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility. Suggested bulletin insert: God Will Not Leave Us: How Lifelong Married Love Shows God to the World December 14, 2008 (Third Sunday of Advent), Week #17: Our hunger for God is filled by His faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy. December 21, 2008 (Fourth Sunday of Advent), Week #18: Openness to life and the use of natural family planning. Suggested bulletin insert: The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility December 28, 2008 (The Holy Family), Week #19: God created families. Suggested bulletin insert IF NOT ALREADY USED ON 9/21 (WEEK 5): What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms January 4, 2009, Week #20: The goodness of our bodies and the need for chastity. January 11, 2009 (Baptism of the Lord), Week #21: Loving in marriage as God loves. January 18, 2009, Week #22: The universal call to holiness and cohabitation. Suggested bulletin insert IF NOT ALREADY USED ON 10/26 (WEEK 10): Cohabitation vs. Marriage: What’s the Difference? Thank you for all that you do in service of the church! The Massachusetts Catholic Conference hopes that these materials will be helpful to your ministry! All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[41]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/homiletics.html","2008-11-19","26K","Parish Folder    ","",""," Parish Folder Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Homiletic & Bulletin Inserts Homiletic Aid,Bulletin Inserts,Bulletin Briefs& Suggested Calendar Bulletin Inserts Eight bulletin inserts have been provided in The Future Depends on Love parish resource binders and are also available here. Suggested dates for using these inserts are given along with the homiletic aids. 1. Marriage: At the Heart of Social Justice 2. Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex 3. What the Church Teaches, social science confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives, and for their Children 4. Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies 5. God will not leave us: How Lifelong Married Love shows God to the World 6. The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility 7. Marriage versus Cohabitation: Is There a Difference? 8. More than a Wedding: Why get Married in the Church? Download the Bulletin Inserts here. Homiletic Aids PURPOSE The following homiletic suggestions are meant to provide a progressive introduction to the Church’s teaching on marriage. USES They can be used: 1. to provide an occasional homiletic reference to marriage; 2. to present a complete homily on marriage; 3. to develop a comprehensive catechesis on marriage stretching over a longer period of time; and/or 4. as material for a “From the Pastor” column. PEDAGOGY The introductory suggestions for the fall emphasize the themes encapsulated in Gaudium et spes, 24: Man cannot find fulfillment except through a sincere gift of self. These suggestions aim to make holiness attractive again. Many of the homilies and bulletin excerpts focus on trusting God’s will, especially as expressed in the moral law. They emphasize that true freedom is the freedom to love well and that the moral law is not an arbitrary imposition but rather God’s wise design that leads to the fulfillment of our humanity: true happiness. In the winter, the focus shifts from this more general catechesis to presenting particular issues related to the theology of marriage. The homiletic suggestions are somewhat longer for these weeks, since the specific issues addressed require a little more unpacking to be comprehensible to congregations. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS The passages in bold are excerpts from Church documents that can run in the weekly bulletin, if desired. They correspond thematically to the homily suggestions. They are available below as JOG files in the Bulletin Briefs section. If you would like to have these passages in a formatted pdf with the logo of The Future Depends on Love for your bulletin, please give The Future Depends on Love an email address, contact Kathy Magno Phone: Email: WEEKLY THEMES Download the individual PDFs here. Bulletin Briefs Want to provide parishioners with a deeper knowledge of what the Church teaches about marriage and sexuality?  Put a weekly The Future Depends on Love “bulletin brief” into your bulletin.  Please note that the dates given below are suggestions for use; these bulletin briefs can run at any time. Download the Bulletin Briefs here. Suggested Calendar The following is the suggested timeline for using The Future Depends on Love’s parish resources for your bulletin. August 24, 2008, Week #1: God’s desire for our happiness; moral laws lead to happiness. August 31, 2008, Week #2: True freedom is the freedom to do the good. September 7, 2008, Week #3: True freedom is love that is guided by truth. Suggested bulletin insert: Marriage: God’s Loving Plan for Sex September 14, 2008 (Triumph of the Holy Cross), Week #4: We are made for self-gift. Marriage, priesthood, and religious life are all about self-gift. September 21, 2008, Week #5: God’s moral law leads to our happiness and well-being. Suggested bulletin insert: What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms September 28, 2008, Week #6: God and the Church want to heal us of our sins. October 5, 2008, Week #7: The importance of purity and chastity for true freedom. Suggested bulletin insert: Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies October 12, 2008, Week #8: Christ is the Bridegroom because He loves the Church with a life-giving love even unto death. Suggested bulletin insert: More Than a Wedding: Why Get Married in the Church? October 19, 2008, Week #9: Marriage and the family should be promoted in civic affairs. October 26, 2008, Week #10: Fostering the vocation to love in our society. Suggested bulletin insert: Cohabitation vs. Marriage: What’s the Difference? November 2, 2008 (All Souls), Week #11: Life in heaven and the value of life on earth. Suggested bulletin insert: Marriage at the Heart of Social Justice November 9, 2008 (Dedication of St. John Lateran), Week #12: The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. November 16, 2008, Week #13: Openness to, and education of, children as a responsibility of parents. November 23, 2008 (Christ the King), Week #14: Living justly in my intimate relationships. November 30, 2008 (First Sunday of Advent), Week #15: God’s mercy and our need for the sacraments. December 7, 2008 (Second Sunday of Advent), Week #16: Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility. Suggested bulletin insert: God Will Not Leave Us: How Lifelong Married Love Shows God to the World December 14, 2008 (Third Sunday of Advent), Week #17: Our hunger for God is filled by His faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy. December 21, 2008 (Fourth Sunday of Advent), Week #18: Openness to life and the use of natural family planning. Suggested bulletin insert: The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility December 28, 2008 (The Holy Family), Week #19: God created families. Suggested bulletin insert IF NOT ALREADY USED ON 9/21 (WEEK 5): What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms January 4, 2009, Week #20: The goodness of our bodies and the need for chastity. January 11, 2009 (Baptism of the Lord), Week #21: Loving in marriage as God loves. January 18, 2009, Week #22: The universal call to holiness and cohabitation. Suggested bulletin insert IF NOT ALREADY USED ON 10/26 (WEEK 10): Cohabitation vs. Marriage: What’s the Difference? Thank you for all that you do in service of the church! The Massachusetts Catholic Conference hopes that these materials will be helpful to your ministry! All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[42]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/homiletic_pdfs.html","2008-11-19","17K","WEEKLY THEMES    ","","","Parish Folder Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Homiletics & Bulletin Inserts - Homiletic PDFs Homiletic Aids for download You will need to have either Adobe PDF installed Or an Adobe Reader, found here. Download the first 10 weeks in a single file here. Otherwise download individually by week. August 24, 2008, Week #1 : God’s desire for our happiness; moral laws lead to happiness. August 31, 2008, Week #2: True freedom is the freedom to do the good. September 7, 2008, Week #3: True freedom is love that is guided by truth. September 14, 2008, Week #4: We are made for self-gift. Marriage, priesthood, and religious life are all about self-gift. September 21, 2008, Week #5: God’s moral law leads to our happiness and well-being. September 28, 2008, Week #6: God and the Church want to heal us of our sins. October 5, 2008, Week #7: The importance of purity and chastity for true freedom. October 12, 2008, Week #8: Christ is the Bridegroom because He loves the Church with a life-giving love even unto death. October 19, 2008, Week #9: Marriage and the family should be promoted in civic affairs. October 26, 2008, Week #10: Fostering the vocation to love in our society. November 2, 2008, Week #11: Life in heaven and the value of life on earth. November 9, 2008, Week #12: The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. November 16, 2008, Week #13: Openness to, and education of, children as a responsibility of parents. November 23, 2008, Week #14: Living justly in my intimate relationships. November 30, 2008, Week #15: God’s mercy and our need for the sacraments. December 7, 2008, Week #16: Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility. December 14, 2008, Week #17: Our hunger for God is filled by His faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy. December 21, 2008, Week #18: Openness to life and the use of natural family planning. December 28, 2008, Week #19: God created families. January 4, 2009, Week #20: The goodness of our bodies and the need for chastity. January 11, 2009, Week #21: Loving in marriage as God loves. January 18, 2009, Week #22: The universal call to holiness and cohabitation. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter    ");
array_files[43]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/homiletic_pdfs.html","2008-11-19","17K","Parish Folder    ","",""," Parish Folder Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Homiletics & Bulletin Inserts - Homiletic PDFs Homiletic Aids for download You will need to have either Adobe PDF installed Or an Adobe Reader, found here. Download the first 10 weeks in a single file here. Otherwise download individually by week. August 24, 2008, Week #1 : God’s desire for our happiness; moral laws lead to happiness. August 31, 2008, Week #2: True freedom is the freedom to do the good. September 7, 2008, Week #3: True freedom is love that is guided by truth. September 14, 2008, Week #4: We are made for self-gift. Marriage, priesthood, and religious life are all about self-gift. September 21, 2008, Week #5: God’s moral law leads to our happiness and well-being. September 28, 2008, Week #6: God and the Church want to heal us of our sins. October 5, 2008, Week #7: The importance of purity and chastity for true freedom. October 12, 2008, Week #8: Christ is the Bridegroom because He loves the Church with a life-giving love even unto death. October 19, 2008, Week #9: Marriage and the family should be promoted in civic affairs. October 26, 2008, Week #10: Fostering the vocation to love in our society. November 2, 2008, Week #11: Life in heaven and the value of life on earth. November 9, 2008, Week #12: The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. November 16, 2008, Week #13: Openness to, and education of, children as a responsibility of parents. November 23, 2008, Week #14: Living justly in my intimate relationships. November 30, 2008, Week #15: God’s mercy and our need for the sacraments. December 7, 2008, Week #16: Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility. December 14, 2008, Week #17: Our hunger for God is filled by His faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy. December 21, 2008, Week #18: Openness to life and the use of natural family planning. December 28, 2008, Week #19: God created families. January 4, 2009, Week #20: The goodness of our bodies and the need for chastity. January 11, 2009, Week #21: Loving in marriage as God loves. January 18, 2009, Week #22: The universal call to holiness and cohabitation. All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[44]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/famlifeoffices.html","2008-11-19","11K","Family Life Offices    ","",""," Family Life Offices Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Family Life Offices For Your Marriage Family Life Offices of the dioceses of Massachusetts Archdiocese of Boston: The Office of Life and Family Ministries 2121 Commonwealth Ave. Boston, MA 02135 Phone (617) 746-5800 • Fax (617) 783-5642 Diocese of Fall River: The Family Life Center 500 Slocum Road North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2930 Phone: (508) 999-6420 Fax: (508) 999-6430 Diocese of Springfield: Family Life Office 65 Elliot Street Springfield, MA 01102 Phone: (413) 452-0614 Fax: (413) 452-0618 Diocese of Worcester: Office of Family Life Ministry Diocese of Worcester 49 Elm Street, Worcester, MA 01609 Telephone: (508) 791-7171 Fax: 508-753-7180 All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[45]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/famlifeoffices.html","2008-11-19","11K","Family Life Offices    ","",""," Family Life Offices Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Family Life Offices For Your Marriage Family Life Offices of the dioceses of Massachusetts Archdiocese of Boston: The Office of Life and Family Ministries 2121 Commonwealth Ave. Boston, MA 02135 Phone (617) 746-5800 • Fax (617) 783-5642 Diocese of Fall River: The Family Life Center 500 Slocum Road North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2930 Phone: (508) 999-6420 Fax: (508) 999-6430 Diocese of Springfield: Family Life Office 65 Elliot Street Springfield, MA 01102 Phone: (413) 452-0614 Fax: (413) 452-0618 Diocese of Worcester: Office of Family Life Ministry Diocese of Worcester 49 Elm Street, Worcester, MA 01609 Telephone: (508) 791-7171 Fax: 508-753-7180 All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[46]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/fact_sheets.html","2008-11-19","28K","Fact Sheets    ","",""," Fact Sheets Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Fact Sheets on marriage Here are links to some helpful documents put together by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on marriage.  Visit this site frequently to find new materials produced by The Future Depends on Love. Bulletin Inserts Bulletin Inserts You will need to have either Adobe PDF installed Or an Adobe Reader, found here. Marriage: At the Heart of Social Justice Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex What the Church Teaches, social science confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives, and for their Children Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies God will not leave us: How Lifelong Married Love shows God to the World The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility Marriage versus Cohabitation: Is There a Difference? More than a Wedding: Why get Married in the Church? Download all 8 together USCCB Resources USCCB You will need to have either Adobe PDF installed Or an Adobe Reader, found here. United States Catholic Conference of Bishops English Spanish What Promotes a Lasting and Happy Marriage? What Difference Does Marriage Education Make? Why is Natural Family Planning Good for Your Marriage? How Does Legalizing Same Sex Marriage Deny the True Nature of Marriage? How Does Society Benefit From Strong Marriages? Thinking About Divorce? Think Again Why Do Children Need Married Parents? Why is Marriage Good For Men and Women? Why Isn’t It Good to Live Together Before Marriage? Download all 9 factsheets together United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Frequently Asked Questions on Marriage” Addresses many common questions about Catholic marriage, including annulments. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “The Debate About Same-Sex Marriage” Marriage is a basic human and social institution. Though it is regulated by civil laws and church laws, it did not originate either from the church or the state, but from God. Therefore, neither church nor state can alter the basic meaning and structure of marriage. Other Fact Sheets Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Marriage in the Catholic Church: FAQ Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Divorce and the Catholic Church: FAQ All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[47]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/fact_sheets.html","2008-11-19","28K","Fact Sheets    ","",""," Fact Sheets Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Fact Sheets on marriage Here are links to some helpful documents put together by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on marriage.  Visit this site frequently to find new materials produced by The Future Depends on Love. Bulletin Inserts Bulletin Inserts You will need to have either Adobe PDF installed Or an Adobe Reader, found here. Marriage: At the Heart of Social Justice Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex What the Church Teaches, social science confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives, and for their Children Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies God will not leave us: How Lifelong Married Love shows God to the World The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility Marriage versus Cohabitation: Is There a Difference? More than a Wedding: Why get Married in the Church? Download all 8 together USCCB Resources USCCB You will need to have either Adobe PDF installed Or an Adobe Reader, found here. United States Catholic Conference of Bishops English Spanish What Promotes a Lasting and Happy Marriage? What Difference Does Marriage Education Make? Why is Natural Family Planning Good for Your Marriage? How Does Legalizing Same Sex Marriage Deny the True Nature of Marriage? How Does Society Benefit From Strong Marriages? Thinking About Divorce? Think Again Why Do Children Need Married Parents? Why is Marriage Good For Men and Women? Why Isn’t It Good to Live Together Before Marriage? Download all 9 factsheets together United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Frequently Asked Questions on Marriage” Addresses many common questions about Catholic marriage, including annulments. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “The Debate About Same-Sex Marriage” Marriage is a basic human and social institution. Though it is regulated by civil laws and church laws, it did not originate either from the church or the state, but from God. Therefore, neither church nor state can alter the basic meaning and structure of marriage. Other Fact Sheets Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Marriage in the Catholic Church: FAQ Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Divorce and the Catholic Church: FAQ All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[48]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/events.html","2008-11-19","15K","Events Page    ","",""," Events Page Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files Attend an event sponsored by The Future Depends on Love! Learn how to present on Marriage! Learn how to represent the Churchs vision on Marriage! Download an application to attend a speaker-training workshop in Worcester on September 10th Application Deadline extended to August 31! Resource Seminar - August 11, Worcester Resource Seminar - Diocese of Worcester August 11, 7-9pm, St Stephens Parish Hall, 355 Grafton St., Worcester Clergy and deacons are invited to join Bishop Robert McManus and The Future Depends on Love team to hear about the resources available for parishes by The Future Depends on Love initiative of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference. Laity are also invited to attend as parish liaisons; interested persons are asked to approach their pastors about the possibility of serving the parish in that capacity. People from other dioceses are also welcome top attend. Please RSVP to Allison LeDoux Phone: Email: Speaker Trainning Workshop - September 10, Worcester Learn how to present on Marriage! Chancery, Diocese of Worcester (49 Elm St.) Wednesday, September 10, 7 to 9:30 pm Download an application to attend a speaker-training workshop in Worcester on September 10th Application Deadline extended to August 31! Questions? Contact Kathy Magno Phone: Email: All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[49]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/events.html","2008-11-19","15K","Events Page    ","",""," Events Page Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files Attend an event sponsored by The Future Depends on Love! Learn how to present on Marriage! Learn how to represent the Churchs vision on Marriage! Download an application to attend a speaker-training workshop in Worcester on September 10th Application Deadline extended to August 31! Resource Seminar - August 11, Worcester Resource Seminar - Diocese of Worcester August 11, 7-9pm, St Stephens Parish Hall, 355 Grafton St., Worcester Clergy and deacons are invited to join Bishop Robert McManus and The Future Depends on Love team to hear about the resources available for parishes by The Future Depends on Love initiative of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference. Laity are also invited to attend as parish liaisons; interested persons are asked to approach their pastors about the possibility of serving the parish in that capacity. People from other dioceses are also welcome top attend. Please RSVP to Allison LeDoux Phone: Email: Speaker Trainning Workshop - September 10, Worcester Learn how to present on Marriage! Chancery, Diocese of Worcester (49 Elm St.) Wednesday, September 10, 7 to 9:30 pm Download an application to attend a speaker-training workshop in Worcester on September 10th Application Deadline extended to August 31! Questions? Contact Kathy Magno Phone: Email: All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[50]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/dvdfacilitator.html","2008-11-19","22K","DVD and CD Facilitator    ","",""," DVD and CD Facilitator Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources -DVD and CD Facilitator DVD and CD Facilitator Dear Lay Liaison or Catechist: Thank you for your efforts to communicate the Church’s teaching on marriage! It is our hope that you will find the resources produced by The Future Depends on Love marriage initiative to be useful in the urgent task of marriage catechesis. The following materials center on using the Knights of Columbus DVD, The Vocation to Marriage, in different possible settings. In addition to this resource, each parish will be receiving a sample CD, “Contraception: Why Not,” and suggestions for utilizing this are also included in this packet. The Vocation to Marriage, by the Knights of Columbus - Download or order (select the video title and quantity). Contraception: Why Not, by Janet Smith, Ph.D. - Download or order a free copy. The attached material consists of the following numbered items: You will need to have either Adobe PDF installed Or an Adobe Reader, found here. Download all resources in a single file here. Otherwise download individually below. Download Letter to the Facilitator 1a: Marriage: Whats the Point? An evening of adult catechesis of marriage prep with the DVD. 1b: Marriage and Our Kids A session for parents of children in religious education with the DVD. 1c: Marriage: Whats the Point? A youth ministry or confirmation class with the DVD. 1d: Continual Playing of the DVD Looping show of the DVD at a coffee hour after Sunday Mass. 2: Outline of DVD for Facilitators 3: Outline of DVD for Participants 4: Small-Group Facilitation - Questions and suggested responses for facilitators 5: Participant Handouts - Materials for further learning 6: Bulletin Inserts - Possible handouts 7: Evaluation Form - Help improve these resources 8: Contraception: Why not - CD by Janet Smith Ph.D. - Guides to the CD with Question and Answer Sheets 9: Additional Resources - For use in the Parish Additional suggested resources, including fact-sheets and suggestions for books and other DVDs and CDs, can be found in your parish’s copy of The Future Depends on Love Parish Resources for Marriage ring binder. You are encouraged to consult it. May God bless your work in communicating the Church’s vision for happy, healthy, and holy marriage! All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[51]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/dvdfacilitator.html","2008-11-19","22K","DVD and CD Facilitator    ","",""," DVD and CD Facilitator Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources -DVD and CD Facilitator DVD and CD Facilitator Dear Lay Liaison or Catechist: Thank you for your efforts to communicate the Church’s teaching on marriage! It is our hope that you will find the resources produced by The Future Depends on Love marriage initiative to be useful in the urgent task of marriage catechesis. The following materials center on using the Knights of Columbus DVD, The Vocation to Marriage, in different possible settings. In addition to this resource, each parish will be receiving a sample CD, “Contraception: Why Not,” and suggestions for utilizing this are also included in this packet. The Vocation to Marriage, by the Knights of Columbus - Download or order (select the video title and quantity). Contraception: Why Not, by Janet Smith, Ph.D. - Download or order a free copy. The attached material consists of the following numbered items: You will need to have either Adobe PDF installed Or an Adobe Reader, found here. Download all resources in a single file here. Otherwise download individually below. Download Letter to the Facilitator 1a: Marriage: Whats the Point? An evening of adult catechesis of marriage prep with the DVD. 1b: Marriage and Our Kids A session for parents of children in religious education with the DVD. 1c: Marriage: Whats the Point? A youth ministry or confirmation class with the DVD. 1d: Continual Playing of the DVD Looping show of the DVD at a coffee hour after Sunday Mass. 2: Outline of DVD for Facilitators 3: Outline of DVD for Participants 4: Small-Group Facilitation - Questions and suggested responses for facilitators 5: Participant Handouts - Materials for further learning 6: Bulletin Inserts - Possible handouts 7: Evaluation Form - Help improve these resources 8: Contraception: Why not - CD by Janet Smith Ph.D. - Guides to the CD with Question and Answer Sheets 9: Additional Resources - For use in the Parish Additional suggested resources, including fact-sheets and suggestions for books and other DVDs and CDs, can be found in your parish’s copy of The Future Depends on Love Parish Resources for Marriage ring binder. You are encouraged to consult it. May God bless your work in communicating the Church’s vision for happy, healthy, and holy marriage! All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[52]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/contact.html","2008-11-19","10K","Contact us    ","",""," Contact us Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Survey Contact Information Parish Assessment Leave us comments or feedback on the initiative! Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames., please go to http://www.masscatholiconference.org/webpages/resources/volunteer_form/form.php to complete the form All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[53]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/contact.html","2008-11-19","10K","Contact us    ","",""," Contact us Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Survey Contact Information Parish Assessment Leave us comments or feedback on the initiative! Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames., please go to http://www.masscatholiconference.org/webpages/resources/volunteer_form/form.php to complete the form All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[54]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/church_docu.html","2008-11-19","141K","Church Documents    ","",""," Church Documents Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files Here are links to a selection of Church documents addressing marriage and the family. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1993 Selected paragraphs on marriage: The Sacrament of Matrimony, paragraphs 1601-1666 I. Marriage in Gods Plan 1601 The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. 1602 Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of the wedding-feast of the Lamb.Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its mystery, its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal in the Lord in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church. Marriage in the order of creation 1603 The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws.... God himself is the author of marriage. The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity, some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures. The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life. 1604 God who created man out of love also calls him to love the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love. Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creators eyes. and this love which God blesses is intended to be fruitful and to be realized in the common work of watching over creation: and God blessed them, and God said to them: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it. 1605 Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: It is not good that the man should be alone. The woman, flesh of his flesh, i.e., his counterpart, his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a helpmate; she thus represents God from whom comes our help. Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. The Lord himself shows that this signifies an unbreakable union of their two lives by recalling what the plan of the Creator had been in the beginning: So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Marriage under the regime of sin 1606 Every man experiences evil around him and within himself. This experience makes itself felt in the relationships between man and woman. Their union has always been threatened by discord, a spirit of domination, infidelity, jealousy, and conflicts that can escalate into hatred and separation. This disorder can manifest itself more or less acutely, and can be more or less overcome according to the circumstances of cultures, eras, and individuals, but it does seem to have a universal character. 1607 According to faith the disorder we notice so painfully does not stem from the nature of man and woman, nor from the nature of their relations, but from sin. As a break with God, the first sin had for its first consequence the rupture of the original communion between man and woman. Their relations were distorted by mutual recriminations; their mutual attraction, the Creators own gift, changed into a relationship of domination and lust; and the beautiful vocation of man and woman to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth was burdened by the pain of childbirth and the toil of work. 1608 Nevertheless, the order of creation persists, though seriously disturbed. To heal the wounds of sin, man and woman need the help of the grace that God in his infinite mercy never refuses them. Without his help man and woman cannot achieve the union of their lives for which God created them in the beginning. Marriage under the pedagogy of the Law 1609 In his mercy God has not forsaken sinful man. the punishments consequent upon sin, pain in childbearing and toil in the sweat of your brow, also embody remedies that limit the damaging effects of sin. After the fall, marriage helps to overcome self-absorption, egoism, pursuit of ones own pleasure, and to open oneself to the other, to mutual aid and to self-giving. 1610 Moral conscience concerning the unity and indissolubility of marriage developed under the pedagogy of the old law. In the Old Testament the polygamy of patriarchs and kings is not yet explicitly rejected. Nevertheless, the law given to Moses aims at protecting the wife from arbitrary domination by the husband, even though according to the Lords words it still carries traces of mans hardness of heart which was the reason Moses permitted men to divorce their wives. 1611 Seeing Gods covenant with Israel in the image of exclusive and faithful married love, the prophets prepared the Chosen Peoples conscience for a deepened understanding of the unity and indissolubility of marriage. The books of Ruth and Tobit bear moving witness to an elevated sense of marriage and to the fidelity and tenderness of spouses. Tradition has always seen in the Song of Solomon a unique expression of human love, a pure reflection of Gods love - a love strong as death that many waters cannot quench. Marriage in the Lord 1612 The nuptial covenant between God and his people Israel had prepared the way for the new and everlasting covenant in which the Son of God, by becoming incarnate and giving his life, has united to himself in a certain way all mankind saved by him, thus preparing for the wedding-feast of the Lamb. 1613 On the threshold of his public life Jesus performs his first sign - at his mothers request - during a wedding feast. The Church attaches great importance to Jesus presence at the wedding at Cana. She sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious sign of Christs presence. 1614 In his preaching Jesus unequivocally taught the original meaning of the union of man and woman as the Creator willed it from the beginning permission given by Moses to divorce ones wife was a concession to the hardness of hearts. The matrimonial union of man and woman is indissoluble: God himself has determined it what therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder. 1615 This unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond may have left some perplexed and could seem to be a demand impossible to realize. However, Jesus has not placed on spouses a burden impossible to bear, or too heavy - heavier than the Law of Moses. By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, he himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God. It is by following Christ, renouncing themselves, and taking up their crosses that spouses will be able to receive the original meaning of marriage and live it with the help of Christ. This grace of Christian marriage is a fruit of Christs cross, the source of all Christian life. 1616 This is what the Apostle Paul makes clear when he says: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, adding at once: For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one. This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church. 1617 The entire Christian life bears the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church. Already Baptism, the entry into the People of God, is a nuptial mystery; it is so to speak the nuptial bath which precedes the wedding feast, the Eucharist. Christian marriage in its turn becomes an efficacious sign, the sacrament of the covenant of Christ and the Church. Since it signifies and communicates grace, marriage between baptized persons is a true sacrament of the New Covenant. Virginity for the sake of the Kingdom 1618 Christ is the center of all Christian life. the bond with him takes precedence over all other bonds, familial or social. From the very beginning of the Church there have been men and women who have renounced the great good of marriage to follow the Lamb wherever he goes, to be intent on the things of the Lord, to seek to please him, and to go out to meet the Bridegroom who is coming. Christ himself has invited certain persons to follow him in this way of life, of which he remains the model: For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it. 1619 Virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven is an unfolding of baptismal grace, a powerful sign of the supremacy of the bond with Christ and of the ardent expectation of his return, a sign which also recalls that marriage is a reality of this present age which is passing away. 1620 Both the sacrament of Matrimony and virginity for the Kingdom of God come from the Lord himself. It is he who gives them meaning and grants them the grace which is indispensable for living them out in conformity with his will. Esteem of virginity for the sake of the kingdom and the Christian understanding of marriage are insepar      ");
array_files[55]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/church_docu.html","2008-11-19","141K","Church Documents    ","",""," Church Documents Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Fact Sheets Church Documents Power Points Events Video files Here are links to a selection of Church documents addressing marriage and the family. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1993 Selected paragraphs on marriage: The Sacrament of Matrimony, paragraphs 1601-1666 I. Marriage in Gods Plan 1601 The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. 1602 Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of the wedding-feast of the Lamb.Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its mystery, its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal in the Lord in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church. Marriage in the order of creation 1603 The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws.... God himself is the author of marriage. The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity, some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures. The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life. 1604 God who created man out of love also calls him to love the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love. Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creators eyes. and this love which God blesses is intended to be fruitful and to be realized in the common work of watching over creation: and God blessed them, and God said to them: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it. 1605 Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: It is not good that the man should be alone. The woman, flesh of his flesh, i.e., his counterpart, his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a helpmate; she thus represents God from whom comes our help. Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. The Lord himself shows that this signifies an unbreakable union of their two lives by recalling what the plan of the Creator had been in the beginning: So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Marriage under the regime of sin 1606 Every man experiences evil around him and within himself. This experience makes itself felt in the relationships between man and woman. Their union has always been threatened by discord, a spirit of domination, infidelity, jealousy, and conflicts that can escalate into hatred and separation. This disorder can manifest itself more or less acutely, and can be more or less overcome according to the circumstances of cultures, eras, and individuals, but it does seem to have a universal character. 1607 According to faith the disorder we notice so painfully does not stem from the nature of man and woman, nor from the nature of their relations, but from sin. As a break with God, the first sin had for its first consequence the rupture of the original communion between man and woman. Their relations were distorted by mutual recriminations; their mutual attraction, the Creators own gift, changed into a relationship of domination and lust; and the beautiful vocation of man and woman to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth was burdened by the pain of childbirth and the toil of work. 1608 Nevertheless, the order of creation persists, though seriously disturbed. To heal the wounds of sin, man and woman need the help of the grace that God in his infinite mercy never refuses them. Without his help man and woman cannot achieve the union of their lives for which God created them in the beginning. Marriage under the pedagogy of the Law 1609 In his mercy God has not forsaken sinful man. the punishments consequent upon sin, pain in childbearing and toil in the sweat of your brow, also embody remedies that limit the damaging effects of sin. After the fall, marriage helps to overcome self-absorption, egoism, pursuit of ones own pleasure, and to open oneself to the other, to mutual aid and to self-giving. 1610 Moral conscience concerning the unity and indissolubility of marriage developed under the pedagogy of the old law. In the Old Testament the polygamy of patriarchs and kings is not yet explicitly rejected. Nevertheless, the law given to Moses aims at protecting the wife from arbitrary domination by the husband, even though according to the Lords words it still carries traces of mans hardness of heart which was the reason Moses permitted men to divorce their wives. 1611 Seeing Gods covenant with Israel in the image of exclusive and faithful married love, the prophets prepared the Chosen Peoples conscience for a deepened understanding of the unity and indissolubility of marriage. The books of Ruth and Tobit bear moving witness to an elevated sense of marriage and to the fidelity and tenderness of spouses. Tradition has always seen in the Song of Solomon a unique expression of human love, a pure reflection of Gods love - a love strong as death that many waters cannot quench. Marriage in the Lord 1612 The nuptial covenant between God and his people Israel had prepared the way for the new and everlasting covenant in which the Son of God, by becoming incarnate and giving his life, has united to himself in a certain way all mankind saved by him, thus preparing for the wedding-feast of the Lamb. 1613 On the threshold of his public life Jesus performs his first sign - at his mothers request - during a wedding feast. The Church attaches great importance to Jesus presence at the wedding at Cana. She sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious sign of Christs presence. 1614 In his preaching Jesus unequivocally taught the original meaning of the union of man and woman as the Creator willed it from the beginning permission given by Moses to divorce ones wife was a concession to the hardness of hearts. The matrimonial union of man and woman is indissoluble: God himself has determined it what therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder. 1615 This unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond may have left some perplexed and could seem to be a demand impossible to realize. However, Jesus has not placed on spouses a burden impossible to bear, or too heavy - heavier than the Law of Moses. By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, he himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God. It is by following Christ, renouncing themselves, and taking up their crosses that spouses will be able to receive the original meaning of marriage and live it with the help of Christ. This grace of Christian marriage is a fruit of Christs cross, the source of all Christian life. 1616 This is what the Apostle Paul makes clear when he says: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, adding at once: For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one. This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church. 1617 The entire Christian life bears the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church. Already Baptism, the entry into the People of God, is a nuptial mystery; it is so to speak the nuptial bath which precedes the wedding feast, the Eucharist. Christian marriage in its turn becomes an efficacious sign, the sacrament of the covenant of Christ and the Church. Since it signifies and communicates grace, marriage between baptized persons is a true sacrament of the New Covenant. Virginity for the sake of the Kingdom 1618 Christ is the center of all Christian life. the bond with him takes precedence over all other bonds, familial or social. From the very beginning of the Church there have been men and women who have renounced the great good of marriage to follow the Lamb wherever he goes, to be intent on the things of the Lord, to seek to please him, and to go out to meet the Bridegroom who is coming. Christ himself has invited certain persons to follow him in this way of life, of which he remains the model: For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it. 1619 Virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven is an unfolding of baptismal grace, a powerful sign of the supremacy of the bond with Christ and of the ardent expectation of his return, a sign which also recalls that marriage is a reality of this present age which is passing away. 1620 Both the sacrament of Matrimony and virginity for the Kingdom of God come from the Lord himself. It is he who gives them meaning and grants them the grace which is indispensable for living them out in conformity with his will. Esteem of virginity for the sake of the kingdom and the Christian understanding of marriage are insepar      ");
array_files[56]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/bulletininserts.html","2008-11-19","16K","Parish Folder    ","",""," Parish Folder Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Homiletics & Bulletin Inserts - Bulleting Inserts Bulletin Inserts You will need to have either Adobe PDF installed Or an Adobe Reader, found here. Marriage: At the Heart of Social Justice Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex What the Church Teaches, social science confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives, and for their Children Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies God will not leave us: How Lifelong Married Love shows God to the World The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility Marriage versus Cohabitation: Is There a Difference? More than a Wedding: Why get Married in the Church? Download all 8 together All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[57]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/bulletininserts.html","2008-11-19","16K","Parish Folder    ","",""," Parish Folder Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Homiletics & Bulletin Inserts - Bulleting Inserts Bulletin Inserts You will need to have either Adobe PDF installed Or an Adobe Reader, found here. Marriage: At the Heart of Social Justice Marriage: Gods Loving Plan for Sex What the Church Teaches, social science confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives, and for their Children Body Language: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies God will not leave us: How Lifelong Married Love shows God to the World The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility Marriage versus Cohabitation: Is There a Difference? More than a Wedding: Why get Married in the Church? Download all 8 together All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[58]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/bulletinbriefs.html","2008-11-19","12K","MassCatholicMarriage Bulletin Briefs    ","",""," MassCatholicMarriage Bulletin Briefs Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Homiletics & Bulletin Inserts - Bulleting Briefs Bulletin Briefs Want to provide parishioners with a deeper knowledge of what the Church teaches about marriage and sexuality?  Put a weekly The Future Depends on Love “bulletin brief” into your bulletin.  Week 1 August 24 Week 2 August 31 Week 3 September 7 Week 4 September 14 Week 5 September 21 Week 6 September 28 Week 7 October 5 Week 8 October 12 Week 9 October 19 Week 10 October 26 Week 11 November 2 Week 12 November 9 Week 13 November 16 Week 14 November 23 Week 15 November 30 Additional content will be updated soon! All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[59]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/bulletinbriefs.html","2008-11-19","12K","MassCatholicMarriage Bulletin Briefs    ","",""," MassCatholicMarriage Bulletin Briefs Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Homiletics & Bulletin Inserts - Bulleting Briefs Bulletin Briefs Want to provide parishioners with a deeper knowledge of what the Church teaches about marriage and sexuality?  Put a weekly The Future Depends on Love “bulletin brief” into your bulletin.  Week 1 August 24 Week 2 August 31 Week 3 September 7 Week 4 September 14 Week 5 September 21 Week 6 September 28 Week 7 October 5 Week 8 October 12 Week 9 October 19 Week 10 October 26 Week 11 November 2 Week 12 November 9 Week 13 November 16 Week 14 November 23 Week 15 November 30 Additional content will be updated soon! All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[60]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/bostonresources.html","2008-11-19","16K","Archdiocese of Boston Resources    ","",""," Archdiocese of Boston Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources This page is still under development, please visit us again soon. Parish Resources - Archdiocese of Boston Resources Archdiocese of Boston Resources Resources available from the Archdiocese of Boston Download Archdiocese of Boston Marriage Ministries Archdiocese of Boston 25th and 50th Anniversary Mass Flyer Tools for an Exceptional Marriage: A seminar for engaged and married couples Marriage Preparation Program Submission: For listing on the Archdiocesan Website Marriage Preparation Schedule: Archdiocese of Boston To Schedule a Marriage Presentation: Flyer Archdiocese of Boston available programs Parish Mission: Available in 2009 Download all available resources All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[61]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/bostonresources.html","2008-11-19","16K","Archdiocese of Boston Resources    ","",""," Archdiocese of Boston Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources This page is still under development, please visit us again soon. Parish Resources - Archdiocese of Boston Resources Archdiocese of Boston Resources Resources available from the Archdiocese of Boston Download Archdiocese of Boston Marriage Ministries Archdiocese of Boston 25th and 50th Anniversary Mass Flyer Tools for an Exceptional Marriage: A seminar for engaged and married couples Marriage Preparation Program Submission: For listing on the Archdiocesan Website Marriage Preparation Schedule: Archdiocese of Boston To Schedule a Marriage Presentation: Flyer Archdiocese of Boston available programs Parish Mission: Available in 2009 Download all available resources All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[62]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/additionalresources.html","2008-11-19","16K","Additional Resources    ","",""," Additional Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Additional Resources Additional Resources Many individuals and organizations, both Catholic and non-Catholic, are working to promote the good of marriage. This section contains a selection of materials, including some sociological findings by secular organizations. These resources can be used as background for clergy or lay leaders; as discussion-group materials for young-adult or adult education settings; and as a resource list for ordering or suggesting good books on marriage-related issues. The items in this section are the following: Download Preaching Points on In Vitro Fertilization By the National Catholic Bioethics Center Helpful Facts for Young Adults By the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University. Should We Live Together? By the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University. Resource Recommendations By The Respect Life Education office of the Archdiocese of Boston Recommended Websites By the Respect Life Education Office Marriage Resources List Available from Pauline Books & Media Centers nationwide. Theology of the Body for Teens - Rediscover Your Faith Through the Theology of the Body Available from www.TOBforTeens.com - Avaliable from www.JoyFilledMarriage.com Thank you for all the good work you do for Christ and His Church! May God bless you and those whom you serve! All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[63]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/additionalresources.html","2008-11-19","16K","Additional Resources    ","",""," Additional Resources Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Parish Resources - Additional Resources Additional Resources Many individuals and organizations, both Catholic and non-Catholic, are working to promote the good of marriage. This section contains a selection of materials, including some sociological findings by secular organizations. These resources can be used as background for clergy or lay leaders; as discussion-group materials for young-adult or adult education settings; and as a resource list for ordering or suggesting good books on marriage-related issues. The items in this section are the following: Download Preaching Points on In Vitro Fertilization By the National Catholic Bioethics Center Helpful Facts for Young Adults By the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University. Should We Live Together? By the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University. Resource Recommendations By The Respect Life Education office of the Archdiocese of Boston Recommended Websites By the Respect Life Education Office Marriage Resources List Available from Pauline Books & Media Centers nationwide. Theology of the Body for Teens - Rediscover Your Faith Through the Theology of the Body Available from www.TOBforTeens.com - Avaliable from www.JoyFilledMarriage.com Thank you for all the good work you do for Christ and His Church! May God bless you and those whom you serve! All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[64]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/abouthome.html","2008-11-19","11K","The Future Depends on Love: About    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: About Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Massachusetts bishops MCC Link An initiative of the Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts The four bishops of Massachusetts are calling for an intensive campaign to educate Catholics concerning the truth of marriage and to empower them to make a case for it to the wider community. This project called “The Future Depends on Love” and it is a statewide program of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference. Marriage is given to us by the creator so that two blessings may flourish: love and life. The natural meaning of marriage is something that can be understood by non-believers as well as by Christians: marriage is an exclusive commitment that is lifelong and life-giving. But by grace, marriage is even more it embodies Christ’s marriage to the Church and injects into the world the eternal life of love of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Read what the bishops of Massachusetts say about The Future Depends on Love. Watch videos on the initiative. Learn about the work of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[65]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/abouthome.html","2008-11-19","11K","The Future Depends on Love: About    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love: About Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Massachusetts bishops MCC Link An initiative of the Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts The four bishops of Massachusetts are calling for an intensive campaign to educate Catholics concerning the truth of marriage and to empower them to make a case for it to the wider community. This project called “The Future Depends on Love” and it is a statewide program of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference. Marriage is given to us by the creator so that two blessings may flourish: love and life. The natural meaning of marriage is something that can be understood by non-believers as well as by Christians: marriage is an exclusive commitment that is lifelong and life-giving. But by grace, marriage is even more it embodies Christ’s marriage to the Church and injects into the world the eternal life of love of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Read what the bishops of Massachusetts say about The Future Depends on Love. Watch videos on the initiative. Learn about the work of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[66]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter/index.html","2008-11-19","9K","The Future Depends on Love Newsletters    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love Newsletters Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Our Published Newsletters are now Available August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[67]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/newsletter/index.html","2008-11-19","9K","The Future Depends on Love Newsletters    ","",""," The Future Depends on Love Newsletters Join our Mailing List Home About Learn Get involved Links Opinion Parish Resources Our Published Newsletters are now Available August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 All rights reserved. Copyright © Massachusetts Catholic Conference - Contact Webmaster - Site Map - Newsletter     ");
array_files[68]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/benefits_for_marriage_national.pdf","2008-11-18","509K","The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility    ","","","The Church teaches that the sexual union of husband and wife is meant to express the full meaning of love, its power to bind a couple together and its openness to new life. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Married Love and the Gift of Life Cherishing Fertility D o you want to avoid divorce? To be true to their public vows to love for as long as the beloved lives, married couples have to be vigilant and have constant recourse to the graces of the sacraments. A healthy marriage requires attention: conscious efforts to communicate better, and certainly a growing prayer life together. One practice ties all these together and seems almost magical in its ability to strengthen marriages. In fact, less than 1% of couples who practice it suffer divorce. That activity is natural family planning (NFP).1 the benefits for marriage of Not Your Grandmothers Rhythm Method Oh, that, maybe you are thinking. Isnt that the old, unreliable `rhythm method? Not so fast. Its true that the rhythm method failed when a womans cycle wasnt uniform.2 But NFP isnt rhythm. Natural family planning uses specific signs of the womans natural rhythms of fertility to plan sexual activity for the purpose of either avoiding or achieving pregnancy. Modern methods of NFP have a 99% success rate in avoiding pregnancy.3 NFP methods, especially NaPro technology, also have success rates ranging from 38% to 82% in achieving pregnancy, depending on the problem causing the infertility. (In contrast, the morally objectionable in vitro fertilization method has a suc- cess rate ranging from 21% to 27%.)4 Most people have never heard of natural family planning, and those who have are often skeptical. One woman, Sharon, relates how she felt during her Pre-Cana introduction to NFP: I sat in the class with my arms folded and an almost closed mind and heart. But, it was there I started to realize (although I didnt yet want to admit it to anybody) that my thoughts about NFP came strictly from a place of ignorance.5 Her fianc�, Michael, liked the idea of protecting Sharon from using potentially dangerous contraceptive chemicals by using NFP. But he faced other problems. He was hampered by old habits, such as viewing pornography, that made it difficult for him not to objectify women. How could he value his wife as a whole person? How could NFP help Michael and Sharons marriage, as it has helped so many other marriages? Sex = Babies + Bonding The answer lies not so much in what NFP is but in what sex is. Sex has two meanings: babies and bonding.6 God wants sex to be life-giving: to give life to the relationship of a husband and a wife (bonding) through giving life to a new person (a baby). Like Mike and Sharon, many of us wonder, Cant I just have the bonding, without the openness to babies? The problem with this idea is that the two meanings of sex are inseparable. Being closed to new life makes us closed to our spouse. After all, a wifes fertility is part of her; female fertility is a personal real- ity not to be chemically suppressed or destroyed. The same is true of a husbands fertility. Do we treat our spouses body and fertility with reverence or with fear? Sadly, our whole culture seems to fear fertility. Societys message is often that the worst possible consequence of sex is a baby. But, as Dr. Janet Smith puts it, ... if a pregnancy results from an act of sexual intercourse, this means that something has gone right with an act of sexual intercourse, not that something has gone wrong.7 Fertility is not a disease: its a sign of health. What would you think about someone who said, The worst possible consequence of a job is a paycheck! It would be a little odd, wouldnt it? There are many reasons to have a job, but its primary purpose remains to support oneself and ones family financially. Likewise, sex has many wonderful effects, but its primary purpose remains enabling the gift of a new life. (This is one of the most secure findings of evolutionary biology.) And babies are indeed gifts, one of the great rewards of marriage. Because NFP respects the fact that the conjugal act is ordered to new life, NFP is not Catholic birth control. There is a fundamental difference between having contraceptively sterilized sex and abstaining from sex during a fertile period. The total giving of oneself, body and soul, to ones beloved is no time to say: `I give you everything I am--except . . . United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Married Love and the Gift of Life side-effects of contraceptive drugs. These effects include blood clots, hypertension, migraines, and depression. In addition, it should be considered that the Pill may occasionally operate not through preventing pregnancy but as an abortifacient (causing an abortion).10 Also, it must be noted that the main mechanism of the intrauterine device (IUD) is most certainly abortifacient. Women and girls are not often adequately informed of these significant issues--a grave violation of their dignity and their right to informed consent. Couples using NFP avoid these problems. But the biggest benefit of NFP comes from letting God into the bedroom. Sex is too wonderful to close it 1 off to God. (It should be noted that there are couples who give their marriage to God by opening themselves in an absolute way to new life. This generosity and NFP are mutually complementary ways of life.) Mike and Sharon were so impressed with what NFP did for their marriage that they began to teach it to other couples. Reflecting on this experience, Mike said, [In] teaching NFP for seven years and talking to couples about these issues, Sharon and I have never, not once, met a husband or wife who says about [NFP], `Its the dumbest thing I ever did. We consistently see a mixture of surprise, joy and peace. And surprise, joy and peace are really good things for a marriage.11 Mercedes Arz� Wilson, The Practice of Natural Family Planning Versus the Use of Artificial Birth Control: Family, Sexual and Moral Issue, Catholic Social Science Review, vol. 7 (Nov 2002), p. 1. 2The methods failure rate is 9% (R.A. Hatcher, et al, ContraceptiveTechnology, 18th Edition [New York:Ardent Media, 2000]. 3Summarized at http://www.fertilitycare.org/crms/effectiveness.htm and http://ccli.org/nfp/basics/effective ness-p02.php. 4Summarized at http://www.fertilitycare.org/napro/infertility.htm. 5Sharon and Mike Phelan, Escape from Fuddledom, http:// www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/nfpweek/art-phelan.pdf. 6Janet Smith, Ph.D., Contraception: Why Not, audio CD. 7Janet Smith, Ph.D., Humanae Vitae: A Challenge to Love (New Hope, Ken.: New Hope Publications, n.d.), p. 10. 8As Christopher West likes to say. See www.christopherwest.com. 9Study confirms that couples using natural family planning have intercourse just as frequently as couples using other methods, 10/11/2005, http://www.news-medical.net/?id=13701. 10Walter L. Larimore and Joseph B. Stanford, Postfertilization Effects of Oral Contraceptives and Their Relationship to Informed Consent, Archives of Family Medicine, vol. 9 (Nov. 2000), pp. 126-133. 11Phelan and Phelan, Escape from Fuddledom. Really Good Things for Marriage In fact, married couples abstain from sexual activity all the time, for all kinds of reasons. (Youre probably abstaining right now!)8 Couples who use NFP tend to have as much intercourse as other couples.9 All kinds of benefits come from NFP: more communication, more discernment about Gods will, more respect for one another, not to mention preserving the woman from all the toxic THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org.    ");
array_files[69]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/benefits_for_marriage_national.pdf","2008-11-18","509K","The Benefits of Marriage - For National Use    ","","","The Church teaches that the sexual union of husband and wife is meant to express the full meaning of love, its power to bind a couple together and its openness to new life. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Married Love and the Gift of Life Cherishing Fertility D o you want to avoid divorce? To be true to their public vows to love for as long as the beloved lives, married couples have to be vigilant and have constant recourse to the graces of the sacraments. A healthy marriage requires attention: conscious efforts to communicate better, and certainly a growing prayer life together. One practice ties all these together and seems almost magical in its ability to strengthen marriages. In fact, less than 1% of couples who practice it suffer divorce. That activity is natural family planning (NFP).1 the benefits for marriage of Not Your Grandmothers Rhythm Method Oh, that, maybe you are thinking. Isnt that the old, unreliable `rhythm method? Not so fast. Its true that the rhythm method failed when a womans cycle wasnt uniform.2 But NFP isnt rhythm. Natural family planning uses specific signs of the womans natural rhythms of fertility to plan sexual activity for the purpose of either avoiding or achieving pregnancy. Modern methods of NFP have a 99% success rate in avoiding pregnancy.3 NFP methods, especially NaPro technology, also have success rates ranging from 38% to 82% in achieving pregnancy, depending on the problem causing the infertility. (In contrast, the morally objectionable in vitro fertilization method has a suc- cess rate ranging from 21% to 27%.)4 Most people have never heard of natural family planning, and those who have are often skeptical. One woman, Sharon, relates how she felt during her Pre-Cana introduction to NFP: I sat in the class with my arms folded and an almost closed mind and heart. But, it was there I started to realize (although I didnt yet want to admit it to anybody) that my thoughts about NFP came strictly from a place of ignorance.5 Her fianc�, Michael, liked the idea of protecting Sharon from using potentially dangerous contraceptive chemicals by using NFP. But he faced other problems. He was hampered by old habits, such as viewing pornography, that made it difficult for him not to objectify women. How could he value his wife as a whole person? How could NFP help Michael and Sharons marriage, as it has helped so many other marriages? Sex = Babies + Bonding The answer lies not so much in what NFP is but in what sex is. Sex has two meanings: babies and bonding.6 God wants sex to be life-giving: to give life to the relationship of a husband and a wife (bonding) through giving life to a new person (a baby). Like Mike and Sharon, many of us wonder, Cant I just have the bonding, without the openness to babies? The problem with this idea is that the two meanings of sex are inseparable. Being closed to new life makes us closed to our spouse. After all, a wifes fertility is part of her; female fertility is a personal real- ity not to be chemically suppressed or destroyed. The same is true of a husbands fertility. Do we treat our spouses body and fertility with reverence or with fear? Sadly, our whole culture seems to fear fertility. Societys message is often that the worst possible consequence of sex is a baby. But, as Dr. Janet Smith puts it, ... if a pregnancy results from an act of sexual intercourse, this means that something has gone right with an act of sexual intercourse, not that something has gone wrong.7 Fertility is not a disease: its a sign of health. What would you think about someone who said, The worst possible consequence of a job is a paycheck! It would be a little odd, wouldnt it? There are many reasons to have a job, but its primary purpose remains to support oneself and ones family financially. Likewise, sex has many wonderful effects, but its primary purpose remains enabling the gift of a new life. (This is one of the most secure findings of evolutionary biology.) And babies are indeed gifts, one of the great rewards of marriage. Because NFP respects the fact that the conjugal act is ordered to new life, NFP is not Catholic birth control. There is a fundamental difference between having contraceptively sterilized sex and abstaining from sex during a fertile period. The total giving of oneself, body and soul, to ones beloved is no time to say: `I give you everything I am--except . . . United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Married Love and the Gift of Life side-effects of contraceptive drugs. These effects include blood clots, hypertension, migraines, and depression. In addition, it should be considered that the Pill may occasionally operate not through preventing pregnancy but as an abortifacient (causing an abortion).10 Also, it must be noted that the main mechanism of the intrauterine device (IUD) is most certainly abortifacient. Women and girls are not often adequately informed of these significant issues--a grave violation of their dignity and their right to informed consent. Couples using NFP avoid these problems. But the biggest benefit of NFP comes from letting God into the bedroom. Sex is too wonderful to close it 1 off to God. (It should be noted that there are couples who give their marriage to God by opening themselves in an absolute way to new life. This generosity and NFP are mutually complementary ways of life.) Mike and Sharon were so impressed with what NFP did for their marriage that they began to teach it to other couples. Reflecting on this experience, Mike said, [In] teaching NFP for seven years and talking to couples about these issues, Sharon and I have never, not once, met a husband or wife who says about [NFP], `Its the dumbest thing I ever did. We consistently see a mixture of surprise, joy and peace. And surprise, joy and peace are really good things for a marriage.11 Mercedes Arz� Wilson, The Practice of Natural Family Planning Versus the Use of Artificial Birth Control: Family, Sexual and Moral Issue, Catholic Social Science Review, vol. 7 (Nov 2002), p. 1. 2The methods failure rate is 9% (R.A. Hatcher, et al, ContraceptiveTechnology, 18th Edition [New York:Ardent Media, 2000]. 3Summarized at http://www.fertilitycare.org/crms/effectiveness.htm and http://ccli.org/nfp/basics/effective ness-p02.php. 4Summarized at http://www.fertilitycare.org/napro/infertility.htm. 5Sharon and Mike Phelan, Escape from Fuddledom, http:// www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/nfpweek/art-phelan.pdf. 6Janet Smith, Ph.D., Contraception: Why Not, audio CD. 7Janet Smith, Ph.D., Humanae Vitae: A Challenge to Love (New Hope, Ken.: New Hope Publications, n.d.), p. 10. 8As Christopher West likes to say. See www.christopherwest.com. 9Study confirms that couples using natural family planning have intercourse just as frequently as couples using other methods, 10/11/2005, http://www.news-medical.net/?id=13701. 10Walter L. Larimore and Joseph B. Stanford, Postfertilization Effects of Oral Contraceptives and Their Relationship to Informed Consent, Archives of Family Medicine, vol. 9 (Nov. 2000), pp. 126-133. 11Phelan and Phelan, Escape from Fuddledom. Really Good Things for Marriage In fact, married couples abstain from sexual activity all the time, for all kinds of reasons. (Youre probably abstaining right now!)8 Couples who use NFP tend to have as much intercourse as other couples.9 All kinds of benefits come from NFP: more communication, more discernment about Gods will, more respect for one another, not to mention preserving the woman from all the toxic THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org.    ");
array_files[70]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/indissolubility_national.pdf","2008-11-18","859K","God will not leave us.    ","","","Marriage based on exclusive and definitive love becomes the icon of the relationship between God and his people and vice versa. Gods way of loving becomes the measure of human love. Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, #11 How Lifelong Married Love Shows God to the World D ont we all long for someone to love us without reserve? To be there always? We know by faith that God loves us with that kind of faithful love. But that is too much to expect from another human being.1 Isnt it? God knows how hard faithful love can be for us. The Church understands, too. The Catechism of the Catholic Church acknowledges, It can seem difficult, even impossible, to bind oneself for life to another human being.1 The good news is that marriage between a baptized man and woman involves more than human love; it is also a sacrament (it communicates Gods grace). God wants to give us the grace to live faithful love. Go d w ill no t le ave u s: The Good News The Catechism continues, This makes it all the more important to proclaim the Good News that God loves us with a definitive and irrevocable love, that married couples share in this love, that it supports and sustains them, and that by their own faithfulness they can be witnesses to Gods faithful love. What a miracle! The sacrament of marriage means that the husband and wife are given the grace to love one another for life, not simply with their own love but with Gods own love! In fact, St. Paul tells us, `For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32). What is St. Paul talking about? Good news: on the Cross, the Church comes forth from the wounded side of Christ, like Eve came from the side of Adam in the Garden. The Church is Christs Body, because Christ and the Church are one flesh. Christ has married the Church by loving all of humanity faithfully until death on the Cross. This is the great love story of history: God so loves the world that he gave his only Son (John 3:16). If Christ and the Church are married, what does this tell us about Christian marriage? Well, St. Paul gives us a hint: So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the Church (Ephesians 5:28-29). In other words, husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. Christ will not leave his Church! God will not leave his people. Only in the sacrament of marriage can we human beings show such love. But with the yes of marriage, we enter into the faithfulness of Christ--who gives himself away completely, in total self-giving love, on the Cross and in the Eucharist. Even the self-giving love of a nonsacramental marriage causes humans to flourish. For example, social science provides evidence that children thrive in this setting. The presence of a childs biological father and mother in a low-conflict marriage leads to optimal outcomes for children on many different measures. God, who is love and who created man and woman for love, has called them to love. By creating man and woman he called them to an intimate communion of life and love in Marriage. So they are no longer two but one flesh. (Mt 19:6). Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 337 Troubled Marriages But what about troubled marriages? Does the Church have no sympathy for couples in those situations? The United States Catholic bishops have repeatedly emphasized that the Church is for your marriage. In fact, they initiated a website, www. foryourmarriage.org, to provide resources and information. There are many programs available to help improve marriages, such as Worldwide Marriage Encounter (www.wwme. org). WWME has many evening and day-long programs, in addition to their weekend retreats; visit www. MassCatholicMarriage.org for more information. In addition, Retrouvaille helps couples in troubled marriages (www.retrouvaille.org). In fact, there is good cause for hope: 64% of adults who said they were unhappy in their marriage, but remained in it, reported five years later that they were happy.2 What happens if the marriage ends in divorce? People in this situation need the Churchs pastoral care and are gently invited to come to her. Sometimes it is necessary for spouses to separate, and many spouses are abandoned through no-fault divorce. But choosing divorce is contrary to the reality of marriage. The Church does not recognize a civil divorce because the State cannot dissolve what is indissoluble (www.foryour marriage.org). But it is important to know that divorced Catholics in good standing with the Church, who have not remarried or who have remarried following an annulment, may receive the sacraments, including Holy Communion. Oh, annulment, you may be thinking. Thats just another name 1 for a `Catholic divorce. This is a misunderstanding. What a divorce tries to do is to take two married people and make them unmarried (which is in fact impossible). A marriage either occurs at a wedding, or it doesnt (for various reasons). An annulment is the judgment that the marriage didnt exist in the first place. A final thing may be noted about the indissolubility of marriage: even the grave betrayal of adultery does not dissolve the marital bond. Marriage images Gods love for humanity: no matter how many times we have betrayed Him through sin, He seeks us out to forgive us--so that God and humanity can be joined at the wedding feast of the Lamb for a love that never ends. This is the truth of every marriage. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1648. 2http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/divorce.shtml, citing Linda J. Waite, et al, Does Divorce Make People Happy? Findings from a Study of Unhappy Marriages (New York: Institute for American Values, 2002). THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org.    ");
array_files[71]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/indissolubility_national.pdf","2008-11-18","859K","Indissolubility Bulletin Insert - For National Use    ","","","Marriage based on exclusive and definitive love becomes the icon of the relationship between God and his people and vice versa. Gods way of loving becomes the measure of human love. Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, #11 How Lifelong Married Love Shows God to the World D ont we all long for someone to love us without reserve? To be there always? We know by faith that God loves us with that kind of faithful love. But that is too much to expect from another human being.1 Isnt it? God knows how hard faithful love can be for us. The Church understands, too. The Catechism of the Catholic Church acknowledges, It can seem difficult, even impossible, to bind oneself for life to another human being.1 The good news is that marriage between a baptized man and woman involves more than human love; it is also a sacrament (it communicates Gods grace). God wants to give us the grace to live faithful love. Go d w ill no t le ave u s: The Good News The Catechism continues, This makes it all the more important to proclaim the Good News that God loves us with a definitive and irrevocable love, that married couples share in this love, that it supports and sustains them, and that by their own faithfulness they can be witnesses to Gods faithful love. What a miracle! The sacrament of marriage means that the husband and wife are given the grace to love one another for life, not simply with their own love but with Gods own love! In fact, St. Paul tells us, `For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32). What is St. Paul talking about? Good news: on the Cross, the Church comes forth from the wounded side of Christ, like Eve came from the side of Adam in the Garden. The Church is Christs Body, because Christ and the Church are one flesh. Christ has married the Church by loving all of humanity faithfully until death on the Cross. This is the great love story of history: God so loves the world that he gave his only Son (John 3:16). If Christ and the Church are married, what does this tell us about Christian marriage? Well, St. Paul gives us a hint: So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the Church (Ephesians 5:28-29). In other words, husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. Christ will not leave his Church! God will not leave his people. Only in the sacrament of marriage can we human beings show such love. But with the yes of marriage, we enter into the faithfulness of Christ--who gives himself away completely, in total self-giving love, on the Cross and in the Eucharist. Even the self-giving love of a nonsacramental marriage causes humans to flourish. For example, social science provides evidence that children thrive in this setting. The presence of a childs biological father and mother in a low-conflict marriage leads to optimal outcomes for children on many different measures. God, who is love and who created man and woman for love, has called them to love. By creating man and woman he called them to an intimate communion of life and love in Marriage. So they are no longer two but one flesh. (Mt 19:6). Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 337 Troubled Marriages But what about troubled marriages? Does the Church have no sympathy for couples in those situations? The United States Catholic bishops have repeatedly emphasized that the Church is for your marriage. In fact, they initiated a website, www. foryourmarriage.org, to provide resources and information. There are many programs available to help improve marriages, such as Worldwide Marriage Encounter (www.wwme. org). WWME has many evening and day-long programs, in addition to their weekend retreats; visit www. MassCatholicMarriage.org for more information. In addition, Retrouvaille helps couples in troubled marriages (www.retrouvaille.org). In fact, there is good cause for hope: 64% of adults who said they were unhappy in their marriage, but remained in it, reported five years later that they were happy.2 What happens if the marriage ends in divorce? People in this situation need the Churchs pastoral care and are gently invited to come to her. Sometimes it is necessary for spouses to separate, and many spouses are abandoned through no-fault divorce. But choosing divorce is contrary to the reality of marriage. The Church does not recognize a civil divorce because the State cannot dissolve what is indissoluble (www.foryour marriage.org). But it is important to know that divorced Catholics in good standing with the Church, who have not remarried or who have remarried following an annulment, may receive the sacraments, including Holy Communion. Oh, annulment, you may be thinking. Thats just another name 1 for a `Catholic divorce. This is a misunderstanding. What a divorce tries to do is to take two married people and make them unmarried (which is in fact impossible). A marriage either occurs at a wedding, or it doesnt (for various reasons). An annulment is the judgment that the marriage didnt exist in the first place. A final thing may be noted about the indissolubility of marriage: even the grave betrayal of adultery does not dissolve the marital bond. Marriage images Gods love for humanity: no matter how many times we have betrayed Him through sin, He seeks us out to forgive us--so that God and humanity can be joined at the wedding feast of the Lamb for a love that never ends. This is the truth of every marriage. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1648. 2http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/divorce.shtml, citing Linda J. Waite, et al, Does Divorce Make People Happy? Findings from a Study of Unhappy Marriages (New York: Institute for American Values, 2002). THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org.    ");
array_files[72]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/USCCB_statement_flyer.pdf","2008-11-11","205K","USCCB's statement: Between Man and Woman    ","","","For Your Parish ... Free Paper Copies of the USCCBs statement Between Man and Woman The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is sponsoring a re-release of its 2003 statement on marriage, Between Man and Woman. Through the generosity of the Knights of Columbus, your parish can receive free paper copies of this document. To order, please contact the USCCB publishing house at 800-235-8722 or http://www.usccbpublishing.org. USCCB product codes are: 5-626 English bulletin inserts 5-611 English brochure 5-905 Spanish brochure Or you may download the PDF at http://www.usccbpublishing.org/client/client_pdfs/5626pdf.pdf and make your own copies. The USCCB gives permission for dioceses, parishes, and schools to download and copy the document at no charge until December 31, 2008. If you choose this option, please let the USCCB know of your use by emailing publishing@usccb.org. If you choose to take advantage of either offer, please let The Future Depends on Love initiative of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference know of your support of this worthwhile project by emailing the MCC at kathymagno@macathconf.org.    ");
array_files[73]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/USCCB_statement_flyer.pdf","2008-11-11","205K","USCCB Statement Flyer    ","","","For Your Parish ... Free Paper Copies of the USCCBs statement Between Man and Woman The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is sponsoring a re-release of its 2003 statement on marriage, Between Man and Woman. Through the generosity of the Knights of Columbus, your parish can receive free paper copies of this document. To order, please contact the USCCB publishing house at 800-235-8722 or http://www.usccbpublishing.org. USCCB product codes are: 5-626 English bulletin inserts 5-611 English brochure 5-905 Spanish brochure Or you may download the PDF at http://www.usccbpublishing.org/client/client_pdfs/5626pdf.pdf and make your own copies. The USCCB gives permission for dioceses, parishes, and schools to download and copy the document at no charge until December 31, 2008. If you choose this option, please let the USCCB know of your use by emailing publishing@usccb.org. If you choose to take advantage of either offer, please let The Future Depends on Love initiative of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference know of your support of this worthwhile project by emailing the MCC at kathymagno@macathconf.org.    ");
array_files[74]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/speakers_summary_revised.pdf","2008-10-07","124K","The Future Depends on Love Speakers Bureau    ","","","The Future Depends on Love Speakers Bureau To address the stark decline in marriage in this state, especially in the Catholic Church, the four bishops of Massachusetts charged the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the public policy office of the Church in Massachusetts, with the task of developing a program to catechize Catholics anew on the natural and supernatural aspects of marriage as a lifelong, lifegiving vocation. The resulting initiative, The Future Depends on Love, has developed a variety of resources for parishes and Catholic organizations. Foremost among these is The Future Depends on Love Parish Resources for Marriage binder, which features bulletin inserts, homiletic aids, etc. Each parish has received or will be receiving a copy of this binder. Much of the material contained in the Resource Binder is available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. An additional resource is now available: a BUREAU OF SPEAKERS who are available to come to your parish or organization to present on marriage. The Future Depends on Love presentation, entitled Marriage: Where Love and Life Transform the World, makes the truth of marriage accessible to contemporary sensibilities. It addresses common pastoral challenges to marriage, such as cohabitation, in a persuasive and factual manner. The content is theologically sound, but presented in a simple and spiritually enriching manner. If you would like to schedule a presentation, please contact Kathy Magno at the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-367-6060. Bulletin Announcement: What is marriage, anyway? An adult partnership? Or something more? Find out the truth. A presentation on Marriage: Where Love and Life Transform the World will be given by [name] at [time] on [date], in [location]. The presentation will also address some hard questions concerning marriage, and present the latest sociological information showing that the truth of marriage is important for men, for women, for children, and for society. This presentation is a project of The Future Depends on Love initiative of the bishops of Massachusetts. Check out the initiatives website, at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 p hone : 61 7 . 3 67 . 6 060 ~ fa x : 61 7 . 3 67 . 2 7 67 e ma i l : i nfo@MA s scat holi c ma rr i age . org ww w. m as sc at hol i cm ar ri age . o rg    ");
array_files[75]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/speakers_summary_revised.pdf","2008-10-07","124K","Speaker's Bureau    ","","","The Future Depends on Love Speakers Bureau To address the stark decline in marriage in this state, especially in the Catholic Church, the four bishops of Massachusetts charged the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the public policy office of the Church in Massachusetts, with the task of developing a program to catechize Catholics anew on the natural and supernatural aspects of marriage as a lifelong, lifegiving vocation. The resulting initiative, The Future Depends on Love, has developed a variety of resources for parishes and Catholic organizations. Foremost among these is The Future Depends on Love Parish Resources for Marriage binder, which features bulletin inserts, homiletic aids, etc. Each parish has received or will be receiving a copy of this binder. Much of the material contained in the Resource Binder is available online at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. An additional resource is now available: a BUREAU OF SPEAKERS who are available to come to your parish or organization to present on marriage. The Future Depends on Love presentation, entitled Marriage: Where Love and Life Transform the World, makes the truth of marriage accessible to contemporary sensibilities. It addresses common pastoral challenges to marriage, such as cohabitation, in a persuasive and factual manner. The content is theologically sound, but presented in a simple and spiritually enriching manner. If you would like to schedule a presentation, please contact Kathy Magno at the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617-367-6060. Bulletin Announcement: What is marriage, anyway? An adult partnership? Or something more? Find out the truth. A presentation on Marriage: Where Love and Life Transform the World will be given by [name] at [time] on [date], in [location]. The presentation will also address some hard questions concerning marriage, and present the latest sociological information showing that the truth of marriage is important for men, for women, for children, and for society. This presentation is a project of The Future Depends on Love initiative of the bishops of Massachusetts. Check out the initiatives website, at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 p hone : 61 7 . 3 67 . 6 060 ~ fa x : 61 7 . 3 67 . 2 7 67 e ma i l : i nfo@MA s scat holi c ma rr i age . org ww w. m as sc at hol i cm ar ri age . o rg    ");
array_files[76]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic22.pdf","2008-09-10","83K","The universal call to holiness and cohabitation.    ","","","Sunday, January 18, 2009, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time I Sam 3:3-10, 19; Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10; I Cor 6:13-15, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42 Week #22: Main Theme: The universal call to holiness and cohabitation. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will! We prayed that response today with our psalm. We are all Samuels; we are all Andrews. God is looking at us today and, like Uncle Sam, pointing at us: I want YOU! What is it that He wants us to do? God the Father has a definite plan for each and every one of us. He has an absolutely specific plan for your life, a vocation or calling to live out His love in a concrete way for the salvation of the world. What is your vocation? Is it to live a faithful married life? Is it to become a priest or a religious brother or sister? One thing is certain: He wants you to become a saint. Me? you might ask. Im not saint material! Oh, but you are. Every human being is. You cant do it alone, of course. Thats why youve been given the Holy Spirit in baptism, and with the Holy Spirit, God the Father and God the Son dwell in your hearts as long as you are in a state of grace. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? A temple of the Holy Spirit? That is why Paul can tell his flock: Avoid immorality. Glorify God in your body. That instruction was just as difficult two thousand years ago as it is today. But today, as then, the Holy Spirit gives all the help we need to live it out. Lets talk about a difficult issue. Lets talk about sexual activity outside of marriage engaged in by a couple that is living together (this is called cohabitation). Sometimes people do this because they think it will prepare them for marriage. But cohabitors are fifty percent more likely to divorce than chaste couples! Cohabitation doesnt prepare you for anything other than breaking up. Why? Its easy: the only thing that prepares you well for the self-sacrificial love of marriage is self-sacrificing love! And that kind of love is expressed in chastity. Whatever your vocation is, cohabitation can only increase the chances that you will miss out on fulfilling it, and therefore miss out on the happiness God the Father has planned for you. So, remember that you are not your own. God has redeemed you body and soul by dying on the Cross. GOD died for you, and for me! Why? So that we might come, body and soul, to share in His undying happiness. Therefore, glorify our great and loving God in your bodies! Bulletin quote: What is missing in non-marital cohabitation is trusting openness to a future life together, which love must create and build and which it is the laws specific task to guarantee. Pope John Paul II, 7/4/1999 Suggested bulletin insert, if not used in the fall: Cohabitation vs. Marriage: Is There a Difference?    ");
array_files[77]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic22.pdf","2008-09-10","83K","The universal call to holiness and cohabitation.    ","","","Sunday, January 18, 2009, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time I Sam 3:3-10, 19; Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10; I Cor 6:13-15, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42 Week #22: Main Theme: The universal call to holiness and cohabitation. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will! We prayed that response today with our psalm. We are all Samuels; we are all Andrews. God is looking at us today and, like Uncle Sam, pointing at us: I want YOU! What is it that He wants us to do? God the Father has a definite plan for each and every one of us. He has an absolutely specific plan for your life, a vocation or calling to live out His love in a concrete way for the salvation of the world. What is your vocation? Is it to live a faithful married life? Is it to become a priest or a religious brother or sister? One thing is certain: He wants you to become a saint. Me? you might ask. Im not saint material! Oh, but you are. Every human being is. You cant do it alone, of course. Thats why youve been given the Holy Spirit in baptism, and with the Holy Spirit, God the Father and God the Son dwell in your hearts as long as you are in a state of grace. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? A temple of the Holy Spirit? That is why Paul can tell his flock: Avoid immorality. Glorify God in your body. That instruction was just as difficult two thousand years ago as it is today. But today, as then, the Holy Spirit gives all the help we need to live it out. Lets talk about a difficult issue. Lets talk about sexual activity outside of marriage engaged in by a couple that is living together (this is called cohabitation). Sometimes people do this because they think it will prepare them for marriage. But cohabitors are fifty percent more likely to divorce than chaste couples! Cohabitation doesnt prepare you for anything other than breaking up. Why? Its easy: the only thing that prepares you well for the self-sacrificial love of marriage is self-sacrificing love! And that kind of love is expressed in chastity. Whatever your vocation is, cohabitation can only increase the chances that you will miss out on fulfilling it, and therefore miss out on the happiness God the Father has planned for you. So, remember that you are not your own. God has redeemed you body and soul by dying on the Cross. GOD died for you, and for me! Why? So that we might come, body and soul, to share in His undying happiness. Therefore, glorify our great and loving God in your bodies! Bulletin quote: What is missing in non-marital cohabitation is trusting openness to a future life together, which love must create and build and which it is the laws specific task to guarantee. Pope John Paul II, 7/4/1999 Suggested bulletin insert, if not used in the fall: Cohabitation vs. Marriage: Is There a Difference?    ");
array_files[78]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic21.pdf","2008-09-10","79K","Loving in marriage as God loves.    ","","","Sunday, January 11, 2009, Baptism of the Lord Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-3, 4-6; I Jn 5:1-9; Mk 1:7-11 Week #21: Main Theme: Loving in marriage as God loves. Isaiah tells us today that Gods Word shall not return to me void, but shall do My will, achieving the end for which I sent it. In our second reading and Gospel, we have the full revelation of Who Gods Word is: it is not a thing but a Person. In fact, God is three Persons, and the Gospel today recounts the first time this truth was publicly revealed--at Jesus baptism: the Father testifies of the Son, and the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove. And what is the goal that the Son, the Word going forth from mouth of the Father, has to achieve before returning to the Father? The second reading tells us that He came to make us children of God also, in baptism. And we are faithful to this new birth from God the Father, when we act like the eternal Child of the Father, God the Son. That is, when we act according to true love, enabled by the Spirit and graces of Jesus Christ.. Love is why Gods commandments are not burdensome; they are not arbitrary rules--they are directions on how to love well. When the Church speaks about the moral law, she is passing on Jesus commandments to love. We are all called to love every person. What makes the love between husband and wife different from the love that we show all other people? Its a sexual love that builds a permanent partnership oriented toward the raising of children. What happens when sex is intentionally disconnected from children? It quickly becomes the mere pursuit of pleasure. Pleasure is a great thing--God created it, after all!--but we all know that if we are only concerned with pleasure, then we act selfishly, and people get hurt. Jesus insists that sex is about much more than pleasure; its about building a life together, a life that ideally will bring forth children that are the fruit of the sexual union of the spouses. We know from sociology that the family as Jesus presents it is the best for children, for husbands, and for wives. That is because it is the best structure for loving well when sex is involved. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey His commandments. Bulletin quote: Spouses to whom God has not granted children can nevertheless have a conjugal life full of meaning, in both human and Christian terms. Their marriage can radiate a fruitfulness of charity, of hospitality, and of sacrifice. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1653-54    ");
array_files[79]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic21.pdf","2008-09-10","79K","Loving in marriage as God loves.    ","","","Sunday, January 11, 2009, Baptism of the Lord Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-3, 4-6; I Jn 5:1-9; Mk 1:7-11 Week #21: Main Theme: Loving in marriage as God loves. Isaiah tells us today that Gods Word shall not return to me void, but shall do My will, achieving the end for which I sent it. In our second reading and Gospel, we have the full revelation of Who Gods Word is: it is not a thing but a Person. In fact, God is three Persons, and the Gospel today recounts the first time this truth was publicly revealed--at Jesus baptism: the Father testifies of the Son, and the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove. And what is the goal that the Son, the Word going forth from mouth of the Father, has to achieve before returning to the Father? The second reading tells us that He came to make us children of God also, in baptism. And we are faithful to this new birth from God the Father, when we act like the eternal Child of the Father, God the Son. That is, when we act according to true love, enabled by the Spirit and graces of Jesus Christ.. Love is why Gods commandments are not burdensome; they are not arbitrary rules--they are directions on how to love well. When the Church speaks about the moral law, she is passing on Jesus commandments to love. We are all called to love every person. What makes the love between husband and wife different from the love that we show all other people? Its a sexual love that builds a permanent partnership oriented toward the raising of children. What happens when sex is intentionally disconnected from children? It quickly becomes the mere pursuit of pleasure. Pleasure is a great thing--God created it, after all!--but we all know that if we are only concerned with pleasure, then we act selfishly, and people get hurt. Jesus insists that sex is about much more than pleasure; its about building a life together, a life that ideally will bring forth children that are the fruit of the sexual union of the spouses. We know from sociology that the family as Jesus presents it is the best for children, for husbands, and for wives. That is because it is the best structure for loving well when sex is involved. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey His commandments. Bulletin quote: Spouses to whom God has not granted children can nevertheless have a conjugal life full of meaning, in both human and Christian terms. Their marriage can radiate a fruitfulness of charity, of hospitality, and of sacrifice. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1653-54    ");
array_files[80]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic20.pdf","2008-09-10","90K","The goodness of our bodies and the need for chastity.    ","","","Sunday, January 4, 2009, Second Sunday after Christmas Sir 24:1-4, 8-12; Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20; Eph 1:3-6, 15-18; Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14 Week #20: Main Theme: The goodness of our bodies and the need for chastity. The Word became flesh, John the Evangelist tells us today. This great mystery is the central fact of our Christian faith. The Word became flesh! What we celebrate in the Christmas season is Gods great love for humanity. That love extends all the way to our bodies, our flesh. The Son took on a human body--and He still has it, and will for all eternity! Why does God the Son assume a human nature and become enfleshed? So that He could surrender His life on the Cross for our sakes, so that He could embody selfsacrificial love and open up the way for humans into a happiness beyond death. By becoming flesh, the Word of God shows us the truth of human existence in the body: to live out true love to the end. As Vatican II and Pope John Paul IIs theology of the body remind us, Man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself. Not being angels, we humans make a sincere gift of ourselves through our bodies. That is, God has beautifully designed human nature as a synthesis of the material and the spiritual: we know and love through our bodies. This was God the Fathers wise design of human nature from the beginning, and the Word through whom He created all things, including human nature, becomes flesh to make it possible for us to love according to the fullness of the truth. Jesus is Gods Wisdom in the flesh, and He gives His Body to us in the Eucharist so that we may love as He loves. Our bodies are truly good and are designed to participate in holiness. Because of our bodies, we are able to give ourselves generously to other people. For most of us, that self-gift will have its focus in marriage, in which a husband and a wife are able to give of themselves so intimately that new life is formed. Gods designs are always for our happiness; to live according to Gods design for human nature is to live in a way that leads to happiness. But to act in a way that violates Gods design will lead to unhappiness. For example, if we pursue sexual pleasure outside the face-to-face conjugal embrace that is open to new life, then we go against Gods wise design and cause damage to ourselves and those around us. It is the virtue of chastity that safeguards Gods wise design for the dignity of sex as serving the lifelong and life-giving love of marriage. When the Word became flesh, God reaffirmed the dignity of our bodies. May we show the same respect to our bodies and the bodies of every other person. Bulletin quote: Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: It is not good that the man should be alone. The woman, flesh of his flesh, i.e., his counterpart, his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a helpmate; she thus represents God from whom comes our help. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1605    ");
array_files[81]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic20.pdf","2008-09-10","90K","The goodness of our bodies and the need for chastity.    ","","","Sunday, January 4, 2009, Second Sunday after Christmas Sir 24:1-4, 8-12; Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20; Eph 1:3-6, 15-18; Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14 Week #20: Main Theme: The goodness of our bodies and the need for chastity. The Word became flesh, John the Evangelist tells us today. This great mystery is the central fact of our Christian faith. The Word became flesh! What we celebrate in the Christmas season is Gods great love for humanity. That love extends all the way to our bodies, our flesh. The Son took on a human body--and He still has it, and will for all eternity! Why does God the Son assume a human nature and become enfleshed? So that He could surrender His life on the Cross for our sakes, so that He could embody selfsacrificial love and open up the way for humans into a happiness beyond death. By becoming flesh, the Word of God shows us the truth of human existence in the body: to live out true love to the end. As Vatican II and Pope John Paul IIs theology of the body remind us, Man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself. Not being angels, we humans make a sincere gift of ourselves through our bodies. That is, God has beautifully designed human nature as a synthesis of the material and the spiritual: we know and love through our bodies. This was God the Fathers wise design of human nature from the beginning, and the Word through whom He created all things, including human nature, becomes flesh to make it possible for us to love according to the fullness of the truth. Jesus is Gods Wisdom in the flesh, and He gives His Body to us in the Eucharist so that we may love as He loves. Our bodies are truly good and are designed to participate in holiness. Because of our bodies, we are able to give ourselves generously to other people. For most of us, that self-gift will have its focus in marriage, in which a husband and a wife are able to give of themselves so intimately that new life is formed. Gods designs are always for our happiness; to live according to Gods design for human nature is to live in a way that leads to happiness. But to act in a way that violates Gods design will lead to unhappiness. For example, if we pursue sexual pleasure outside the face-to-face conjugal embrace that is open to new life, then we go against Gods wise design and cause damage to ourselves and those around us. It is the virtue of chastity that safeguards Gods wise design for the dignity of sex as serving the lifelong and life-giving love of marriage. When the Word became flesh, God reaffirmed the dignity of our bodies. May we show the same respect to our bodies and the bodies of every other person. Bulletin quote: Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: It is not good that the man should be alone. The woman, flesh of his flesh, i.e., his counterpart, his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a helpmate; she thus represents God from whom comes our help. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1605    ");
array_files[82]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic19.pdf","2008-09-10","96K","God created families.    ","","","Sunday, December 28, 2008, The Holy Family Sir 3:2-6, 12-14; Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5; Col 3:12-21; Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22, 39-40 Week #19: Main Theme: God created families. Today we celebrate the Holy Family--Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, who after enduring adversity in the flight into Egypt (the powerful of the earth continue in their attempt to destroy Jesus by destroying children), settle down in the home at Nazareth. It is astounding to think that God, who created the universe and everything in it, would consent to live for decades in a simple human family, being obedient to a father and mother that He created! Of course, the Holy Family shows us a supernatural family, one founded on virginal love, with the ever-virgin Mary being the mother of a Child Who is none other than the Son of God the Father and with Saint Joseph giving himself over to safeguard those entrusted to his care. But though the Holy Family is unique, it shows the great dignity of the family, which is not some arbitrary cultural convention but Gods own plan for the formation of new human beings. In the family, God brings together a man and a woman and allows them to participate in His creative power. Through the loving union of husband and wife, children are created and educated. This God-given structure of husband, wife, and children is good for the spouses and good for the children, as all the evidence from sociology tells us. One of the nations leading experts on marriage, the sociologist David Popenoe, says that it is a fact that families headed by married, biological parents are best for children. Gods designs are always for our happiness; to live according to Gods design for human nature is to live in a way that leads to happiness. The family is at the very heart of Gods design for human nature. Bulletin quote: Man and woman were made `for each other--not that God left them half-made and incomplete: He created them to be a communion of persons, in which each can be `helpmate to the other, for they are equal as persons and complementary as masculine and feminine. In marriage God unites them in such a way that, by forming `one flesh, they can transmit human life: `Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #372 Suggested bulletin insert, if not used in the fall: What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives and for Their Children    ");
array_files[83]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic19.pdf","2008-09-10","96K","God created families.    ","","","Sunday, December 28, 2008, The Holy Family Sir 3:2-6, 12-14; Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5; Col 3:12-21; Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22, 39-40 Week #19: Main Theme: God created families. Today we celebrate the Holy Family--Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, who after enduring adversity in the flight into Egypt (the powerful of the earth continue in their attempt to destroy Jesus by destroying children), settle down in the home at Nazareth. It is astounding to think that God, who created the universe and everything in it, would consent to live for decades in a simple human family, being obedient to a father and mother that He created! Of course, the Holy Family shows us a supernatural family, one founded on virginal love, with the ever-virgin Mary being the mother of a Child Who is none other than the Son of God the Father and with Saint Joseph giving himself over to safeguard those entrusted to his care. But though the Holy Family is unique, it shows the great dignity of the family, which is not some arbitrary cultural convention but Gods own plan for the formation of new human beings. In the family, God brings together a man and a woman and allows them to participate in His creative power. Through the loving union of husband and wife, children are created and educated. This God-given structure of husband, wife, and children is good for the spouses and good for the children, as all the evidence from sociology tells us. One of the nations leading experts on marriage, the sociologist David Popenoe, says that it is a fact that families headed by married, biological parents are best for children. Gods designs are always for our happiness; to live according to Gods design for human nature is to live in a way that leads to happiness. The family is at the very heart of Gods design for human nature. Bulletin quote: Man and woman were made `for each other--not that God left them half-made and incomplete: He created them to be a communion of persons, in which each can be `helpmate to the other, for they are equal as persons and complementary as masculine and feminine. In marriage God unites them in such a way that, by forming `one flesh, they can transmit human life: `Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #372 Suggested bulletin insert, if not used in the fall: What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms: Marriage is Good for Husbands, for Wives and for Their Children    ");
array_files[84]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic18.pdf","2008-09-10","111K","Openness to life and the use of natural family planning.    ","","","Sunday, December 21, 2008, Fourth Sunday of Advent II Sam 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16; Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38 Week #18: Main Theme: Openness to life and the use of natural family planning. In the Gospel today, Mary embodies the heights of Christian existence in her encounter with the angel Gabriel: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word. Marys total surrender to God the Fathers wise and loving will may seem impossible for us, but we cannot be happy outside the path that leads to such holiness. Vatican II insists on the centrality of the call to holiness for Christian life. Holiness is doing the Fathers wise and loving will in every action of our lives: Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done. It is the Fathers will to carry out His eternal plan of loving goodness for the salvation and happiness of every single human being. It is the coming of Jesus that accomplishes this mystery kept secret for long ages. God calls us all to share His undying happiness. Who wouldnt desire to follow this noble calling? But we have been taught by the culture of consumerism and sexual libertinism to settle for less--for much, much less. Its scary, after all, to surrender our desires to God and trust that He will take care of us, trust that He will fulfill all our desires according to Truth and Love in a measure far beyond our most extravagant dreams. But it is precisely such a surrender that leads to the coming of the Kingdom in our hearts. God makes this surrender possible for us through the profusion of graces given in the sacraments. By Gods grace, we can say Yes to God, as Mary says Yes. This openness to God the Fathers will for our more abundant life allows His very Word to transform our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is what the Father makes available at every sacrifice of the Mass. When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist worthily, our hearts grow in the power of true love. Marys Yes was the gate through which the Kingdom of Gods love became incarnate. We should remember to pray that she may form our hearts with a mothers care so that we may be open to the life-giving action of the Trinitarian God in every aspect of our lives. Husbands and wives, in particular, are called to surrender their bodies to God, to let him into the bedroom, so to speak. Can we trust that Gods will for our sexuality and our fertility is meant to bring us to happiness? The Church teaches us that we must be open to life in our sexuality if we are to be truly happy. Every act of sex says something: it says, I love you forever, and I am willing to have children with you. That is because sex, according to Gods wise design, is oriented to two things, babies and bonding (as Dr. Janet Smith puts it). Gods designs are always for our happiness; to go against His design for human nature is to go against our own happiness. Does God expect a baby from every single act of sex? Of course not! We know this because a woman is only fertile for about a week every month, and God made women that way! Sex, in other words, can be non-baby-producing; it doesnt have to result in a baby every time. But it cant be anti-babyproducing: we cant tell God, I wont follow your plan for linking babies and bonding. Im going to have sex while deliberately blocking the baby-producing aspect through contraception. So what if you have serious reasons, prayerfully considered, for seeking to avoid pregnancy at this time? In the design of the female fertility cycle, God has given couples a way to enjoy the full benefits of sexual bonding while avoiding pregnancy, by limiting sexual activity to the time in which a woman is not fertile. Then sex is non-baby-producing, but it is not anti-baby. This method is called Natural Family Planning, and it is about 98% effective when used for the purpose of avoiding pregnancy, as effective as the Pill but without the side-effects. A built-in feature of NFP, which indicates its harmony with Gods design, is that it strengthens marriages. Did you know that only about 2% of NFP-using couples divorce, compared with around 40% of the general population? Continence during that week or ten days around the time of female fertility can be challenging, but there are always rewards for living in accord with Gods wise will. Advent is an especially fitting time to recommit ourselves to living according to the Fathers wise and loving will--to living as faithful citizens of His Kingdom, which comes in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. [Note to homilists: It is possible that parishioners might inquire how NFP (when used to avoid pregnancy--NFP can of course also be used to achieve pregnancy) differs from contraception, because couples using either may have the same intention (to avoid having children at this time). One response would be to focus on the moral quality of the acts themselves, not on the intention to avoid having children, which may be perfectly reasonable. NFP involves continence (during the fertile time), which is not wrong; and sex (during the infertile time), which is not wrong. Neither act severs the two meanings of sex, babies and bonding. Sex with a contraceptive is a different act: it deliberately severs the two meanings of babies and bonding. No matter how good the intention, evil means cannot be used: good ends cannot justify bad means. For those who insist that NFP and contracepting the conjugal act are the same kind of thing, one might suggest good-humoredly that they try NFP, if it is simply the same thing as using contraception!] Bulletin quote: Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their parents. Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et spes, #50 Suggested bulletin insert: The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility    ");
array_files[85]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic18.pdf","2008-09-10","111K","Openness to life and the use of natural family planning.    ","","","Sunday, December 21, 2008, Fourth Sunday of Advent II Sam 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16; Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38 Week #18: Main Theme: Openness to life and the use of natural family planning. In the Gospel today, Mary embodies the heights of Christian existence in her encounter with the angel Gabriel: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word. Marys total surrender to God the Fathers wise and loving will may seem impossible for us, but we cannot be happy outside the path that leads to such holiness. Vatican II insists on the centrality of the call to holiness for Christian life. Holiness is doing the Fathers wise and loving will in every action of our lives: Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done. It is the Fathers will to carry out His eternal plan of loving goodness for the salvation and happiness of every single human being. It is the coming of Jesus that accomplishes this mystery kept secret for long ages. God calls us all to share His undying happiness. Who wouldnt desire to follow this noble calling? But we have been taught by the culture of consumerism and sexual libertinism to settle for less--for much, much less. Its scary, after all, to surrender our desires to God and trust that He will take care of us, trust that He will fulfill all our desires according to Truth and Love in a measure far beyond our most extravagant dreams. But it is precisely such a surrender that leads to the coming of the Kingdom in our hearts. God makes this surrender possible for us through the profusion of graces given in the sacraments. By Gods grace, we can say Yes to God, as Mary says Yes. This openness to God the Fathers will for our more abundant life allows His very Word to transform our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is what the Father makes available at every sacrifice of the Mass. When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist worthily, our hearts grow in the power of true love. Marys Yes was the gate through which the Kingdom of Gods love became incarnate. We should remember to pray that she may form our hearts with a mothers care so that we may be open to the life-giving action of the Trinitarian God in every aspect of our lives. Husbands and wives, in particular, are called to surrender their bodies to God, to let him into the bedroom, so to speak. Can we trust that Gods will for our sexuality and our fertility is meant to bring us to happiness? The Church teaches us that we must be open to life in our sexuality if we are to be truly happy. Every act of sex says something: it says, I love you forever, and I am willing to have children with you. That is because sex, according to Gods wise design, is oriented to two things, babies and bonding (as Dr. Janet Smith puts it). Gods designs are always for our happiness; to go against His design for human nature is to go against our own happiness. Does God expect a baby from every single act of sex? Of course not! We know this because a woman is only fertile for about a week every month, and God made women that way! Sex, in other words, can be non-baby-producing; it doesnt have to result in a baby every time. But it cant be anti-babyproducing: we cant tell God, I wont follow your plan for linking babies and bonding. Im going to have sex while deliberately blocking the baby-producing aspect through contraception. So what if you have serious reasons, prayerfully considered, for seeking to avoid pregnancy at this time? In the design of the female fertility cycle, God has given couples a way to enjoy the full benefits of sexual bonding while avoiding pregnancy, by limiting sexual activity to the time in which a woman is not fertile. Then sex is non-baby-producing, but it is not anti-baby. This method is called Natural Family Planning, and it is about 98% effective when used for the purpose of avoiding pregnancy, as effective as the Pill but without the side-effects. A built-in feature of NFP, which indicates its harmony with Gods design, is that it strengthens marriages. Did you know that only about 2% of NFP-using couples divorce, compared with around 40% of the general population? Continence during that week or ten days around the time of female fertility can be challenging, but there are always rewards for living in accord with Gods wise will. Advent is an especially fitting time to recommit ourselves to living according to the Fathers wise and loving will--to living as faithful citizens of His Kingdom, which comes in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. [Note to homilists: It is possible that parishioners might inquire how NFP (when used to avoid pregnancy--NFP can of course also be used to achieve pregnancy) differs from contraception, because couples using either may have the same intention (to avoid having children at this time). One response would be to focus on the moral quality of the acts themselves, not on the intention to avoid having children, which may be perfectly reasonable. NFP involves continence (during the fertile time), which is not wrong; and sex (during the infertile time), which is not wrong. Neither act severs the two meanings of sex, babies and bonding. Sex with a contraceptive is a different act: it deliberately severs the two meanings of babies and bonding. No matter how good the intention, evil means cannot be used: good ends cannot justify bad means. For those who insist that NFP and contracepting the conjugal act are the same kind of thing, one might suggest good-humoredly that they try NFP, if it is simply the same thing as using contraception!] Bulletin quote: Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their parents. Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et spes, #50 Suggested bulletin insert: The Benefits for Marriage of Cherishing Fertility    ");
array_files[86]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic17.pdf","2008-09-10","91K","Our hunger for God is filled by His faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy.    ","","","Sunday, December 14, 2008, Third Sunday of Advent Is 61:1-2, 10-11; Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54; I Thes 5:16-24; Jn 1:6-8, 19-28 Week #17: Main Theme: Our hunger for God is filled by his faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy. Today we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means Rejoice! I rejoice heartily in the Lord, Isaiah tells us. In my God is the joy of my soul. Mary in todays response is even more specific: she rejoices because of what God the Father has done for her and how He has filled the hungry with good things-- with the very Word of God. God cares for the poor, indeed. He calls us to feed the hungry, but there are other kinds of hunger and poverty than physical hunger and financial poverty. There is spiritual poverty, which shows itself in the hunger for God. The materially poor often feel this poverty of spirit more readily than those who are materially comfortable, as can be seen in the vigorous devotional life of simple believers as compared with the individualism of comfortable religion. Nevertheless, every single human being is hungry for God, even if he or she doesnt realize it. We are made for love. In fact, we are made for a love of such endless dimensions that only God can satisfy this desire. As Saint Augustine so beautifully put it, You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You. To be poor in spirit is essential to the Eucharistic advent attitude of Christian life, waiting for the Lord in watchfulness and in joyful gratitude for all the great goods God bestows on us. God wants to prepare our hearts for true love: to make a way in our hearts for His coming in fullness. He does this through the sacraments, through prayer, through Scripture, through the teaching authority of the Church. God wants to fill the hunger for Himself that He put in our hearts. He wants to fill us with His joy and to love us like a spouse in the great wedding-feast of the Lamb that will consummate all of history. In fact, this great feast of love already begins at each Eucharistic sacrifice. God wants to make us like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels. Today we rejoice in the faithful and life-giving love of God. May God prepare our hearts so that we can love as He loves! The Father gives us the Word made flesh in the Eucharist, by the power of their Holy Spirit of shared love, to satisfy our hearts hungry for love--so that we may live out faithful and fruitful love for others. Bulletin: Christ inscribed in the human body--in the body of every man and of every woman--a new dignity, because he himself has taken up the human body together with the soul into union with the person of the Son-Word. From this new dignity, through the `redemption of the body, a new obligation was born at the same time, about which Paul writes in a concise but very moving way: `You were bought at a great price (I Cor 6:20). Pope John Paul II, 2/11/1981    ");
array_files[87]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic17.pdf","2008-09-10","91K","Our hunger for God is filled by His faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy.    ","","","Sunday, December 14, 2008, Third Sunday of Advent Is 61:1-2, 10-11; Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54; I Thes 5:16-24; Jn 1:6-8, 19-28 Week #17: Main Theme: Our hunger for God is filled by his faithful and fruitful love, which gives us joy. Today we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means Rejoice! I rejoice heartily in the Lord, Isaiah tells us. In my God is the joy of my soul. Mary in todays response is even more specific: she rejoices because of what God the Father has done for her and how He has filled the hungry with good things-- with the very Word of God. God cares for the poor, indeed. He calls us to feed the hungry, but there are other kinds of hunger and poverty than physical hunger and financial poverty. There is spiritual poverty, which shows itself in the hunger for God. The materially poor often feel this poverty of spirit more readily than those who are materially comfortable, as can be seen in the vigorous devotional life of simple believers as compared with the individualism of comfortable religion. Nevertheless, every single human being is hungry for God, even if he or she doesnt realize it. We are made for love. In fact, we are made for a love of such endless dimensions that only God can satisfy this desire. As Saint Augustine so beautifully put it, You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You. To be poor in spirit is essential to the Eucharistic advent attitude of Christian life, waiting for the Lord in watchfulness and in joyful gratitude for all the great goods God bestows on us. God wants to prepare our hearts for true love: to make a way in our hearts for His coming in fullness. He does this through the sacraments, through prayer, through Scripture, through the teaching authority of the Church. God wants to fill the hunger for Himself that He put in our hearts. He wants to fill us with His joy and to love us like a spouse in the great wedding-feast of the Lamb that will consummate all of history. In fact, this great feast of love already begins at each Eucharistic sacrifice. God wants to make us like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels. Today we rejoice in the faithful and life-giving love of God. May God prepare our hearts so that we can love as He loves! The Father gives us the Word made flesh in the Eucharist, by the power of their Holy Spirit of shared love, to satisfy our hearts hungry for love--so that we may live out faithful and fruitful love for others. Bulletin: Christ inscribed in the human body--in the body of every man and of every woman--a new dignity, because he himself has taken up the human body together with the soul into union with the person of the Son-Word. From this new dignity, through the `redemption of the body, a new obligation was born at the same time, about which Paul writes in a concise but very moving way: `You were bought at a great price (I Cor 6:20). Pope John Paul II, 2/11/1981    ");
array_files[88]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic16.pdf","2008-09-10","97K","Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility.    ","","","Sunday, December 7, 2008, Second Sunday of Advent Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14; II Pt 3:8-14; Mk 1:1-8 Week #16: Main Theme: Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility. In Advent, we celebrate Jesus coming some two thousand years ago in the Incarnation. We recall that John the Baptist was a voice crying out in the desert, preparing the way of the Lord. But we also recall that Jesus continually comes to us in the sacraments, especially here in the Mass. And He will come again definitively and establish new heavens and a new earth, as the second reading says. What will this kingdom be like? The psalm gives us a glimpse: Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. Truth and justice--they are always connected. We cannot have justice in society unless we live in accord with Gods truth in every one of our relationships. Mother Teresa loved to point out that justice begins in the family. Are we just in our most intimate relationships--sexual relationships included? Justice in our sexual relationships requires lifelong faithfulness (open to life). There is a word for the truth that marriages cannot be dissolved; it is indissolubility. A Cardinal from Chile, Cardinal Medina Est�vez, has said, Only indissolubility guarantees the true equality and dignity of the man and the woman. Why? Because the indissolubility of marriage ensures that each one of us who is called to marriage will be treated with the love and support that we deserve, no strings attached. We all need to be able to trust in anothers love. Gods love is completely trustworthy, and by His grace spouses can reveal to the world His love through their just and loving treatment of one another. Bulletin quote: [Jesus] unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond may have left some perplexed and could seem to be a demand impossible to realize. However, Jesus has not placed on spouses a burden impossible to bear, or too heavy ... By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, He Himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1615 Suggested bulletin insert: God Will Not Leave Us: How Lifelong Married Love Shows God to the World    ");
array_files[89]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic16.pdf","2008-09-10","97K","Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility.    ","","","Sunday, December 7, 2008, Second Sunday of Advent Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14; II Pt 3:8-14; Mk 1:1-8 Week #16: Main Theme: Justice in our sexual relationships requires indissolubility. In Advent, we celebrate Jesus coming some two thousand years ago in the Incarnation. We recall that John the Baptist was a voice crying out in the desert, preparing the way of the Lord. But we also recall that Jesus continually comes to us in the sacraments, especially here in the Mass. And He will come again definitively and establish new heavens and a new earth, as the second reading says. What will this kingdom be like? The psalm gives us a glimpse: Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. Truth and justice--they are always connected. We cannot have justice in society unless we live in accord with Gods truth in every one of our relationships. Mother Teresa loved to point out that justice begins in the family. Are we just in our most intimate relationships--sexual relationships included? Justice in our sexual relationships requires lifelong faithfulness (open to life). There is a word for the truth that marriages cannot be dissolved; it is indissolubility. A Cardinal from Chile, Cardinal Medina Est�vez, has said, Only indissolubility guarantees the true equality and dignity of the man and the woman. Why? Because the indissolubility of marriage ensures that each one of us who is called to marriage will be treated with the love and support that we deserve, no strings attached. We all need to be able to trust in anothers love. Gods love is completely trustworthy, and by His grace spouses can reveal to the world His love through their just and loving treatment of one another. Bulletin quote: [Jesus] unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond may have left some perplexed and could seem to be a demand impossible to realize. However, Jesus has not placed on spouses a burden impossible to bear, or too heavy ... By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, He Himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1615 Suggested bulletin insert: God Will Not Leave Us: How Lifelong Married Love Shows God to the World    ");
array_files[90]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic15.pdf","2008-09-10","82K","God's mercy and our need for the sacraments.    ","","","Sunday, November 30, 2008, First Sunday of Advent Is 63:16-17, 19; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; I Cor 1:3-9; Mk 13:33-37 Week #15: Main Theme: Gods mercy and our need for the sacraments. Did todays readings make you feel a little uncomfortable? Thats good; they should! We are reminded today both of Gods great mercy and of our great need for it. Gods mercy: God is faithful, Paul reminds us; the Father will keep us firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. And our need for Gods mercy: all our good deeds are like polluted rags. We need, as Jesus exhorts us, to watch, to be alert, to understand both our sinfulness and Gods desire to forgive it. Lord, make us turn to you, we prayed in the psalm. Advent is an especially favorable time to turn to the God the Father in the sacrament of Confession, the forgiving grace of which enables the Eucharist to bear fruit fully in our lives. Let us allow the Father to forgive our sins and to strengthen us. Alone, we cannot be faithful to Gods ways. But, by his grace, we shall be saved. Bulletin quote: The spouses union achieves the twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life. These two meanings or values of marriage cannot be separated without altering the couples spiritual life and compromising the goods of marriage and the future of the family. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2363    ");
array_files[91]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic15.pdf","2008-09-10","82K","Homiletic Aids    ","","","Sunday, November 30, 2008, First Sunday of Advent Is 63:16-17, 19; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; I Cor 1:3-9; Mk 13:33-37 Week #15: Main Theme: Gods mercy and our need for the sacraments. Did todays readings make you feel a little uncomfortable? Thats good; they should! We are reminded today both of Gods great mercy and of our great need for it. Gods mercy: God is faithful, Paul reminds us; the Father will keep us firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. And our need for Gods mercy: all our good deeds are like polluted rags. We need, as Jesus exhorts us, to watch, to be alert, to understand both our sinfulness and Gods desire to forgive it. Lord, make us turn to you, we prayed in the psalm. Advent is an especially favorable time to turn to the God the Father in the sacrament of Confession, the forgiving grace of which enables the Eucharist to bear fruit fully in our lives. Let us allow the Father to forgive our sins and to strengthen us. Alone, we cannot be faithful to Gods ways. But, by his grace, we shall be saved. Bulletin quote: The spouses union achieves the twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life. These two meanings or values of marriage cannot be separated without altering the couples spiritual life and compromising the goods of marriage and the future of the family. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2363    ");
array_files[92]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic14.pdf","2008-09-10","0K","Living justly in my intimate relationships.    ","","","Sunday, November 9, 2008, Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran Gen 28:11-18; Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6, 8, 11; I Cor 3:9-13, 16-17; Lk 19:1-10 Week #12: Main Theme: The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. Today, in celebrating the establishment of a church in Rome (St. John Lateran), we celebrate the universal Church. The Basilica of St. John Lateran, no St. Peters, is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. St. John Lateran is, therefore, the preeminent church in the world as is indicated by an inscription on its main door: Most Holy Lateran Church, of all the churches in the city and the world, the mother and head. In celebrating this church, we arent celebrating what we do but what God does. The Church is filled with weak and sinful people, but in Gods great mercy He enables us by sacramental grace to attain to Christian greatness and to serve His plan of salvation. In fact, God doesnt just dwell in the Church as a whole; He also dwells in you, in every baptized Christian who has not separated himself by mortal sin. As Paul said today, you are the temple of God! The Church always defends the dignity of each human being, because she knows that the root of that dignity is Gods love for us: He wants to dwell in us as His temple! Let us treat ourselves and others with dignity, with justice, with chastity, and let us work to build a culture of life and love in which the rights of all people are respected. And let us pray that all Christians will stand courageously with Holy Mother Church to defend the dignity of every human being. Bulletin: It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, #101    ");
array_files[93]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic14.pdf","2008-09-10","0K","Living justly in my intimate relationships.    ","","","Sunday, November 9, 2008, Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran Gen 28:11-18; Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6, 8, 11; I Cor 3:9-13, 16-17; Lk 19:1-10 Week #12: Main Theme: The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. Today, in celebrating the establishment of a church in Rome (St. John Lateran), we celebrate the universal Church. The Basilica of St. John Lateran, no St. Peters, is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. St. John Lateran is, therefore, the preeminent church in the world as is indicated by an inscription on its main door: Most Holy Lateran Church, of all the churches in the city and the world, the mother and head. In celebrating this church, we arent celebrating what we do but what God does. The Church is filled with weak and sinful people, but in Gods great mercy He enables us by sacramental grace to attain to Christian greatness and to serve His plan of salvation. In fact, God doesnt just dwell in the Church as a whole; He also dwells in you, in every baptized Christian who has not separated himself by mortal sin. As Paul said today, you are the temple of God! The Church always defends the dignity of each human being, because she knows that the root of that dignity is Gods love for us: He wants to dwell in us as His temple! Let us treat ourselves and others with dignity, with justice, with chastity, and let us work to build a culture of life and love in which the rights of all people are respected. And let us pray that all Christians will stand courageously with Holy Mother Church to defend the dignity of every human being. Bulletin: It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, #101    ");
array_files[94]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic13.pdf","2008-09-10","82K","Openness to, and education of, children as a responsibility of parents.    ","","","Sunday, November 16, 2008, Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Pro 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5; I Thes 5:1-6; Mt 25:14-30 or 25:14-15, 19-20 Week #13: Main Theme: Openness to and education of children as a responsibility of parents. Have you ever thought of children as olive plants? Probably not. But if you have ever thought of them as blessings, then you are thinking along the same lines of todays psalm. Olive plant is shorthand for a blessing that keeps on giving. Our society tends to paint children as burdens that take away our freedom. But the Church has always taught that having children protects and increases the benefits of marriage for the husband and wife. Most of you are called to the vocation of marriage, and thus you are given your talents, your unique personal strengths, so that you can put them to work as good fathers or mothers: to raise children who blossom in the light of your caring love. Do I bury my intelligence, initiative, and creativity in the pursuit of selfish ends? Or do I energetically and generously employ my talents for the sake of selfless love? Bulletin quote: The innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. Pope John Paul II, Familiaris consortio, #32    ");
array_files[95]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic13.pdf","2008-09-10","82K","Openness to, and education of, children as a responsibility of parents.    ","","","Sunday, November 16, 2008, Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Pro 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5; I Thes 5:1-6; Mt 25:14-30 or 25:14-15, 19-20 Week #13: Main Theme: Openness to and education of children as a responsibility of parents. Have you ever thought of children as olive plants? Probably not. But if you have ever thought of them as blessings, then you are thinking along the same lines of todays psalm. Olive plant is shorthand for a blessing that keeps on giving. Our society tends to paint children as burdens that take away our freedom. But the Church has always taught that having children protects and increases the benefits of marriage for the husband and wife. Most of you are called to the vocation of marriage, and thus you are given your talents, your unique personal strengths, so that you can put them to work as good fathers or mothers: to raise children who blossom in the light of your caring love. Do I bury my intelligence, initiative, and creativity in the pursuit of selfish ends? Or do I energetically and generously employ my talents for the sake of selfless love? Bulletin quote: The innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. Pope John Paul II, Familiaris consortio, #32    ");
array_files[96]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic12.pdf","2008-09-10","79K","The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized.    ","","","Sunday, November 9, 2008, Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran Gen 28:11-18; Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6, 8, 11; I Cor 3:9-13, 16-17; Lk 19:1-10 Week #12: Main Theme: The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. Today, in celebrating the establishment of a church in Rome (St. John Lateran), we celebrate the universal Church. The Basilica of St. John Lateran, no St. Peters, is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. St. John Lateran is, therefore, the preeminent church in the world as is indicated by an inscription on its main door: Most Holy Lateran Church, of all the churches in the city and the world, the mother and head. In celebrating this church, we arent celebrating what we do but what God does. The Church is filled with weak and sinful people, but in Gods great mercy He enables us by sacramental grace to attain to Christian greatness and to serve His plan of salvation. In fact, God doesnt just dwell in the Church as a whole; He also dwells in you, in every baptized Christian who has not separated himself by mortal sin. As Paul said today, you are the temple of God! The Church always defends the dignity of each human being, because she knows that the root of that dignity is Gods love for us: He wants to dwell in us as His temple! Let us treat ourselves and others with dignity, with justice, with chastity, and let us work to build a culture of life and love in which the rights of all people are respected. And let us pray that all Christians will stand courageously with Holy Mother Church to defend the dignity of every human being. Bulletin: It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, #101    ");
array_files[97]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic12.pdf","2008-09-10","79K","The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized.    ","","","Sunday, November 9, 2008, Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran Gen 28:11-18; Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6, 8, 11; I Cor 3:9-13, 16-17; Lk 19:1-10 Week #12: Main Theme: The dignity of every human being and the dignity of the baptized. Today, in celebrating the establishment of a church in Rome (St. John Lateran), we celebrate the universal Church. The Basilica of St. John Lateran, no St. Peters, is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. St. John Lateran is, therefore, the preeminent church in the world as is indicated by an inscription on its main door: Most Holy Lateran Church, of all the churches in the city and the world, the mother and head. In celebrating this church, we arent celebrating what we do but what God does. The Church is filled with weak and sinful people, but in Gods great mercy He enables us by sacramental grace to attain to Christian greatness and to serve His plan of salvation. In fact, God doesnt just dwell in the Church as a whole; He also dwells in you, in every baptized Christian who has not separated himself by mortal sin. As Paul said today, you are the temple of God! The Church always defends the dignity of each human being, because she knows that the root of that dignity is Gods love for us: He wants to dwell in us as His temple! Let us treat ourselves and others with dignity, with justice, with chastity, and let us work to build a culture of life and love in which the rights of all people are respected. And let us pray that all Christians will stand courageously with Holy Mother Church to defend the dignity of every human being. Bulletin: It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, #101    ");
array_files[98]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic11.pdf","2008-09-10","86K","Life in heaven and the value of life on earth.    ","","","Sunday, November 2, 2008, Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Wis 3:1-9 or 3:1-6, 9, or Is 25:6, 7-9; Ps 27:1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 13-14, or Ps 103:8, 10, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18; Rom 6:3-9 or 6:3-4, 8-9, or I Cor 15:20-24, 25-28; Mt 25:31-46, or Jn 11:17-27 or 11:21-27 Week #11: Main Theme: Life in heaven and the value of life on earth. One might not think that All Souls Day, a feast of prayer for the dead, sounds very full of hope. After all, we dont want to think about death and what comes after. We want to think about life. But that is what the readings today encourage us to do: to think about the life that God has in store for those who love Him, life everlasting and more joyful than we can possibly imagine. Today let us pray for those who have died, in the hope that they will soon come into the joy of eternal life, having been prepared by the fire of Gods love. Let us pray that we ourselves may recognize that the joys of eternal life have already begun in the Trinitarian indwelling begun in baptism and renewed, if lost through mortal sin, in Confession. Let us pray for the graces to live out this heavenly reality that is within us. Let us pray that we might be ready to give ourselves away unselfishly, in marriage or in the celibate life, in order to receive everything back and more from God in the world to come. Let us pray for those who are soon to die, especially for children and the most powerless of these, the unborn. Let us recommit ourselves to telling the world about Gods plan for new life and why that makes life precious here and now. Bulletin: The marriage of a man and a woman is not just one form of association or institutional model among many others. Marriage as the union between a man and a woman has served the common good by providing children with both a mother and father, and by bringing men and women together according to the moral order. Bishop George Coleman of Fall River, 11/18/2003 Suggested bulletin insert: Marriage at the Heart of Social Justice    ");
array_files[99]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/homi/homiletic11.pdf","2008-09-10","86K","Homiletic aids revised    ","","","Sunday, November 2, 2008, Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Wis 3:1-9 or 3:1-6, 9, or Is 25:6, 7-9; Ps 27:1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 13-14, or Ps 103:8, 10, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18; Rom 6:3-9 or 6:3-4, 8-9, or I Cor 15:20-24, 25-28; Mt 25:31-46, or Jn 11:17-27 or 11:21-27 Week #11: Main Theme: Life in heaven and the value of life on earth. One might not think that All Souls Day, a feast of prayer for the dead, sounds very full of hope. After all, we dont want to think about death and what comes after. We want to think about life. But that is what the readings today encourage us to do: to think about the life that God has in store for those who love Him, life everlasting and more joyful than we can possibly imagine. Today let us pray for those who have died, in the hope that they will soon come into the joy of eternal life, having been prepared by the fire of Gods love. Let us pray that we ourselves may recognize that the joys of eternal life have already begun in the Trinitarian indwelling begun in baptism and renewed, if lost through mortal sin, in Confession. Let us pray for the graces to live out this heavenly reality that is within us. Let us pray that we might be ready to give ourselves away unselfishly, in marriage or in the celibate life, in order to receive everything back and more from God in the world to come. Let us pray for those who are soon to die, especially for children and the most powerless of these, the unborn. Let us recommit ourselves to telling the world about Gods plan for new life and why that makes life precious here and now. Bulletin: The marriage of a man and a woman is not just one form of association or institutional model among many others. Marriage as the union between a man and a woman has served the common good by providing children with both a mother and father, and by bringing men and women together according to the moral order. Bishop George Coleman of Fall River, 11/18/2003 Suggested bulletin insert: Marriage at the Heart of Social Justice    ");
array_files[100]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/flyers/ctv.pdf","2008-09-10","331K","CTV    ","","","Doctors Angela and David Franks host a new CatholicTV� series: The Future Depends n Love Mon. 5:30 pm, Tues. 1:30 pm, Weds. 3:30 am, Thurs. 11:30 am & 8 pm, Sun. 3:30 pm Cardinal Se�n OMalley of Boston: Vows: Giving Yourself Totally Bishop Timothy McDonnell of Springfield: Til Death Do us Part Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester: Love Like God Does: Life-Giving Love in Marriage Bishop Daniel Reilly of Worcester and William Donovan of the Knights of Columbus: The Vocation to Marriage Maggie Gallagher: Making the Case for Marriage Fr. Roger Landry, priest of the diocese of Fall River: Theology of the Body in Pastoral Work Today Dr. John Haas, President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center: Life-Giving Marriage Kari Colella, Bostons Coordinator of Marriage Ministries, with Rachel Hannon and Ted Woodard, an engaged couple: Starting Off Right: Inviting Christ to Your Wedding Cassandra DeBenedetto, founder of Anscombe Society of Princeton, a chastity club: Looking for the One: A Spirituality for Young Adults Damon Owens of Ascension Press: Theology of the Body for Non-Theologians Dr. Paul Carpentier and Katie Elrod: Natural Family Planning: Its Not Catholic Birth Control Dr. Greg Kolodziejczak, with Brenda and Warren Chamberlain of Retrouvaille: Carrying the Cross in Marriage Chris Godfrey of Life Athletes and former New York Giants Super Bowl champion: Chastity: The Freedom to Love Watch this new series only on CatholicTV on these broadcast carriers, on MassCatholicMarrige.org and on CatholicTV.com: channel 268 (183 in some areas) channel 85 channel 296 channel 117 channel 142    ");
array_files[101]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/resources/church_docu/church3.html","2008-09-03","34K","�The Sixth Commandment,� paragraphs 2331-2400 - Catechism of the Catholic Church    ","","","Untitled Document THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT You shall not commit adultery. You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. I. Male and Female He Created Them . . . 2331 God is love and in himself he lives a mystery of personal loving communion. Creating the human race in his own image . . .. God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation, and thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and communion. God created man in his own image . . . male and female he created them; He blessed them and said, Be fruitful and multiply; When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 2332 Sexuality affects all aspects of the human person in the unity of his body and soul. It especially concerns affectivity, the capacity to love and to procreate, and in a more general way the aptitude for forming bonds of communion with others. 2333 Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity. Physical, moral, and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. the harmony of the couple and of society depends in part on the way in which the complementarity, needs, and mutual support between the sexes are lived out. 2334 In creating men male and female, God gives man and woman an equal personal dignity. Man is a person, man and woman equally so, since both were created in the image and likeness of the personal God. 2335 Each of the two sexes is an image of the power and tenderness of God, with equal dignity though in a different way. the union of man and woman in marriage is a way of imitating in the flesh the Creators generosity and fecundity: Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. All human generations proceed from this union. 2336 Jesus came to restore creation to the purity of its origins. In the Sermon on the Mount, he interprets Gods plan strictly: You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. What God has joined together, let not man put asunder. The tradition of the Church has understood the sixth commandment as encompassing the whole of human sexuality. II. The Vocation to Chastity 2337 Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which mans belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman. The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift. The integrity of the person 2338 The chaste person maintains the integrity of the powers of life and love placed in him. This integrity ensures the unity of the person; it is opposed to any behavior that would impair it. It tolerates neither a double life nor duplicity in speech. 2339 Chastity includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom. the alternative is clear: either man governs his passions and finds peace, or he lets himself be dominated by them and becomes unhappy. Mans dignity therefore requires him to act out of conscious and free choice, as moved and drawn in a personal way from within, and not by blind impulses in himself or by mere external constraint. Man gains such dignity when, ridding himself of all slavery to the passions, he presses forward to his goal by freely choosing what is good and, by his diligence and skill, effectively secures for himself the means suited to this end. 2340 Whoever wants to remain faithful to his baptismal promises and resist temptations will want to adopt the means for doing so: self-knowledge, practice of an ascesis adapted to the situations that confront him, obedience to Gods commandments, exercise of the moral virtues, and fidelity to prayer. Indeed it is through chastity that we are gathered together and led back to the unity from which we were fragmented into multiplicity. 2341 The virtue of chastity comes under the cardinal virtue of temperance, which seeks to permeate the passions and appetites of the senses with reason. 2342 Self-mastery is a long and exacting work. One can never consider it acquired once and for all. It presupposes renewed effort at all stages of life. The effort required can be more intense in certain periods, such as when the personality is being formed during childhood and adolescence. 2343 Chastity has laws of growth which progress through stages marked by imperfection and too often by sin. Man . . . day by day builds himself up through his many free decisions; and so he knows, loves, and accomplishes moral good by stages of growth. 2344 Chastity represents an eminently personal task; it also involves a cultural effort, for there is an interdependence between personal betterment and the improvement of society. Chastity presupposes respect for the rights of the person, in particular the right to receive information and an education that respect the moral and spiritual dimensions of human life. 2345 Chastity is a moral virtue. It is also a gift from God, a grace, a fruit of spiritual effort. The Holy Spirit enables one whom the water of Baptism has regenerated to imitate the purity of Christ. The integrality of the gift of self 2346 Charity is the form of all the virtues. Under its influence, chastity appears as a school of the gift of the person. Self-mastery is ordered to the gift of self. Chastity leads him who practices it to become a witness to his neighbor of Gods fidelity and loving kindness. 2347 The virtue of chastity blossoms in friendship. It shows the disciple how to follow and imitate him who has chosen us as his friends, who has given himself totally to us and allows us to participate in his divine estate. Chastity is a promise of immortality. Chastity is expressed notably in friendship with ones neighbor. Whether it develops between persons of the same or opposite sex, friendship represents a great good for all. It leads to spiritual communion. The various forms of chastity 2348 All the baptized are called to chastity. the Christian has put on Christ, The model for all chastity. All Christs faithful are called to lead a chaste life in keeping with their particular states of life. At the moment of his Baptism, the Christian is pledged to lead his affective life in chastity. 2349 People should cultivate [chastity] in the way that is suited to their state of life. Some profess virginity or consecrated celibacy which enables them to give themselves to God alone with an undivided heart in a remarkable manner. Others live in the way prescribed for all by the moral law, whether they are married or single. Married people are called to live conjugal chastity; others practice chastity in continence: There are three forms of the virtue of chastity: the first is that of spouses, the second that of widows, and the third that of virgins. We do not praise any one of them to the exclusion of the others.... This is what makes for the richness of the discipline of the Church. 2350 Those who are engaged to marry are called to live chastity in continence. They should see in this time of testing a discovery of mutual respect, an apprenticeship in fidelity, and the hope of receiving one another from God. They should reserve for marriage the expressions of affection that belong to married love. They will help each other grow in chastity. Offenses against chastity 2351 Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes. 2352 By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action. The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose. For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved. To form an equitable judgment about the subjects moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety, or other psychological or social factors that lessen or even extenuate moral culpability. 2353 Fornication is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality which is naturally ordered to the good of spouses and the generation and education of children. Moreover, it is a grave scandal when there is corruption of the young. 2354 Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials. 2355 Prostitution does injury to the dignity of the person who engages in it, reducing the person to an instrument of sexual pleasure. the one who pays sins gravely against himself: he violates the chastity to which h    ");
array_files[102]=new Array(0,1,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/webpages/resources/church_docu/church4.html","2008-08-25","20K","Paragraphs 47-52 address marriage and the family - Gaudium et Spes    ","","","Untitled Document CHAPTER I FOSTERING THE NOBILITY OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 47. The well-being of the individual person and of human and Christian society is intimately linked with the healthy condition of that community produced by marriage and family. Hence Christians and all men who hold this community in high esteem sincerely rejoice in the various ways by which men today find help in fostering this community of love and perfecting its life, and by which parents are assisted in their lofty calling. Those who rejoice in such aids look for additional benefits from them and labor to bring them about. Yet the excellence of this institution is not everywhere reflected with equal brilliance, since polygamy, the plague of divorce, so-called free love and other disfigurements have an obscuring effect. In addition, married love is too often profaned by excessive self-love, the worship of pleasure and illicit practices against human generation. Moreover, serious disturbances are caused in families by modern economic conditions, by influences at once social and psychological, and by the demands of civil society. Finally, in certain parts of the world problems resulting from population growth are generating concern. All these situations have produced anxiety of consciences. Yet, the power and strength of the institution of marriage and family can also be seen in the fact that time and again, despite the difficulties produced, the profound changes in modern society reveal the true character of this institution in one way or another. Therefore, by presenting certain key points of Church doctrine in a clearer light, this sacred synod wishes to offer guidance and support to those Christians and other men who are trying to preserve the holiness and to foster the natural dignity of the married state and its superlative value. 48. The intimate partnership of married life and love has been established by the Creator and qualified by His laws, and is rooted in the jugal covenant of irrevocable personal consent. Hence by that human act whereby spouses mutually bestow and accept each other a relationship arises which by divine will and in the eyes of society too is a lasting one. For the good of the spouses and their off-springs as well as of society, the existence of the sacred bond no longer depends on human decisions alone. For, God Himself is the author of matrimony, endowed as it is with various benefits and purposes.(1) All of these have a very decisive bearing on the continuation of the human race, on the personal development and eternal destiny of the individual members of a family, and on the dignity, stability, peace and prosperity of the family itself and of human society as a whole. By their very nature, the institution of matrimony itself and conjugal love are ordained for the procreation and education of children, and find in them their ultimate crown. Thus a man and a woman, who by their compact of conjugal love are no longer two, but one flesh (Matt. 19:ff), render mutual help and service to each other through an intimate union of their persons and of their actions. Through this union they experience the meaning of their oneness and attain to it with growing perfection day by day. As a mutual gift of two persons, this intimate union and the good of the children impose total fidelity on the spouses and argue for an unbreakable oneness between them.(2) Christ the Lord abundantly blessed this many-faceted love, welling up as it does from the fountain of divine love and structured as it is on the model of His union with His Church. For as God of old made Himself present(3) to His people through a covenant of love and fidelity, so now the Savior of men and the Spouse(4) of the Church comes into the lives of married Christians through the sacrament of matrimony. He abides with them thereafter so that just as He loved the Church and handed Himself over on her behalf,(6) the spouses may love each other with perpetual fidelity through mutual self-bestowal. Authentic married love is caught up into divine love and is governed and enriched by Christs redeeming power and the saving activity of the Church, so that this love may lead the spouses to God with powerful effect and may aid and strengthen them in sublime office of being a father or a mother.(6) For this reason Christian spouses have a special sacrament by which they are fortified and receive a kind of consecration in the duties and dignity of their state.(7) By virtue of this sacrament, as spouses fulfil their conjugal and family obligation, they are penetrated with the spirit of Christ, which suffuses their whole lives with faith, hope and charity. Thus they increasingly advance the perfection of their own personalities, as well as their mutual sanctification, and hence contribute jointly to the glory of God. As a result, with their parents leading the way by example and family Prayer, children and indeed everyone gathered around the family hearth will find a readier path to human maturity, salvation and holiness. Graced with the dignity and office of fatherhood and motherhood, parents will energetically acquit themselves of a duty which devolves primarily on them, namely education and especially religious education. As living members of the family, children contribute in their own way to making their parents holy. For they will respond to the kindness of their parents with sentiments of gratitude, with love and trust. They will stand by them as children should when hardships overtake their parents and old age brings its loneliness. Widowhood, accepted bravely as a continuation of the marriage vocation, should be esteemed by all.(8) Families too will share their spiritual riches generously with other families. Thus the Christian family, which springs from marriage as a reflection of the loving covenant uniting Christ with the Church,(9) and as a participation in that covenant, will manifest to all men Christs living presence in the world, and the genuine nature of the Church. This the family will do by the mutual love of the spouses, by their generous fruitfulness, their solidarity and faithfulness, and by the loving way in which all members of the family assist one another. 49. The biblical Word of God several times urges the betrothed and the married to nourish and develop their wedlock by pure conjugal love and undivided affection.(10) Many men of our own age also highly regard true love between husband and wife as it manifests itself in a variety of ways depending on the worthy customs of various peoples and times. This love is an eminently human one since it is directed from one person to another through an affection of the will; it involves the good of the whole person, and therefore can enrich the expressions of body and mind with a unique dignity, ennobling these expressions as special ingredients and signs of the friendship distinctive of marriage. This love God has judged worthy of special gifts, healing, perfecting and exalting gifts of grace and of charity. Such love, merging the human with the divine, leads the spouses to a free and mutual gift of themselves, a gift providing itself by gentle affection and by deed, such love pervades the whole of their lives:(11) indeed by its busy generosity it grows better and grows greater. Therefore it far excels mere erotic inclination, which, selfishly pursued, soon enough fades wretchedly away. This love is uniquely expressed and perfected through the appropriate enterprise of matrimony. The actions within marriage by which the couple are united intimately and chastely are noble and worthy ones. Expressed in a manner which is truly human, these actions promote that mutual self-giving by which spouses enrich each other with a joyful and a ready will. Sealed by mutual faithfulness and be allowed above all by Christs sacrament, this love remains steadfastly true in body and in mind, in bright days or dark. It will never be profaned by adultery or divorce. Firmly established by the Lord, the unity of marriage will radiate from the equal personal dignity of wife and husband, a dignity acknowledged by mutual and total love. The constant fulfillment of the duties of this Christian vocation demands notable virtue. For this reason, strengthened by grace for holiness of life, the couple will painstakingly cultivate and pray for steadiness of love, large heartedness and the spirit of sacrifice. Authentic conjugal love will be more highly prized, and wholesome public opinion created about it if Christian couples give outstanding witness to faithfulness and harmony in their love, and to their concern for educating their children also, if they do their part in bringing about the needed cultural, psychological and social renewal on behalf of marriage and the family. Especially in the heart of their own families, young people should be aptly and seasonably instructed in the dignity, duty and work of married love. Trained thus in the cultivation of chastity, they will be able at a suitable age to enter a marriage of their own after an honorable courtship. 50. Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their parents. The God Himself Who said, it is not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18) and Who made man from the beginning male and female (Matt. 19:4), wishing to share with man a certain special participation in His own creative work, blessed male and female, saying: Increase and multiply (Gen. 1:28). Hence, while not making the other purposes of matrimony of less account, the true practice of conjugal love, and the whole meaning of the family life which results from it, have this aim: that the couple be ready with stout hearts to cooperate with the love of the Creator and the Savior. Who through them will enlarge and enrich His own family day by day. Parents should regard as their proper mission the task of transmitting human life and educating those to whom it has been transmitted. They should realize that they are thereby cooperators with the love of God the Creator, and are, so to speak, the inte    ");
array_files[104]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/aresources/Speaker%20training.pdf","2008-07-28","128K","Speaker Training    ","","","Speaker Training Application Apply to be a speaker to parishes or other groups for The Future Depends on Love marriage initiative! You will be trained and given valuable information on how to answer tough questions on marriage. The Future Depends on Love will have a series of PowerPoint presentations for you to use. Where: Chancery, Diocese of Worcester (49 Elm St.) When: Wednesday, September 10, 7 to 9:30 pm If you would like to apply, please fill out this application and submit it by July 31, 2008. You will be notified if your application has been accepted. Please print or type. Name ________________________________________________________________________________ Occupation (optional) ________________________________________________________________ Parish ______________________________________ Diocese ________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________________________ City/State ____________________________________________ Zip ____________________________ Phone ______________________________ Email ___________________________________________ Submit by July 31 to: Kathy Magno Massachusetts Catholic Conference 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, MA 02114-2511 Include: � A one- to two-page statement on the Churchs vision of marriage � A recommendation from a priest Questions? Call the MCC at 617-367-6060 or write to kathymagno@macathconf.org    ");
array_files[105]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/aresources/Speaker%20training.pdf","2008-07-28","128K","Speaker Trainning    ","","","Speaker Training Application Apply to be a speaker to parishes or other groups for The Future Depends on Love marriage initiative! You will be trained and given valuable information on how to answer tough questions on marriage. The Future Depends on Love will have a series of PowerPoint presentations for you to use. Where: Chancery, Diocese of Worcester (49 Elm St.) When: Wednesday, September 10, 7 to 9:30 pm If you would like to apply, please fill out this application and submit it by July 31, 2008. You will be notified if your application has been accepted. Please print or type. Name ________________________________________________________________________________ Occupation (optional) ________________________________________________________________ Parish ______________________________________ Diocese ________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________________________ City/State ____________________________________________ Zip ____________________________ Phone ______________________________ Email ___________________________________________ Submit by July 31 to: Kathy Magno Massachusetts Catholic Conference 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, MA 02114-2511 Include: � A one- to two-page statement on the Churchs vision of marriage � A recommendation from a priest Questions? Call the MCC at 617-367-6060 or write to kathymagno@macathconf.org    ");
array_files[106]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/MarriageFlyer.pdf","2008-07-28","513K","MarriageFlyer.pdf    ","","","oung Catholics are surrounded by influences that challenge their faith and morals every day . These challenges call for more than a do this, dont do that approach to catechesis . Teens desire truth and understanding about who they are, their purpose in life, and what will ultimately bring them happiness . Y A New Language for a New Generation Theology of the Body for Teens presents the two hottest topics on the planet--God and sex--and marries them through Pope John Paul IIs compelling vision for love and life . Using a great mix of stories, real-life examples, activities, prayers, and references to the culture that teens understand, Theology of the Body for Teens answers the questions teens have about their own bodies, issues on sexual morality, and how they were uniquely created for greatness . Theology of the Body for Teens answers questions such as: � Why did God give us our sexual desires? � What is the difference between love and lust? � Can Christ bring healing to me if Ive already messed up? � How far is too far? � How can teens remain pure in our oversexed culture? � Is there any hope for overcoming lust and pornography? Ask about our free highlight DVD and no-risk review pack. Call 1-800-376-0520. Theology of the Body for Teens Program Components 4 DVD Set (12 lessons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 .95 12 core lessons plus 4 guys and girls only lessons 40-minute parents video Student Workbook (12 lessons) . . . . . . . . . . . .14 .95 216 pages, 8.5 x 11 � Bulk discounts are available Each teen should receive his or her own Student Workbook . Leaders Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 .95 396 pages, 8 .5 x 11 Each facilitator should have his or her own Leaders Guide . 80 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 � One per family � Bulk discounts are available Parents Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 .95 View sample chapters and video highlights online at www.tobforteens.com Theology of the Body for Teens is designed to be easily integrated into Catholic high school or parish youth ministry settings. A brilliant curriculum. It is so successful because it speaks to teens without sacrificing the beauty and power of the message. -Christopher West Best-selling author and speaker This study is put together masterfully! With all that teens face in todays world, this program is a must. -Jeff Stankovsky Director of Youth Ministry St . Maria Goretti Catholic Church, Indianapolis I have seen tremendous fruit from this program. Before my eyes, I saw teens open up to a new vision of life and sexuality. -Meaghan Weaver NFP/Chastity Program Coordinator Diocese of Palm Beach This program is extremely timely and it touches all aspects of teens development: mind, body, soul, and spirit. -Rev . Robert Knippenberg Diocese of Victoria www.TOBforTeens.com � 1-800-376-0520 Rediscover your Faith through the Theology of the Body The Gift: Your Call to Greatness (One Hour Presentation) Student Workbook � 978-1-934217-32-0 / 6.95 Leaders Guide � 978-1-934217-40-5 / 9.95 DVD / 24.95 � CD / 12.95 Available Summer 2008 An Introduction to the Theology of the Body (Eight Part Study) Student Workbook � 978-1-934217-41-2 / 12.95 Leaders Guide � 978-1-934217-42-9 / 19.95 4 DVD Set / 99.95 � 4 CD Set / 39.95 Available Summer 2008 Into the Heart (Twenty-Four Part Study) Student Workbook � 978-1-934217-44-3 / TBD Leaders Guide � 978-1-934217-43-6 / TBD 12 DVD Set / TBD � 12 CD Set / TBD Available Fall 2008 Presented by Christopher West www.AscensionPress.com 1-800-376-0520 A Marriage Preparation Supplement Based on the Theology of the Body Gods Plan For a Joy-Filled Marriage is a marriage preparation supplement that offers engaged couples a more compelling presentation of Gods glorious plan for marital love than perhaps any program available in the Church today. Based on Pope John Paul IIs Theology of the Body, this supplement need not replace current diocesan or parish programs. Rather, it is intended to enhance a key component of marriage preparation: catechesis in the theology of marriage and the gift of human sexuality. Gods Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage can be implemented as a one-day seminar or over multiple evenings. My fianc�e and I have grown and deepened our love and commitment to Christ more from this class than in our whole relationship. --Steve S. If my fianc�e and I had learned these teachings of the Church on sexuality sooner, we would never have become sexually active. --Mark M. Introduce Gods Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage into the current marriage program or preparation offered by your parish or diocese. To learn more about this program or to discuss questions you may have, please call us at 1-800-376-0520 or visit www.JoyFilledMarriage.com. 6 DVD Set (Each talk 45-55 min.) / 139.95 6 CD Set (Each talk 45-55 min.) / 44.95 Couples workbook (60 pgs.) / 6.95 Instructors Edition (115 pgs.) / 12.95 Segment Guide (56 pgs.) / 11.95 Good News About Sex and Marriage / 11.99     ");
array_files[107]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/marriage_resources_list.pdf","2008-07-28","35K","Marriage Resources list    ","","","Marriage Resources Catholic Sexual Ethics, by Rev. Ronald Lawler, OFM Cap., Joseph Boyle, Jr., & William E. May, 14.95 (ISBN: 0879739525) Chosen and Cherished, Biblical Wisdom for Your Marriage, by Kimberly Hahn, 14.99 (ISBN: 086716848X) Chosen and Cherished: Biblical Wisdom for Your Marriage, by Kimberly Hahn, DVD & Book Set, 59.99 (ISBN: 0867168595) God is Love (Deus Caritas Est), Pope Benedict XVI, 6.95 (ISBN: 0819831069) Gods Plan for You: Life, Love, Marriage & Sex (Theology of the Body for Young People), by David Hajduk, 16.95 (ISBN: 0819845175) Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae), by John Paul II, 7.95 (ISBN: 081983078X) Intimate Bedfellows: Love, Sex and the Catholic Church, (Explanation of difference between contraception and Natural Family Planning), by Donna & Thomas Finn, 4.50 (ISBN: 0819836672) The Love That Satisfies, by Christopher West, 19.95 (ISBN:1934217131) Life-Giving Love: Embracing Gods Beautiful Design for Marriage, by Kimberly Hahn, 13.99 (ISBN: 9781569552926) Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, by John Paul II, 29.95 (ISBN: 0819874213) Men & Women Are from Eden: A Study on John Paul IIs Theology of the Body, by Mary Healy, 8.99 (ISBN: 0867167009) Mom to Mom, Day to Day: Advice and Support for Catholic Living, by Danielle Bean, 15.95 (ISBN: 0819848557) My Cup of Tea: Musings of a Catholic Mom, by Danielle Bean, 15.95 (ISBN: 0819848379) Of Human Life (Humanae Vitae), by Paul VI, 1.25 (ISBN: 0819833479) On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World (Familiaris Consortio), by John Paul II, 6.95 (ISBN: 0819864498) Out of Eden: 7 Ways God Restores Blocked Communication, by Fr. Paul Soukop, SJ, 9.95 (ISBN: 0819864846) Sacred Dwelling: An Everyday Family Spirituality by Wendy M. Wright, 17.95 (ISBN: 0819870986) Theology of the Body for Beginners, Christopher West, 11.99 (ISBN: 1932645349) Theology of the Body Explained: A Commentary on John Paul IIs Man and Woman He Created Them, by Christopher West, 29.95 (ISBN: 0819874256) The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, Guidelines for Education within the Family, by the Pontifical Council for the Family, 5.50 (ISBN: 081987390X) These and other titles available from Pauline Book & Media Centers nationwide. Prices subject to change with reprints.    ");
array_files[108]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/assessment_form.pdf","2008-07-28","180K","Parish Assessment Form    ","","","Parish Assessment Form Thank you for taking ten minutes to fill out this assessment form, which is designed to help us determine the effectiveness of our materials in order to improve them for the future. Parish _________________________________________________ Phone _________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Email _________________________ Name of Evaluator_______________________________________ Diocese ________________________ Resources Bulletin inserts Homiletic suggestions The Vocation to Marriage DVD Contraception: Why Not CD MCC-trained speaker presentation at the parish Other programs promoted through The Future Depends on Love (e.g., Marriage Encounter) www.MassCatholicMarriage.org Please rank the resources you used from 1 (ineffective) to 5 (very effective). Materials Bulletin inserts Homiletic suggestions The Vocation to Marriage DVD Contraception: Why Not CD MCC-trained speaker presentation at the parish Other programs promoted through The Future Depends on Love (e.g., Marriage Encounter) www.MassCatholicMarriage.org Rank Used Didnt Use 1. To help us make effective suggestions to other parishes, please tell us the ways you used the following materials and how they were received. Bulletin inserts The Vocation to Marriage DVD Contraception: Why Not CD Other programs promoted through The Future Depends on Love (e.g., Marriage Encounter) www.MassCatholicMarriage.org 2. Out of all the materials, which do you think is the most effective? Why? 3. Least effective? Why? Thank you very much for providing your assessment of the programs and resources of The Future Depends on Love! Please mail this assessment form to: Kathy Magno Massachusetts Catholic Conference 150 Staniford St., Suite 5 Boston, MA 02114-2511 Questions? Call (617) 367-6060 or write kathymagno@macathconf.org This survey may also be found at www.MassCatholicMarriage.org. Click on Opinion and then Parish Assessment.    ");
array_files[109]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/bostonresources/tools%20for%20an%20exceptional%20marriage.pdf","2008-06-19","79K","The Family Life Office of the The Archdiocese of Boston    ","","","The Archdiocese of Bostons Office of Life and Family Ministries is offering Tools for an Marriage Enrichment Exceptional Marriage; A Seminar for Engaged and Married Couples! Do you want to offer this Seminar at All you need to do is: 1) Call Kari Colella, Coordinator of Marriage Ministries (617) 746-5801; 2) Schedule the program dates with her; 3) Have a meeting space that can hold 30-60 people. YOUR PARISH? We will: 1) Advertise the program throughout the Archdiocese through the Monthly Mail; 2) Advertise the program to nearby parishes through a direct mailing; 3) Take all registrations through our Office and handle all communication with participants; 4) Make arrangements for the caterer for the meal; 5) Teach the Seminar. Comments from previous participants: Program was awesome--every parish in the Archdiocese should offer this. Please promote it! I wholly believe that without these tools, our marriage would not have survived. Content was particularly practical & useful. Can think of no more valuable skills to teach or learn and bring to marriage. It really works and is practical. Ive noticed an obvious improvement in my marriage. EXCELLENT!! Non-threatening. In hindsight, would pay more. My wife had to drag me here. Im glad she did. We have been seeking a `Catholic solution to the difficulties we face in our marriage, and we are so thrilled to have found this program! A real bargain! A small investment of time and money yielding a wealth of perspective on how to accept Christs grace and help with daily challenges. Every married and engaged couple should attend this! Page 3 of 6 See Reverse for Contents of the Seminar! 4/28/2008 What is this Seminar about? This is an educational seminar. It is not therapy or group sharing. It is a seminar that seeks to: teach practical skills for communication* and provide an introduction to some of the key Church teachings on marriage and family life. What will be covered? Session One (4 hours): Marriage; What It Is and What Its For PREP� Research & Real Life -Danger Signs -Relationship Dynamic Scale -Filters and Expectations PREP� Communicating Clearly and Safely -The Speaker/Listener Technique * State-of-the-Art Tools for an Extraordinary Marriage The communication skills program being taught in the seminar is the The Five Love Languages Introduction -Book written by Gary Chapman Session Two (4 hours): The Theology of the Body Introduction -John Paul IIs writings on human love in the divine plan. PREP� Issues and Events Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program� developed out of the University of Denver (www.prepinc.com). Based on science and tested in the real world, PREP� teaches skills and principles essential to a lasting love. The program has been featured on 20/20, 48 Hours, CNN, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and others. It is widely used by both secular and religious institutions including state programs, military programs, and churches. We will teach the one-day PREP� program in its entirety and will also provide an introduction to some of the key Church teachings on marriage and family that will have an equally important impact on making your marriage extraordinary! Page 3 of 6 -Working Through Hidden Issues PREP� Problem Solving Made Easy (Okay, maybe not easy, but easier!) PREP� Ground Rules For Good Communication PREP� Commitment The Role of the Christian Family In The Modern World Introduction -Church Document, 1981 To Register: Please call: Family Life Office at (617) 746-5801 Cost: 85/Couple (Includes materials & light dinner) 4/28/2008    ");
array_files[110]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/bostonresources/MP%20Submission.pdf","2008-06-19","32K","Marriage Preparation Program Submission For Listing on the Archdiocesan Website    ","","","Marriage Preparation Program Submission For Listing on the Archdiocesan Website If your parish offers a Marriage Preparation Program, please use this form to submit dates. We no longer produce a hard copy schedule. The current schedule can be found at www.familylifeboston.com. Submitted by: ____________________________________________________________________ Phone number:____________________________________________________________________ Email Address:____________________________________________________________________ Check category: Program listed last year: __________Program NOT listed last year:____________ EXAMPLE: BOSTON � St. Johns Parish Friday, October 7 7:00pm � 9:30pm Saturday, October 8 9:00am � 5:00pm Sunday, October 9 9:00am- 5:00pm Registration: Fr. John Smith, (617) 555-1234 CITY: _________________________ PARISH: __________________________ DAY OF WEEK: DAY OF WEEK: DAY OF WEEK: DAY OF WEEK: ________________ DATE: ________________ DATE: ________________ DATE: ________________ DATE: _______TIME: _______TIME: _______TIME: _______TIME: _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ REGISTRATION: NAME: ____________________ PHONE: ______________ EMAIL: (if applicable)_________________________________________________ WEBSITE: (if applicable)_______________________________________________ TIME TO CALL: (if applicable)_________________________________________ REGISTRATION DEADLINE: (if applicable)_____________________________ Thank you! Office of Life and Family Ministries 2121 Commonwealth Ave. Brighton, MA 02135 FAX: (617) 783-5642 EMAIL: kcolella@rcab.org Archdiocese of Boston Marriage Ministries Page 4 of 6 4/28/2008    ");
array_files[111]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/bostonresources/MP%20Schedule.pdf","2008-06-19","98K","Marriage Preparation    ","","","Marriage Preparation Schedule Archdiocese of Boston www.familylifeboston.com Click on the: Marriage Preparation BOX Please direct engaged couples to the website: Archdiocese of Boston Marriage Ministries Page 5 of 6 4/28/2008    ");
array_files[112]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/bostonresources/Marriage%20Speakers.pdf","2008-06-19","48K","Presentation Flyer    ","","","Are you interested in having a TRAINED MARRIED COUPLE PRESENT on Parish? Confirmation Program? Adult Faith Formation Group? Campus Ministry Program? Young Adult Group? Marriage at your: Other topics also available: Natural Family Planning Theology of the Body Cohabitation To schedule a presentation contact the Office of Life and Family Ministries six months in advance: kcolella@rcab.org or (617) 746-5801 When scheduling a presentation, please have ready or email the following information: 1) Requested Dates; Please offer two to three possible dates. 2) Anticipated Audience; i.e. Confirmation Students, Mothers Groups, etc... 3) Anticipated Size of Group; i.e. 10, 25, 50, 100, etc... 4) Location (meeting room) and Directions. 5) Coordinators Contact Information: Phone Number(s), Email Address Archdiocese of Boston Marriage Ministries Page 6 of 6 4/28/2008    ");
array_files[113]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/bostonresources/Anniversary%20Mass.pdf","2008-06-19","78K","Anniversary mass flyer    ","","","Archdiocese of Boston th th 25 and 50 Wedding Anniversary Mass Celebrated annually by: Se�n Cardinal OMalley, O.F.M. Cap Cathedral of the Holy Cross Please watch the Archdiocesan Monthly Mail for the 2009 date and bulletin announcements. The primary way anniversary couples find out about the Mass is through parish bulletins. Please help us spread the word! Archdiocese of Boston Marriage Ministries Page 2 of 6 4/28/2008    ");
array_files[114]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/bostonresources/2008%20Marriage%20Ministries.pdf","2008-06-19","27K","Marriage Ministries    ","","","Archdiocese of Boston Marriage Ministries MISSION: Marriage Ministries serves parishes and individuals in marriage education, marriage preparation, and marriage enrichment. We do this by bringing together: 1) CATECHESIS: the richness of the Churchs teachings on marriage and family, along with 2) WITNESS: the lived witness and experience of married couples, while employing 3) SKILL: the best of parochial and secular research and practical skills. GOALS: Our goals are to: 1) help educate youth and young adults on what marriage is; 2) help engaged couples form valid and successful marriages; 3) help support married couples to live out their marriage vows. SERVICES: MARRIAGE EDUCATION: All of the below presentation use a PowerPoint presentation and are 45 minutes plus 15 minutes for Q & A. Speakers on marriage for Confirmation, Campus Ministry, and RCIA programs. Speakers on marriage for DRE and Youth Ministry Leader gatherings. Speakers on Theology of the Body for youth, young adult, and adult faith formation. MARRIAGE PREPARATION: Training and on-going support for parishes beginning a Marriage Preparation Program. FOCCUS� training. Marriage Preparation Director support, gatherings, and mailings. Marriage Preparation Program Schedule: http://www.familylifeboston.com/html/marriageprep.html MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT: Tools for an Exceptional Marriage; A Seminar for Engaged and Married Couples; a communications skills course offered in each of the five regions annually; www.familylifeboston.com/html/marriageenrich.html Quotes from participants: Program was awesome--every parish in the Archdiocese should offer this. Please promote it. We have been seeking a `Catholic solution to the difficulties we face in our marriage, and we are so thrilled to have found this program. Training for parish-based marriage enrichment opportunities; such as Re-FOCCUS�, The 5 Love Languages�, and 10 Great Dates Program�. Worldwide Marriage Encounter: www.WWMEMA.org or call 1-800-710-WWME Retrouvaille; a Lifeline for Troubled Marriages: www.retrouvaille.org or call 1-800-470-2230 Marriage Counseling Referrals, please call (617) 746-5800. 25th and 50th Wedding Anniversary Mass. CARDINALS COMMITTEE ON MARRIAGE: In January 2006, Se�n Cardinal OMalley, OFM, Cap. established a Committee on Marriage for the purpose of looking at marriage--its sanctity, marriage education, remote and proximate marriage preparation, and marriage enrichment and support. The Committee was made up of representatives from various marriage related ministries and services. That Committee submitted recommendations in the areas of marriage education, preparation, and enrichment. Since then, the Cardinal has established a new Committee focused primarily on marriage preparation. Please stay tuned through our Office website: www.familylifeboston.com for additional information on the work of this Committee and any new resources or services available in any of the above areas of ministry. CONTACT: Mrs. Kari Colella, Coordinator of Marriage Ministries: (617) 746-5801 or kcolella@rcab.org Archdiocese of Boston Marriage Ministries Page 1 of 6 4/28/2008    ");
array_files[115]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20Why%20Isn%27t%20It%20Good%20to%20Live%20Together%20Before%20Ma....pdf","2008-06-18","33K","Why isn't it good to live together before marriage?    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth Why Isnt It Good to Live Together Before Marriage? Making a Case for Marriage The Situation � � � � � In 2004 more than 5 million Americans were cohabiting, that is, living together in a sexual relationship without marriage. This compares to 500,000 in 1970. (The State of Our Unions: The Social Health of Marriage in America 2005, David Popenoe and Barbara Whitehead, National Marriage Project, Rutgers University, http://marriage.rutgers.edu, p.21, 22) Currently, 60% of all marriages are preceded by cohabitation. (Larry Bumpass and Hsien-Hen Lu, Trends in Cohabitation and Implications for Childrens Family Contexts in the U.S., Population Studies 54, 2000) Fewer than half of cohabiting unions end in marriage. (Popenoe and Whitehead, Should We Live Together? 2002, p.6, http://marriage.rutgers.edu/publicat.htm) Many couples believe-mistakenly-that cohabitation will lower their risk of divorce. Since many are the children of divorce, or have other family members or friends who have divorced, this is a widespread and understandable misconception. Other reasons for living together include convenience, financial savings, companionship and security, and a desire to move away from the family of origin. What social science says about cohabitation � � � � � On average, marriage preceded by cohabitation is 46% more likely to end in divorce. (Popenoe and Whitehead, Should We Live Together? 2002, p. 4, citing 1992 study by Alfred DeMaris & K. Vaninadha Rao, Premarital Cohabitation & Subsequent Marital Stability in the U.S.: A Reassessment, Journal of Marriage and the Family 54) The risk is greatest for serial cohabitators who have had multiple relationships. Some studies indicate that those who live together with definite plans for marriage are at minimal risk; however, there are no positive effects from cohabiting. (Popenoe and Whitehead, Should We Live Together? p. 5-6) Social scientists have tried to determine whether some of the risk is due to the selection effect, i.e., that people who cohabit are already those who are more likely to divorce. While research shows the selection influence, most social scientists emphasize the causal effect, that is, cohabitation itself increases the chance of future marital problems and divorce. (Anne-Marie Ambert, Cohabitation & Marriage: How are they related, 2005, p.18-19, www.vifamily.ca/library/cft/cohabitation.pdf; Stanley, Kline, & Markman, The Inertia Hypothesis: Sliding vs. Deciding in the Development of Risk for Couples in Marriage, p. 6-8, www.bgsu.edu/organizations/cfdr/cohabitation/lead_papers/inertia_hypothesis.pdf) Cohabitation usually favors one partner over the other. Studies find that cohabitors are unequally committed. Often, the more committed partner is willing to put up with poor communication, unequal treatment, insecurity and abuse. Typically, women are more vulnerable, since they tend to be more committed. (Anne-Marie Ambert, Cohabitation & Marriage: How are they related, 2005, p.13-15) Cohabitation puts children at risk. Forty percent of cohabiting households include children. After five years, one-half of these couples will have broken up, compared to 15% of married parents. (Whitehead, Patterns & Predictors of Success & Failure in Marriage, p.7, from the 2005 colloquium Promoting & Sustaining Marriage as a Community of Life & Love) Church teaching/pastoral response � � � � � Church teaching on cohabitation reflects its belief about the dignity of marriage. Marital love is an image of Gods love for humanity (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1604) and Christian marriage is a sign of Christs union with the Church (Catechism #1617). This union can never be temporary or a trial; it is permanently faithful. Every act of sexual intercourse is intended by God to express love, commitment and openness to life in the total, unreserved gift of the spouses to each other. Premarital sexual intercourse is sinful because it violates the dignity of persons and the nuptial meaning and purpose of sexuality (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 406). It cannot express what God intended. Rather, it says something false--a total commitment that the couple does not yet have. This total commitment is possible only in marriage, the covenant of conjugal love freely and consciously chosen, whereby a man and woman accept the intimate community of life and love willed by God himself (Familiaris Consortio #11). This mutual self-giving enables the couple to become co-creators with God to bring new life into the world. The gift of sexual intercourse has two purposes: to express and strengthen marital love (unitive) and to share that love with children (procreative). Only in marriage can this total self-giving take place, and only in marriage can children be raised with the secure, committed love of a mother and father. Pope John Paul II recognized that couples can enter into cohabitation (free unions) for various reasons. He urged pastors and the church community to become familiar with these situations on a caseby-case basis. They should make tactful and respectful contact with the couples concerned and enlighten them patiently, correct them charitably and show them the witness of Christian family life in such a way as to smooth the path for them to regularize their situation (Familiaris Consortio #81). Following Familiaris Consortio, diocesan marriage policies that address cohabitation mostly favor an approach that integrates correction with understanding and compassion. This is an opportunity for evangelization and a teachable moment. While couples need to be welcomed with the gospel values of love, understanding, and acceptance, they also need to be challenged by the gospel message of commitment and faithfulness. (Marriage Preparation and Cohabiting Couples, a report by the Bishops Committee on Marriage and Family Life, http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/cohabiting.shtml). Conclusion Many young people are searching for a soulmate in a marriage partner. They want an intimate and enduring relationship where they can share their deepest dreams and desires. In a misguided effort to achieve this intimacy, they often enter into a cohabiting relationship. In so doing, they undermine their chances of attaining the very thing they most want. The Catholic Church understands this quest for intimacy, which God himself has placed within the human heart. Sexual expression is a means of achieving marital intimacy, where the spouses are committed to each other and to the marital relationship. The Catholic Church has consistently taught this truth, and social science research now confirms it. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/cohabitation.shtml    ");
array_files[116]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20WHY%20IS%20MARRIAGE%20GOOD.pdf","2008-06-18","32K","Why is marriage good?    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth Why is Marriage Good for Men and Women? Making a Case for Marriage The Situation � � � � � The annual marriage rate fell 50% from 1970-2004. (David Popenoe & Barbara D. Whitehead, State of Our Unions 2006, National Marriage Project, http://marriage.rutgers.edu, p15) Since 1960, the decline of those married among persons age 15 and older has been 14%. This is a result of increases in lifelong singlehood and long-term cohabitation, and a decrease in remarriage for divorced persons. (Ibid.) Marriage is being put off until later in life. The average age of marriage in 1960 was 20 for women and 23 for men. Today, the age is 26 and 27 respectively. For those with college degrees, marriage is postponed even longer. (Ibid.) Cohabitation is ten times more common than in 1960, a situation that is delaying and replacing marriage. (Popenoe & Whitehead, The State of Our Unions 2006, p25) Some mistakenly suggest that marriage is good for men but bad for women, citing the effect of marriage on womens careers, the stress of motherhood, and the danger of domestic abuse. (Popenoe & Whitehead, Top Ten Myths of Marriage, 2002, citing Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher, The Case for Marriage, 2000, Ch12) Social science findings � � Mutual Benefits o Married people have longer life expectancies than unmarried peers. (Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good: 10 Principles, 2006, p.20, www.princetonprinciples.org) o Married couples have more meaningful sexual relationships. They have sex as frequently as cohabiting couples, but also report higher emotional satisfaction in their sexual relationships. (Linda Waite, Does Marriage Matter?, 1995, p. 491) o Married people are more productive, have higher incomes, and enjoy more family time than the unmarried. This is due in part to the division and specialization of labor, where spouses each take responsibility for specific tasks. (L. Waite & E. Lehrer, The Benefits from Marriage & Religion in the U.S.: A Comparative Analysis, Population & Development Review, Vol 29, No. 2, June 2003, p. 264) o The argument for marriage extends beyond the benefits for children and society and encompasses significant advantages for couples. Men and women equally benefit from marriage but in gender specific ways (Popenoe and Whitehead, Top Ten Myths of Marriage, 2002). Benefits for Men o Marriage encourages better relationships between parents and children, especially father-child interactions. (Brad Wilcox, Institute for American Values, Why Marriage Matters, 2nd Edition, 26 Conclusions from the Social Sciences, 2003, www.americanvalues.org) o Married men earn 10-40% more than similar unmarried men (Popenoe & Whitehead, National Marriage Project, The State of Our Unions 2005, p16). o Married men gain substantial physical health benefits; they are physically fitter and less prone to illness or disability. (Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good..., p.20) � Married men have lower levels of testosterone which is associated with a reduction in aggressive and risky behavior, as well as promiscuity. (Wilcox, Why Marriage Matters..., p. 17 & Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good..., p.20) o Married men are less likely to have alcohol and drug addictions, to commit crime, and to be abusive. (L. Waite, Does Marriage Matter?, p. 468) Benefits for Women o Compared to unmarried women, married women without children have higher incomes and married mothers are less likely to live in poverty. (Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good..., p.20) o For women, marriage combats depression, provides particularly high psychological benefits, and significantly lowers the risk of suicide. (Wilcox, Why Marriage Matters..., p.28 & Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good..., p.20) o Marriage normally decreases the likelihood that a woman will be domestically abused. Only 5% of married women report abuse compared to 14% of cohabiting women. (Waite & Lehrer, The Benefits from Marriage & Religion..., p.261) o Church teaching and pastoral response � � � � � Vatican Council II affirms that the intimate partnership of married life and love is not only ordered towards the goods of offspring and society, but also for the good of the spouses. (Gaudium et Spes #48) The Church teaches that marriage helps to overcome self-absorption, egoism, pursuit of ones own pleasure, and to open oneself to the other, to mutual aid and to self-giving (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1609). The Church recognizes the goodness of unity and difference in existence. Just as the persons of the Trinity are different, yet have all that the other has, so also do men and women in marriage become fully one, but with different resources and ways of relating. (John Paul II, Letter to Families #8 & Mulieris Dignitatem #10) John Paul II speaks of the capacity for marriage to cure the negative effects of sin with the help of Gods grace in the sacraments, and through prayer and forgiveness in the family. (Letter to Families #14) Speaking about the equal dignity of men and women, the U.S. Bishops address gender difference. They talk about particular physical and psychological gender traits that result in varying skills and perspectives. As noted above, men and women mutually benefit from marriage, but they receive these benefits in different ways. (USCCB, Follow the Way of Love, 1993, p.19) Conclusion Marriage is good for children, society, and for the spouses themselves. Social science shows that there are specific benefits for men and women in marriage, which are gifts of a loving relationship between two people who are equal but different. While avoiding any generalizations concerning gender, research does find that marriage helps men to become better fathers, reduces their likeliness to quarrel and fall prey to addiction, and provides many physical health benefits. Women on the other hand, are more likely to gain financially, to be protected from crime and abuse, and to receive psychological benefits. These findings resonate with the teaching of the Church on the complementarity and equality of men and women, as well as on the goods of marriage. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/menwomeneng.shtml    ");
array_files[117]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20WHY%20DO%20CHILDREN%20NEED%20MARRIED%20PARENTS.pdf","2008-06-18","30K","Why do children need married parents?    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth WHY DO CHILDREN NEED MARRIED PARENTS? The Situation � � � � � As of 2004, 68% of children lived with two married parents. (Family Structure and Childrens Living Arrangements, Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, http://childstats.gov/amchildren05/pop6.asp) In 2004, 23% of children lived with only their mothers, 5% lived with only their fathers, and 4% lived with neither of their parents. (Family Structure...) Only 45% of all teenage children live with their married biological parents. (The Positive Effects of Marriage: A Book of Charts, Patrick Fagan, www.heritage.org/Research /Features/Marriage/index.cfm) Children in single-parent families comprise 27% of all American children, yet they account for 62% of all poor children. (The Positive Effects...) The three most significant reasons children are raised without their married mother and father are unwed pregnancy, cohabitation, and divorce. (The State of Our Unions: The Social Health of Marriage in America 2006, David Popenoe and Barbara Whitehead, National Marriage Project, http://marriage.rutgers.edu print version p.33) Social Science on the Benefits that Marriage Provides to Children � � � � � Children raised in intact married families are more likely to attend college, are physically and emotionally healthier, are less likely to be physically or sexually abused, less likely to use drugs or alcohol and to commit delinquent behaviors, have a decreased risk of divorcing when they get married, are less likely to become pregnant/impregnate someone as a teenager, and are less likely to be raised in poverty. (Why Marriage Matters: 26 Conclusions from the Social Sciences, Bradford Wilcox, Institute for American Values, www.americanvalues.org/html/r-wmm.html) Children receive gender specific support from having a mother and a father. Research shows that particular roles of mothers (e.g., to nurture) and fathers (e.g., to discipline), as well as complex biologically rooted interactions, are important for the development of boys and girls. (Marriage and the Public Good: Ten Principles, 2006, www.princetonprinciples.org) A child living with a single mother is 14 times more likely to suffer serious physical abuse than is a child living with married biological parents. A child whose mother cohabits with a man other than the childs father is 33 times more likely to suffer serious physical child abuse. (The Positive Effects...) In married families, about 1/3 of adolescents are sexually active. However, for teenagers in stepfamilies, cohabiting households, divorced families, and those with single unwed parents, the percentage rises above 1/2. (The Positive Effects...) Growing up outside an intact marriage increases the chance that children themselves will divorce or become unwed parents. (26 Conclusions... and Marriage and the Public Good...) * Children of divorce experience lasting tension as a result of the increasing differences in their parents values and ideas. At a young age they must make mature decisions regarding their beliefs and values. Children of so called good divorces fared worse emotionally than children who grew up in an unhappy but low-conflict marriage. (Ten Findings from a National Study on the Moral and Spiritual Lives of Children of Divorce, Elizabeth Marquardt, www.betweentwoworlds.org) Church Teaching and Pastoral Response � � � � � There are two inseparable ends of marriage: the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children. The education of children in faith, love, and wisdom is a vital task of married parental love (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2249; Guadium et Spes #50). At the 2006 World Meeting of Families, Pope Benedict XVI emphasized that the love of a mother and father provides security for children and educates them about the beauty of faithful and eternal love. www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/july/documents/hf_benxvi_spe_20060708_inc ontro-festivo_en.html Pope John Paul II spoke of parents as co-creators and educators, highlighting the fundamental example of self-giving love and personal communion that married parents supply to their children. Married parents present children with their first experiences of the love of God and the Church. (Familiaris Consortio, #36-38) The U.S. Bishops have addressed the value of married parents for childrens well-being and Christian formation: ...we support and applaud the often heroic efforts of single-parent families. We also emphasize the value of parents staying together and sacrificing to raise children. Children generally do best when they have the love and support - personal and material - of both their parents. (Putting Children and Families First: A Challenge for Our Church, Nation, and World, 1991) The U.S. Bishops have pointed out that a committed marriage is the foundation of a family. It strengthens all the members, provides best for the needs of children, and causes the church of the home to be an effective sign of Christ in the world (Follow the Way of Love, 1994). Nearly a decade later the bishops reaffirmed this point, stating that the stable, loving relationship of a mother and father-- present only in marriage--provides the best conditions for raising children (Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers about Marriage and Same-Sex Unions, 2003) Conclusion Social science research shows clear advantages when children are raised by two married parents. This does not diminish the exemplary efforts of many single parents, whose courage and determination the U.S. Bishops recognized in Follow the Way of Love (p. 10). It does, however, encourage pastoral leaders to promote loving, faithful and committed marriages as the best gift that parents can give to their children. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/children.shtml    ");
array_files[118]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20THINKING%20ABOUT%20DIVORCE.pdf","2008-06-18","32K","Thinking About Divorce? Think Again    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth Thinking About Divorce? Think Again. Making a Case for Marriage The Situation � � � Researchers currently estimate that forty to fifty percent of first marriages and a higher percentage of remarriages (an additional 10% to 20%) will end in divorce. (www.healthymarriageinfo.org/research) Divorce rates vary somewhat depending on a persons denominational affiliation. The divorce rate among Catholics is approximately 25% (www.barna.org). The earliest years of marriage are the riskiest. One in five marriages ends in the first five years. One in three ends in 10 years. (www.healthymarriageinfo.org/research) Social science findings � � � � � � � Divorce does not necessarily make people happier. In one national study, adults who were unhappy in their marriage and divorced were not as happy as people in unhappy marriages who stuck it out for five years. The former group had more symptoms of depression, lower self-esteem and greater hostility. Even those who divorced and remarried were not as happy as those who remained with their spouses for five years. (Linda J. Waite, et al, Does Divorce Make People Happy? Findings from a Study of Unhappy Marriages, Institute for American Values, 2002). It is common for couples to go through patches of unhappiness, but also common for marriages to go from unhappy to happy again. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of adults who said they were unhappy in their marriage but remained in it reported five years later that they were happy (Ibid.) On average nearly two-thirds of divorces are from marriages that can be described as low in conflict. Common reasons for divorce in these relationships include: incompatibility, growing apart, personality problems, and lack of communication. (Paul Amato & Denise Previti, Peoples Reasons for Divorcing: Gender, Social Class, the Life Course, and Adjustment, as cited at www.healthymarriageinfo.org) A healthy, lifelong marriage means building multiple marriages with the same spouse. Every marriage goes through predictable stages, which bring change and transition. These changes, although normal, can be stressful (Barbara Markey, The Lifecycle Stages of a Marriage, www.usccb.org/npim). The knowledge and skills needed to have a happy marriage can be learned. Marriage education programs can help engaged and married couples to learn the skills needed to sustain their relationship. Marriage education programs are offered by religious organizations, community agencies, healthcare organizations, and workplaces. Information about specific marriage education programs is available at www.nationalhealthymarriageinfo.org and www.smartmarriages.com. For couples who are dealing with a lot of distress, the benefits from marriage education programs may be especially great. These programs can help couples to improve their communication skills and improve their marital satisfaction (Jane Reardon-Anderson, et al, Systematic review of the impact of marriage and relationship programs, Urban Institute, 2005). Effective marriage counseling or therapy can repair unhealthy, unhappy marriages. Couples should take care to find a therapist who supports marriage and has appropriate experience in working with troubled couples. Counseling is most likely to be helpful when couples seek it out at the first sign of serious marital problems (www.healthymarriageinfo.org/aboutmarriage). Church teaching and pastoral practice � � � � The Church recognizes that married couples have always experienced problems that threaten their union, such as jealousy, infidelity, and quarreling. These issues result from personal sin and original sin, which disrupted the unity between man and woman that God intended. Nevertheless, Gods plan for marriage continues and God will provide the mercy and healing that couples need to sustain their marriages (See United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 287). Prayer, the Eucharist, and the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation are important resources for Catholic couples. Retrouvaille is a live-in weekend and post-weekend program for couples with serious marital difficulties. Thousands of couples headed for divorced have saved their marriage by participating in the program. More information, including a list of upcoming weekends, is available at www.retrouvaille.org. Some people have experienced abuse in their marriage. They may believe--erroneously--that church teaching on the permanence of marriage requires them to stay in an abusive relationship. The U.S. bishops have made clear that no one is expected to remain in an abusive marriage. The bishops encourage abused persons who have divorced to investigate the possibility of seeking an annulment (See When I Call For Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence Against Women, 2002). The Church encourages Catholics who are divorced to remain close to the Lord through the sacraments, especially Holy Communion. Some Catholics have divorced and remarried civilly. In these cases, the Church does not consider the second marriage valid; however, it encourages these Catholics to participate in parish activities and to attend Sunday Mass, even though they cannot receive Communion (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, pp. 287). Conclusion All engaged couples approach their marriage with the hope and the expectation that it will last. No one wants to divorce. In some cases, divorce is the only option, for example, when ones health and well-being are threatened by a spouses abusive behavior. In other cases, however, troubled couples need encouragement and resources to try to save their marriage. They may see divorce as their only choice because they do not know that help is available. These couples may benefit from counseling, marriage enrichment and education programs, or programs for troubled marriages such as Retrouvaille, The Third Option and others. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/divorce.shtml    ");
array_files[119]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20SOCIETY%20BENEFITS.pdf","2008-06-18","31K","How does society benefit from strong marriages?    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth How Does Society Benefit From Strong Marriages? The Situation Recognizing that marriage is the bedrock of society, federal and local governments, civic and community organizations, and religious communities have resolved to offer support for marriage. They recognize that a lack of committed marriages and two-parent families is the root of many of todays social problems, particularly regarding child welfare (Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good: 10 Principles, www.princetonprinciples.org). The U.S. government established the Healthy Marriage Initiative to support marriages by enabling couples to gain the skills necessary for healthy marriages. (Healthy Marriage Initiative, www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage) Marriages benefit society by building and strengthening human relationships within the home (among spouses and children) and beyond (involving relatives, neighbors, and communities). For this reason, the family has long been understood as the fundamental unit of society, the foundation from which religious, civic, and legal organizations naturally develop and flourish. Social science findings The relational ties and community assets forged through marriage result in many positive outcomes for society. Marriage is a seedbed of prosocial behavior that fosters social connections, civil and religious involvement, and charitable giving. Marriage connects men and women to the larger community and encourages personal responsibility, family commitment, community voluntarism, and social altruism. (Barbara D. Whitehead, U.S. Senate Testimony, http://marriage.rutgers.edu) Marriage is the greatest social educator of children. It is the institution that most effectively teaches the civic virtues of honesty, loyalty, trust, self-sacrifice, personal responsibility, and respect for others. The virtues cultivated between men and women in marriage, and between parents and the children, radiate outward into civil society. They deepen in married men and women strong habits of devotion to civic life. (Wilcox, Sacred Vows, Public Purposes: Religion, the Marriage Movement, & Marriage Policy, The Institute for the Advanced Study of Religion, p.3,28, 2002, http://pewforum.org/publications/reports/marriagepolicy.pdf ) Children raised in intact families are more likely to attend college, are physically and emotionally healthier, are less likely to be physically or sexually abused, less likely to use drugs or alcohol and to commit delinquent behaviors, have a decreased risk of divorcing when they get married, are less likely to become pregnant/impregnate someone as a teenager, and are less likely to be raised in poverty (Why Marriage Matters: 26 Conclusions from the Social Sciences, Bradford Wilcox, Institute for American Values, www.americanvalues.org/html/r-wmm.html). As of 2004, only 68% of children lived with two married parents (Family Structure and Childrens Living Arrangements, Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, http://childstats.gov/amchildren05/pop6.asp). Children in single-parent families comprise 27% of all American children, yet they account for 62% of all children in families below the poverty line. (The Positive Effects of Marriage: A Book of Charts, Patrick Fagan, www.heritage.org) The negative effects of divorce fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable members of society (Patrick Fagan & Robert Rector, The Effects of Divorce on America, The Heritage Foundation, 2000, www.heritage.org/Research/Family/BG1373.cfm). Marriage particularly benefits the weakest members of the community. An analysis of recent social statistics concluded that the preferential option for the poor begins in the home. (B. Wilcox, The Facts of Life & Marriage, Touchstone, Jan/Feb 2005, www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=18-01-038-f) Marriage is a wealth generating institution. The commitment of husband and wife fosters economic specialization and economies of scale (two can live as cheaply as one). The link between divorce/unwed childbirth and child poverty, as well as the rising government expense for welfare programs, testify to the economic benefits of marriage. (Whitehead & Popenoe, The State of Our Unions 2006, p.27, http://marriage.rutgers.edu/Publications/SOOU/SOOU2006.pdf) Church teaching and pastoral practice Vatican Council II regarded the family as the basis of society and a school of human enrichment. It highlighted the familys ability to harmonize the rights of the individual with the demands of society (Gaudium et Spes #52). The Church sees a resemblance between the unity of the divine persons and the community that people establish among themselves. Human persons need to live in society; societies such as the family are necessary for men and women. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #s 1878-1896) John Paul II referred to the family as the domestic church and as a saved and a saving community. The family shares in the mission of the Church and manifests to the world the love of Christ for humanity. Marriage forms a communion of persons ordered to society which must also be defended and supported by society. The complementary functions of society and the family indicate that society should respect and foster families, ensuring that they are equipped to fully become what they are. (Familiaris Consortio, #s 45, 49, 70) The good that the Church and society expect from marriage and the family is so great as to call for full pastoral commitment to this particular area. Marriage and the family must be promoted and defended from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature, since whatever is injurious to them is injurious to society itself. (Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis, #29) The U.S. Bishops stated: The family exists at the heart of all societies. It is the first and most basic community where children learn about Christ and experience the joy of communal existence in the home, in the neighborhood, in the Church, and in society... (Follow the Way of Love, p.1, 32). The Bishops recognized that in order to help children, society must support families. They called on society, as the protector and promoter of children and families, to enter into creative partnerships with families in order to assist them. (Putting Children and Families First, p.2,10) Conclusion Marriage is the basis for the family, the fundamental human society. Healthy marriage and family life helps to ensure social stability and improve the quality of life for all members of society. Communities and governments act in their own best interests when they take concrete steps to support marriage and family. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/societyeng.shtml    ");
array_files[120]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20SAME%20SEX%20MARRIAGE.pdf","2008-06-18","33K","How does legalizing same sex marriage deny the true nature of marriage?    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth How Does Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Deny the True Nature of Marriage? The Situation � � � � Catholic belief and teaching stands opposed to same-sex unions being granted the social, legal, and moral equivalency of marriage. Only marriage is the union of one man and one woman joined in an exclusive, faithful, permanent partnership of life and love. Some people believe that the Catholic position is based upon hostility toward homosexual persons. This is not true. Catholic teaching is based on the true nature of marriage that is discoverable by human reason. This truth is confirmed by divine Revelation in Sacred Scripture. Supporters of same-sex marriage make three claims about marriage, either implicitly or explicitly, that contradict the true nature of marriage and are in fact destructive of it. Three claims have become clear from recent court decisions. Judges who support same-sex marriage have articulated these new and disturbing views that can both reflect and shape public opinion. Legal Arguments and Church Teaching � Claim #1: Marriage is an institution owned by the state, which creates it and can therefore change it at will. Argument Pro: The majority in the Goodridge v. Massachusetts case, 798 N.E. 2nd 941, stated: we begin by considering the nature of civil marriage itself. Simply put, the government creates civil marriage. In Massachusetts, civil marriage is, and since pre-Colonial days has been, precisely what its name implies: a wholly secular institution. The dissenting opinion in Hernandez v. Robles repeated this same theme: Civil marriage is an institution created by the state. As the institution of marriage has been redefined within modern American society, the law has adjusted accordingly....It is fair to say that both the law and the population generally now view marriage, at least in the abstract ideal, as a partnership of equals with equal rights...founded upon shared intimacy and mutual financial and emotional support....In the face of such a widely held view, the gender of the two partners to a marriage is no longer critical to its definition. (2005 Slip Op 09436, p. 34). Argument Contra: The Supreme Court expressed itself in Murphy v. Ramsey: [N]o legislation can be supposed more wholesome and necessary in the founding of a free, self-governing commonwealth, fit to take [its] rank as one of the coordinate States of the Union, than that which seeks to establish it on the basis of the family, as consisting in and springing from the union for life of one man and one woman in the holy estate of matrimony. 114 U.S. 15, 45 (1885). Church Teaching: The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws.... (Constitution on the Church in the Modern World #48) The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they come from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1603) Marriage is a basic human and social institution. Though it is regulated by civil laws and church laws, it did not originate either from the church or the state, but from God. Therefore, neither church nor state can alter the basic meaning and structure of marriage. ( U.S. Catholic Bishops, Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions) Claim #2: Children are not a primary good or essential purpose of marriage. Argument Pro: The Goodridge court explicitly denied a state interest in linking procreation and marriage: [I]t is the exclusive � and permanent commitment of the marriage partners to one another, not the begetting of children, that is the sine qua non of civil marriage. P. 961. Goodridge also professed state neutrality about various possible settings for procreation: It is hardly surprising that civil marriage developed historically as a means to regulate heterosexual conduct and to promote child rearing, because until very recently, unassisted heterosexual relations were the only means short of adoption by which children could come into the world....But it is circular reasoning, not analysis, to maintain that marriage must remain a heterosexual institution because that is what it historically has been. P. 961, n. 23. Argument Contra: In Skinner v. Oklahoma the Supreme Court stated: Marriage and procreation are fundamental to the very existence and survival of the race. 316 U.S. 535, 541 (1942). Church Teaching: By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory. (Constitution on the Church in the Modern World #48) Thus the couple, while giving themselves to one another, give not just themselves but also the reality of children, who are a living reflection of their love, a permanent sign of conjugal unity and a living and inseparable synthesis of their being a father and a mother. (Familiaris Consortio #14) � Claim #3: Marriage is solely an emotional and practical alliance between two adults. Argument Pro: The Goodridge majority insisted that marriage is really about individual rights, not even the rights of couples: The [state] argues that this case concerns the rights of couples...not the rights of individuals. This is incorrect. The rights implicated in this case are at the core of individual privacy and autonomy. Goodridge at 957, n. 15. Quoting the Vermont State Supreme Court opinion that demanded that the state allow either same-sex marriage or civil unions for homosexual persons, the Goodridge court also said: Without the right...to choose to marry � one is excluded from the full range of human experience and denied full protection of the laws for ones `avowed commitment to an intimate and lasting human relationship. Goodridge at 957, quoting Baker v. State, at 229. Argument Contra: The U.S. Supreme Court has traditionally viewed marriage, not as a vehicle for satisfying the adult couple or individuals, but as the foundation of the family and of society, without which there would be neither civilization nor progress. Maynard v. Hill 125 U.S. 190, 211 (1888). The majority in the New York decision refusing to legalize same-sex marriage affirmed the primary thrust of marriage laws: Marriage laws are not primarily about adult needs for official recognition and support, but about the well-being of children and society.... Hernandez v. Robles (2005 Slip Op 09436, at 8). Church Teaching: For God himself is the author of marriage and has endowed it with various values and purposes: all of which have a very important bearing on the continuation of the human race, on the personal development and eternal destiny of every member of the family, on the dignity, stability, peace, and prosperity of the family and of the whole human race. (Constitution on the Church in the Modern World #48). Fruitful married love expresses itself in serving life in many ways. Of these ways, begetting and educating children are the most immediate, specific and irreplaceable. In fact, every act of true love toward a human being bears witness to and perfects the spiritual fecundity of the family, since it is an act of obedience to the deep inner dynamism of love as self-giving to others. (Familiaris Consortio #41). Conclusion Todays debate about same-sex marriage is occurring within a larger environment that increasingly understands marriage as a privatized relationship not oriented toward children or connected with the community and that is primarily focused on adult fulfillment. Recent court decisions have advanced claims about marriage that are helping to create a crisis of meaning and also promoting an acceptance of same-sex marriage. The Churchs teaching, rooted in natural law and faithful to divine revelation, must be shared more effectively if the true nature of marriage is to be protected and its fundamental value is to be promoted. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/samesexeng.shtml    ");
array_files[121]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20NFP.pdf","2008-06-18","30K","Why is natural family planning good for your marriage?    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth Why Is Natural Family Planning (NFP) Good for Your Marriage? The Situation Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a general name for the methods of family planning that are based on a womans menstrual cycle. A woman experiences clear, observable signs indicating when she is fertile and when she is infertile. By learning to observe and understand these signs, couples are enabled to participate in responsible family planning, whether a couples situation calls for avoiding or achieving pregnancy. (USCCB, Married Love and the Gift of Life, www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/MarriedLove.pdf) One study found that only 3.5% of women, age 15-44, had ever used NFP, down from 4.2% seven years ago. The results of another survey show that only 230,000 of sexually active women are currently using modern NFP methods in comparison to 750,000 who still use the outdated Calendar Rhythm method. (Use of NFP in the U.S. Remains Low, Current Medical Research, Vol. 16, #1-2, 2005, 8-13, www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/Win-Sp05-CMR.pdf) Couples seeking to responsibly plan their families prefer a method that is natural and non-invasive, provides knowledge about reproductive functioning, has a positive impact on personal communication, does not diminish pleasure, and is effective. (Psychological Aspects of Achieving or Avoiding Pregnancy, L. J. Severy and J. Robinson, in Integrating Faith and Science Through Natural Family Planning, T. Notare and R.J. Fehring, 130, Marquette University Press, 2004) Social Science The U.S. Bishops sponsored a study which revealed that 70% of married couples were satisfied with their use of NFP (Factors Affecting Client Satisfaction on the Instruction and Usage of Natural Methods, G.A. Boys, International Journal of Fertility, 33 [supplement], 1998, 56-64). Another study confirmed this, finding that 74% of NFP users expressed positive views of their experience. While many were challenged by the temporary abstinence required by the method, a majority benefited from improved relationship dynamics resulting in stronger bonds, better communication, and enhanced reproductive knowledge. (Couples Views of the Effects of NFP on Marital Dynamics, VandeVusse, Hanson, Fehring, et al, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Vol. 35, 2003, 171-176; reviewed in Majority of Couples Experience Improved Relationships with Use of NFP, Fehring, Current Medical Research, Vol. 15, #1-2, 2004, www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/CMR042004.pdf) NFP method effectiveness (perfect use) is 97-98%. Actual user effectiveness is 85-95%. Variations reflect the intention of the spouses. In cases where it would be inadvisable for a couple to conceive, actual effectiveness is closer to the method rate. When couples are able to be more receptive of children, however, they often have less of a desire to follow all the NFP guidelines. For this reason, analysis of the accuracy of NFP must take into account the social research concerning couples desires. (World Health Organization-USA, A Prospective Multicenter Trial of the Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning: Part II. The Effectiveness Phase, Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 36, #5, 1981, 591-598; Ibid. Part IV. The Outcome of Pregnancy, Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 41, #4, 1984, 593-598; Crossing the Threshold of Love, M. Shivanandan, 234-270) While artificial methods of contraception place the burden of responsibility primarily on women, NFP encourages intimate communication between spouses as they cooperate in fertility awareness and responsible family planning. (Practice of NFP Versus the Use of Artificial Birth Control: Family, Sexual and Moral Issues, M. Arzu Wilson, 6, www.familyplanning.net/CSSRPublishCOLOR.pdf) Church teaching / Pastoral Response Church teaching affirms the link between the unitive and procreative ends of marriage. To maintain this necessary connection couples must remain open to life in every act of sexual intercourse. Modern methods of natural family planning aide couples in following Gods will for the family, a community of life and love, by enabling couples to space births when it may be necessary. (U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, USCCB, 409) There is an inherent connection between the Churchs moral teaching and peoples personal and marital happiness. Regarding the support NFP provides for couples seeking to cooperate with the God-given structure and purpose of married love, Pope Paul VI described the fruit of NFP methods as peace and tranquility, thoughtfulness, and loving consideration. (Humanae Vitae 21) Throughout his pontificate Pope John Paul II desired to integrate the scientific study of personal relationships with the revelation of Gods plan for marriage. Recalling his reflections on the relationships of men and women, John Paul II spoke about how NFP methods enable a couple to remain open to Gods gift of life while accounting for the whole person by accepting dialogue, reciprocal respect, shared responsibility and selfcontrol. (Familiaris Consortio 32) The U.S. Bishops Committee for Pastoral Research and Practices stated that contemporary NFP methods are effective and healthy, provide an holistic approach to sexuality, foster the intimate communication of spouses on vital subjects, and encourage diverse and creative ways of expressing affection. (Faithful to Each Other Forever, 42). More recently, the U.S. Bishops affirmed that The Churchs support for NFP is not based on its being `natural as opposed to artificial. Rather, NFP respects the God-given power to love a new human life into being even when we are not actively seeking to exercise that power. They go on to explain that NFP is something that all people can accept, not only from a moral perspective, but also through realizing the benefits NFP offers both physically, by not changing the body through drugs or devices, and emotionally, leading couples to show greater attentiveness to and respect for each other. (USCCB, Married Love and the Gift of Life, www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/MarriedLove.pdf) Conclusion NFP is healthy, safe, and effective. In addition, social science has found that natural methods of family planning enhance the interpersonal communication of married couples in a number of ways. The Church encourages all people to promote further research, awareness and education, and use of natural family planning as both moral and beneficial to married couples happiness and fulfillment. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/nfpeng.shtml    ");
array_files[122]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20MARRIAGE%20EDUCATION.pdf","2008-06-18","30K","What difference does marriage education make?    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth Making a Case for Marriage: What Difference Does Marriage Education Make? The Situation Marriage education is an important element of a broader marriage formation process that spans ones entire life. Marriage education programs help relationships to succeed, acknowledge that relationships require work, address common marital problems, and build supportive environments. (The New Kid on the Block: What is Marriage Education & Does It Work?, Theodora Ooms, Center for Law & Social Policy, www.clasp.org/publications/marriage_brief7.pdf) Marriage preparation is the first experience most couples have of marriage education. While marriage prep is a good first step, its benefits diminish after a few years. Therefore, marital education and formation must continue throughout a couples lifetime. Continuing education enables couples to keep their relationship fresh by fostering new skills and renewing community support and spousal commitment. (Marriage Preparation in the Catholic Church: Getting it Right, Center for Marriage and Family, Creighton University, 1995, p. 20. See #2 of the USCCB Family, Laity, Women, and Youth summary of this document: www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/preparation.shtml) Marriage education is offered by community, religious, and government organizations. It may last a few hours, encompass multiple sessions, or be taken as a home study course. The primary elements of all marriage education programs are to evaluate relationship expectations, teach communication skills, and prepare couples to handle problems in a positive manner (National Healthy Marriage Resource Center, www.healthymarriageinfo.org). Trained clergy and lay leaders can teach marriage education and relationship skills as well as, or better than, professional counselors or therapists. Leader training often takes only a few days (www.smartmarriages.com/atlanta.press.html). Some marriage education programs are tailored for particular types of relationships such as couples in an inter-faith marriage, those facing life-altering changes, and spouses dealing with abuse, violence, and addiction. (Ibid.) Social science findings Pre-marital education encourages couples to take time to reflect on their relationship. It sends a message that marriage matters, helps couples to learn about options if they need help in the future, and lowers the risk for subsequent marital distress or divorce in some couples. (Scott Stanley, Making a Case for Premarital Education, Family Relations Journal, 2001, 50, 272-280) Couples who participated in skill-building programs for a total of 20-30 hours found results such as increased marital satisfaction, higher conflict resolution skills, strengthened spousal commitment, and more frequent expressions of positive feelings and affection. Other studies confirm that similar positive effects result from programs as short as a few hours. (www.healthymarriageinfo.org, Marriage Education � About Marriage Education Programs) In a survey of over 3000 adults, 31% had attended premarital education. Research suggests that participation in such programs rises with an increase in their availability. It also found that premarital education is associated with a 30% decline in the odds of divorce. (Scott Stanley, Paul Amato, Christine Johnson, Howard Markman, Premarital Education, Marital Quality, and Marital Stability: Findings from a Large, Random Household Survey, Journal of Family Psychology, 2006, Vol. 20, No. 1, 117-126) The effect of marital education on divorce rates differs for low-income couples with lower education. Although the divorce rate was not significantly reduced for this population, such couples still experienced an increase in marital satisfaction after receiving marriage education. (M. Robin Dion, Healthy Marriage Programs: Learning What Works, Marriage and Child Wellbeing, Vol. 15, No. 2, 139-153, www.futureofchildren.org) Church teaching and pastoral practice Pope John Paul II insisted that the pastoral intervention of the Church in support of the family is a matter of urgency. He called attention to three stages of marital preparation and also recognized the need for pastoral care after marriage. He entrusted the mission of marriage education to the Church community (especially the parish), the family (in itself and by ministering to other families), and associations of families. (Familiaris Consortio, 65-72) The Pontifical Council for the Family recognized that marriage preparation is a favorable time to begin the ongoing pastoral care of marriage and the family. The Council said that it would be beneficial to follow up marriage preparation with post-marriage courses, especially in the first five years of marriage. (Preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage, #57, conclusion, 1996) The U.S. Bishops stated that married couples can often be discouraged because of the difficulties that married life brings. They insisted that couples can find hope and confidence in the Church through mariage education and formation programs, but also primarily through the grace of Jesus Christ, who enables couples to be faithful to each other forever. (Faithful to Each Other Forever, p.138) The U.S. Bishops National Directory for Catechesis claims that marriage education and formation is needed specifically for adults in all stages of married life. (p. 142) Conclusion A growing body of social science data confirms the beneficial effects of marriage education. The Church encourages couples at all stages, starting at the pre-marital, to take advantage of marriage education programs. It also calls on parishes and church organizations to use the resources of marital education so that married couples may recognize and live out the sacramental nature of their relationship, a human love that shares in and represents divine love. Resources Here are some organizations that provide directories of marriage education programs: Smart Marriages: The Coalition for Marriage, Family, & Couples Education, L.L.C. (www.smartmarriages.com/directory.html); The National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (www.healthymarriageinfo.org, click Marriage Education then View a list of Marriage Education Programs and Curricula); and The National Association of Family Life Ministers (www.nacflm.org and click on Resource Links). http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/educationeng.shtml    ");
array_files[123]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20LASTING%20AND%20HAPPY.pdf","2008-06-18","116K","What promotes a happy and lasting marraige?    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth Making a Case for Marriage What Promotes A Happy and Lasting Marriage? The Situation � Happy and lasting marriages require building multiple marriages throughout common life-changing experiences, by adjusting to new situations and renewing commitment. (The Lifecycle Stages of a Marriage, Sr. Barbara Markey, ND, www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/Markey.pdf) Transitional times of adjustment include the first years of marriage, becoming parents, having adolescent children, life after children move out, retirement, and aging. (Ibid.) A study of newly-weds found that time, sex, and money are high stress factors in the early years of marriage. (Time, Sex, & Money: The First Five Years of Marriage, 2000, Center for Marriage & Family, Creighton University, www.creighton.edu/MarriageandFamily/index.html) Annual surveys of teens and young adults suggest that they place a high value on marriage and family life. Although young generations emphasize the importance of personal commitment, which is needed to sustain a marriage, they often fail to consider the significance of community support, such as that which is received from religious and social institutions. (The State of Our Unions, Annual Reports 20012006, David Popenoe & Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, The National Marriage Project, http://marriage.rutgers.edu) � � � Social science findings � The three most common reasons given for divorce are lack of commitment, too much conflict and arguing, and infidelity. (With This Ring...A National Survey on Marriage in America, 2005, National Fatherhood Initiative, www.fatherhood.org) On the contrary, the most common reasons couples give for long-term marital success are commitment and companionship. They speak of hard work and dedication, both to each other and to the idea of marriage itself. (The Top Ten Myths of Marriage, Popenoe & Whitehead, http://marriage.rutgers.edu) Couples who know what to expect during common transitional periods in a marriage are less likely to be blindsided when changes occur. Couples can acquire proactive resources to prepare for relationship shifts. (The Lifecycle Stages..., Markey) Qualities that a couple can acquire and/or strengthen in order to save or improve their marriage include: positive communication styles, realistic expectations, common attitudes concerning important issues and beliefs, and a high degree of personal commitment. (What Factors are Associated with Divorce &/or Marital Unhappiness?, Scott Stanley, www.prepinc.com/main/docs/what_factors.html) � � � � Complementing personal commitment is the need for a normative commitment to marriage. This entails support for marital childbearing, openness to children, and a belief that marriage is for life. Such commitment results in high levels of intimacy and marital happiness. (Seeking a Soulmate: A Social Scientific View of the Relationship between Commitment & Authentic Intimacy, Brad Wilcox, www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/Wilcox.pdf) Couples who stay married and happy have the same levels and types of disagreements as those who divorce. The difference stems from how they handle disagreements. Its about behaviors � or best practices. (The Emerging Field of Marriage Education, Diane Sollee, Coalition for Marriage, Family & Couples Education, www.smartmarriages.com/fish.html) � Church teaching and pastoral practice � It often seems difficult or impossible to bind oneself for life to another person. With Gods grace, given through Christ, couples are made sharers in divine love, which is stronger than our human weakness and enables us to bear each others burdens with forgiveness and kindness. (U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, USCCB, 2006, p.285-287) Pope Benedict XVI speaks of a couples handling of conflicting temperaments as a critical point in their marriage. He offers hope by noting that couples can insert themselves into the suffering of Christ on the Cross, which leads to the Resurrection. Benedict speaks of the beauty and strength of a love that has been tested and renewed through the trials of marital life. (Benedict XVI, To Priests of the Diocese of Albano, 8/31/06, www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/august/index_en.htm) The U.S. Bishops speak of the challenges of married love: An enduring marriage is more than simply endurance. It is a process of growth into an intimate friendship and a deepening peace. We urge all couples: renew your commitment regularly, seek enrichment often, and ask for pastoral and professional help when needed. (Follow the Way of Love, www.usccb.org/laity/follow.shtml) In a June 2003 working paper, the U.S. Bishops Committee on Marriage & Family Life stated that Sustaining a marriage over a lifetime means cultivating and blending gifts of nature and grace. The effort, considered both from the viewpoint of a couple and from the viewpoint of those who minister to them, involves four inter-related areas in which growth must continually occur. These are: Maturity (personal and social growth patterns), Vision (of marriage itself and for marriages specifically), Skills (learned behaviors), and Community (supportive social and religious context). (A Renewed Pastoral Effort to Sustain Marriages for a Lifetime, www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/propmar.shtml) � � � Conclusion We are called to enter into Gods grace through a training in holiness which includes prayer, the Eucharist, and Reconciliation (Novo Millennio Ineunte #30-41). Our faith proclaims that Christian marriage is a specific training ground for holiness and encourages couples to incorporate the findings of social science, specifically regarding the manifold practices that can increase marital joy and permanence, enabling them to enter more fully into loving communion with each other, society, and God. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/lasting.shtml    ");
array_files[124]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/SP%20USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20WHY%20IS%20MARRIAGE%20GOOD.pdf","2008-06-18","34K","Why is marriage good? Spanish translation    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth �Por Qu� el Matrimonio es Bueno Para el Hombre y la Mujer? La situaci�n � � � � � El �ndice anual del matrimonio baj� un 50% de 1970 al 2004. (David Popenoe & Barbara D. Whitehead, State of Our Unions 2006, National Marriage Project, http://marriage.rutgers.edu, p15) A partir de 1960, ha habido una disminuci�n de personas casadas entre los individuos mayores de 15 a�os. Este es el resultado de estados de solter�a m�s prolongados y de cohabitaci�n a largo plazo y una disminuci�n de nuevas nupcias entre personas divorciadas. (Ibid.) El matrimonio se est� posponiendo hasta m�s adelante en la vida. La edad promedio para casarse en 1960 era de 20 a�os para las mujeres y 23 para los hombres. Hoy, la edad promedio es 26 y 27, respectivamente. Las personas que tienen un grado universitario, esperan a�n m�s tiempo para casarse. (Ibid.) La cohabitaci�n es diez veces m�s com�n que en 1960, una situaci�n que est� demorando y hasta reemplazando al matrimonio. (Popenoe & Whitehead, The State of Our Unions 2006, p25) Algunos sugieren err�neamente que el matrimonio es bueno para los hombres pero no para las mujeres y mencionan los efectos del matrimonio en la carrera profesional de la mujer, el estr�s de la maternidad y el peligro del abuso dom�stico. (Popenoe & Whitehead, Top Ten Myths of Marriage, 2002, citando a Linda Waite y a Maggie Gallagher, The Case for Marriage, 2000, Ch12) Investigaciones cient�fico-sociales � � Beneficios mutuos o Las personas casadas tienen una probabilidad de vida m�s larga que sus semejantes solteros. (Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good: 10 Principles, 2006, p.20, www.princetonprinciples.org) o Las parejas casadas tienen relaciones sexuales mucho m�s significativas. Ellas tienen relaciones sexuales con la misma frecuencia que las parejas que cohabitan pero reportan tambi�n que ellas alcanzan una mayor satisfacci�n emocional en sus relaciones sexuales. (Linda Waite, Does Marriage Matter?, 1995, p. 491) o Las personas casadas son m�s productivas, cuentan con mejores ingresos y gozan de m�s momentos familiares que las personas solteras. Esto se debe, en parte, a la divisi�n y especializaci�n de tareas en las que cada c�nyuge asume la responsabilidad de tareas espec�ficas. (L. Waite & E. Lehrer, The Benefits from Marriage & Religion in the U.S.: A Comparative Analysis, Population & Development Review, Vol 29, No. 2, June 2003, p. 264) o Las razones a favor del matrimonio van m�s all� de los beneficios para los ni�os y la sociedad y contienen considerables ventajas para las parejas. El matrimonio beneficia de igual manera a hombres y mujeres pero en forma espec�fica a su g�nero (Popenoe and Whitehead, Top Ten Myths of Marriage, 2002). Beneficios para los hombres o El matrimonio fomenta mejores relaciones entre padres e hijos, especialmente, en la interacci�n del padre con los hijos. (Brad Wilcox, Institute for American Values, Why Marriage Matters, 2nd Edition, 26 Conclusions from the Social Sciences, 2003, www.americanvalues.org) o Los hombres casados ganan entre 10-40% m�s que los hombres solteros en trabajos semejantes (Popenoe & Whitehead, National Marriage Project, The State of Our Unions 2005, p16). � Los hombres casados gozan tambi�n de muchos beneficios en su salud f�sica; est�n en mejor estado f�sico y son menos propensos a enfermedades o incapacidad. (Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good..., p.20) o Los hombres casados tienen niveles m�s bajos de testosterona, la cual se asocia con una disminuci�n en comportamientos agresivos y riesgosos y con la promiscuidad. (Wilcox, Why Marriage Matters..., p. 17 & Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good..., p.20) o Los hombres casados tienen menos probabilidad de ser adictos al alcohol o a las drogas, a cometer cr�menes y a ser abusivos. (L. Waite, Does Marriage Matter?, p. 468) Beneficios para las mujeres o Si se las compara con mujeres solteras, las mujeres casadas sin hijos cuentan con mejores ingresos y las madres casadas tienen menos probabilidad de vivir en la pobreza. (Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good..., p.20) o Para las mujeres, el matrimonio combate la depresi�n, ofrece muy buenos beneficios sicol�gicos y disminuye considerablemente el riesgo de suicidio. (Wilcox, Why Marriage Matters..., p.28 & Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good..., p.20) o El matrimonio usualmente disminuye la probabilidad que la mujer sufra de abuso dom�stico. S�lo un 5% de las mujeres casadas reportan abuso comparado con un 14% de mujeres que cohabitan. (Waite & Lehrer, The Benefits from Marriage & Religion..., p.261) o La ense�anza de la Iglesia y la respuesta pastoral � � � � � El Concilio Vaticano II afirma que la �ntima comunidad de vida y amor conyugal no solo est� ordenada para el bien de los hijos y de la sociedad sino tambi�n para el bien de los c�nyuges. (Gaudium et Spes #48) La Iglesia ense�a que el matrimonio ayuda a vencer el repliegue sobre s� mismo, el ego�smo, la b�squeda del propio placer, y a abrirse al otro, a la ayuda mutua, al don de s� (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1609). La Iglesia reconoce lo bueno de la unidad y la diferencia en la existencia. As� como las tres personas de la Trinidad son diferentes pero tienen todo lo que tiene el otro, as� tambi�n el hombre y la mujer se convierten en uno dentro del matrimonio, pero con diferentes recursos y formas de relacionarse. (John Paul II, Letter to Families #8 & Mulieris Dignitatem #10) Juan Pablo II habla de la capacidad del matrimonio para sanar los efectos negativos del pecado con la ayuda de la gracia de Dios en los sacramentos y por medio de la oraci�n y del perd�n dentro de la familia. (Letter to Families #14) Al hablar de la dignidad semejante del hombre y de la mujer, los obispos de Estados Unidos hablan de la diferencia en su g�nero. Ellos se refieren a las caracter�sticas particulares, tanto f�sicas como sicol�gicas, que resultan en habilidades y perspectivas diversas. Como se ha mencionado anteriormente, tanto el hombre como la mujer se benefician con el matrimonio pero reciben estos beneficios en formas diferentes. (USCCB, Follow the Way of Love, 1993, p.19) Conclusi�n El matrimonio es bueno para los hijos, para la sociedad y para los propios c�nyuges. La ciencia social muestra que existen beneficios espec�ficos para el hombre y para la mujer dentro del matrimonio, los cuales son dones de una relaci�n de amor entre dos personas que son similares aunque diferentes. Aunque tratando de evitar cualquier generalizaci�n respecto al g�nero, los estudios dicen que el matrimonio ayuda a los hombres a ser mejores padres, reduce sus probabilidades de re�ir y de caer presos de alguna adicci�n y les ofrece muchos beneficios para su salud f�sica. Por otro lado, las mujeres tienen m�s probabilidad de mejorar econ�micamente, de ser protegidas contra el crimen y el abuso y de recibir beneficios sicol�gicos. Estos resultados reflejan las ense�anzas de la Iglesia sobre la complementaci�n e igualdad del hombre y la mujer as� como tambi�n sobre las bondades del matrimonio. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/menwomensp.shtml    ");
array_files[125]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/SP%20USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20WHY%20DO%20CHILDREN%20NEED%20MARRIED%20PARENTS.pdf","2008-06-18","31K","Why do children need married parents? Spanish translation    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth �POR QU� LOS NI�OS NECESITAN QUE SUS PADRES EST�N CASADOS? La situaci�n � � � � � En 2004, el 68% de los ni�os viv�a con su madre y padre casados. (Family Structure and Childrens Living Arrangements, Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, http://childstats.gov/amchildren05/pop6.asp) En 2004, el 23% de los ni�os viv�a s�lo con sus madres, el 5% viv�a s�lo con sus padres y el 4% no viv�a con ninguno de sus padres. (Family Structure...) S�lo un 45% de todos los adolescentes vive con sus padres biol�gicos casados. (The Positive Effects of Marriage: A Book of Charts, Patrick Fagan, www.heritage.org/Research /Features/Marriage/index.cfm) Los ni�os en familias con s�lo padre o madre constituyen el 27% de todos los ni�os estadounidenses, sin embargo, representan el 62% de todos los ni�os pobres. (The Positive Effects...) Las tres razones m�s importantes por las cuales los ni�os son criados sin madre y padre casados son: un embarazo sin casarse, la cohabitaci�n y el divorcio. (The State of Our Unions: The Social Health of Marriage in America 2006, David Popenoe y Barbara Whitehead, National Marriage Project, http://marriage.rutgers.edu versi�n impresa p.33) La ciencia social sobre los beneficios que el matrimonio ofrece a los hijos � � � � � Los hijos criados dentro de familias intactas casadas tienen mayor probabilidad de asistir a la universidad, son f�sica y emocionalmente m�s saludables, tienen menor probabilidad de sufrir abuso f�sico o sexual, tienen menor probabilidad de usar drogas o alcohol y cometer actos delictivos, tienen menor riesgo de divorcio cuando se casen, tienen menor probabilidad de un embarazo o de embarazar a alguien cuando adolescentes y tienen menor probabilidad de criarse en la pobreza. (Why Marriage Matters: 26 Conclusions from the Social Sciences, Bradford Wilcox, Institute for American Values, www.americanvalues.org/html/r-wmm.html) Los ni�os reciben un apoyo espec�fico en lo que respecta a su g�nero de parte de su padre y su madre. Las investigaciones muestran que el papel particular que juegan las madres (p. ej., criar y educar) y los padres (p. ej disciplinar), as� como las interacciones complejas propias de cada g�nero son importantes para el desarrollo de ni�os y ni�as. (Marriage and the Public Good: Ten Principles, 2006, www.princetonprinciples.org) Los ni�os que viven s�lo con la madre tiene 14 veces m�s probabilidad de sufrir abuso f�sico serio que ni�os que viven con sus padres biol�gicos casados. Un ni�o o ni�a cuya madre cohabita con un hombre que no es el padre del ni�o o ni�a tiene 33 veces m�s probabilidad de sufrir serio abuso f�sico. (The Positive Effects...) En las familias casadas, cerca de 1/3 de los adolescentes tienen actividad sexual. Sin embargo, para los adolescentes en cuyas familias hay padrastro o madrastra, hogares cohabitados, familias divorciadas o aquellas con s�lo un padre soltero o madre soltera, el porcentaje se eleva a m�s de la mitad. (The Positive Effects...) El crecer fuera de un matrimonio intacto aumenta la probabilidad que esos hijos se divorcien o se conviertan en madres y padres solteros. (26 Conclusions... y Marriage and the Public Good...) � Los hijos de padres divorciados experimentan tensiones a lo largo de su vida como resultado de las crecientes diferencias en los valores e ideas de sus padres. Desde una edad temprana deber�n tomar decisiones con madurez respecto a sus creencias y valores. A los hijos de los llamados buenos divorcios les fue peor emocionalmente que a los hijos que crecieron dentro de un matrimonio infeliz pero con menos conflictos. (Ten Findings from a National Study on the Moral and Spiritual Lives of Children of Divorce, Elizabeth Marquardt, www.betweentwoworlds.org) La ense�anza de la Iglesia y la respuesta pastoral � � � � � Existen dos fines inseparables del matrimonio: el bien de los c�nyuges y la procreaci�n y educaci�n de los hijos. La educaci�n de los hijos en la fe, amor y sabidur�a es una labor vital del amor conyugal. (Catecismo de la Iglesia Cat�lica 2249; Guadium et Spes #50). En la reuni�n mundial de las familias en el 2006, el Papa Benedicto XVI enfatiz� que el amor de una madre y un padre ofrece seguridad a los ni�os y los educa sobre lo maravilloso que es el amor fiel y eterno. www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/july/documents/hf_benxvi_spe_20060708_incontro-festivo_en.html El Papa Juan Pablo II habl� de los padres como co-creadores y educadores, destacando el ejemplo fundamental del amor desinteresado y de la comuni�n personal que los padres casados proporcionan a sus hijos. Los padres casados ofrecen a sus hijos su primera experiencia del amor de Dios y la Iglesia. (Familiaris Consortio, #36-38) Los obispos de Estados Unidos se han manifestado acerca de la importancia que tienen los padres casados en el bienestar de sus hijos y en su formaci�n cristiana: ...apoyamos y aplaudimos los esfuerzos con frecuencia heroicos de las familias con un s�lo padre o madre. Tambi�n enfatizamos el valor de los padres que permanecen juntos sacrific�ndose para criar a sus hijos. Cuando los ni�os tienen el amor y el apoyo--personal y material--de ambos padres generalmente les va mucho mejor. (Putting Children and Families First: A Challenge for Our Church, Nation, and World, 1991) Los obispos de Estados Unidos se�alan que una relaci�n matrimonial comprometida es la base de la familia, �sta fortalece a todos los miembros, es la mejor proveedora de los ni�os, y hace que la iglesia del hogar sea una se�al efectiva de Cristo en el mundo (Follow the Way of Love, 1994). Casi una d�cada despu�s, los obispos reafirman este punto, manifestando que la relaci�n amorosa y estable de un padre y una madre--presente s�lo dentro del matrimonio--ofrece las mejores condiciones para criar a los hijos (Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers about Marriage and Same-Sex Unions, 2003) Conclusi�n Los estudios en ciencias sociales muestran las claras ventajas que existen cuando los hijos son criados por ambos padres casados. Esto no menoscaba los ejemplares esfuerzos de muchos padres solteros cuya valent�a y determinaci�n fueron reconocidos por los obispos de Estados Unidos en Follow the Way of Love (p. 11). Sin embargo, eso anima a los l�deres pastorales a fomentar matrimonios comprometidos, fieles y amorosos, como el mejor regalo que los padres puedan dar a sus hijos. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/childrensp.shtml    ");
array_files[126]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/SP%20USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20THINKING%20ABOUT%20DIVORCE.pdf","2008-06-18","33K","Thinking About Divorce? Think Again - Spanish translation    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth �Est� Pensando en Divorciarse? Pi�selo Bien. La situaci�n � � � Estudios realizados estiman hoy que cuarenta a cincuenta por ciento de primeros matrimonios y un porcentaje m�s alto de segundos o m�s matrimonios (un 10% a 20% m�s) terminar� en divorcio. (www.healthymarriageinfo.org/research) La tasa de divorcios var�a un poco dependiendo de la afiliaci�n religiosa de las personas. La tasa de divorcio entre los cat�licos es aproximadamente 25% (www.barna.org). Los primeros a�os de matrimonio son los m�s riesgosos. Uno de cinco matrimonios termina durante los primeros cinco a�os. Uno de tres termina dentro de los 10 a�os. (www.healthymarriageinfo.org/research) Descubrimientos cient�fico-sociales Un divorcio no necesariamente hace m�s feliz a la persona. Existe un estudio que muestra que los adultos que fueron infelices en su matrimonio y se divorciaron, no eran tan felices como aquellas personas que estaban en un matrimonio infeliz pero que permanecieron juntas por cinco a�os. El primer grupo mostraba m�s s�ntomas de depresi�n, una auto estima m�s baja y m�s hostilidad. Inclusive, aquellas que se divorciaron y se volvieron a casar, no eran tan felices como aquellas que permanecieron con sus c�nyuges por cinco a�os. (Linda J. Waite, et al, Does Divorce Make People Happy? Findings from a Study of Unhappy Marriages, Institute for American Values, 2002). � � � � � Es com�n que las parejas pasen por per�odos de infelicidad pero tambi�n es com�n que los matrimonios pasen nuevamente de la infelicidad a la felicidad. Casi dos tercios (64%) de los adultos que manifestaron sentirse infelices en su matrimonio pero permanecieron en �l, cinco a�os m�s tarde dijeron que se sent�an felices (Ibid.) Como promedio, casi dos tercios de los divorcios vienen de matrimonios que se pueden describir como matrimonios con poco conflicto. Algunas de las razones m�s comunes para el divorcio en estas relaciones incluyen: la incompatibilidad, el distanciamiento, problemas de personalidad y falta de comunicaci�n. (Paul Amato & Denise Previti, Peoples Reasons for Divorcing: Gender, Social Class, the Life Course, and Adjustment, como se cita en www.healthymarriageinfo.org) Un matrimonio saludable y para toda la vida significa que hay que construir varios matrimonios con la misma pareja. Todo matrimonio pasa por etapas predecibles las cuales traen cambios y transiciones. Estos cambios, aunque normales, pueden producir estr�s. (Barbara Markey, The Lifecycle Stages of a Marriage, www.usccb.org/npim). Las habilidades y los conocimientos necesarios para lograr un matrimonio feliz pueden aprenderse. Los programas de educaci�n matrimonial pueden ayudar a los novios y a los casados a aprender las habilidades necesarias para mantener una buena relaci�n. Los programas de educaci�n matrimonial son ofrecidos por algunas organizaciones religiosas, agencias de la comunidad, organizaciones para la salud y centros de trabajo. M�s informaci�n sobre algunos programas espec�ficos de educaci�n matrimonial los encontrar� en www.nationalhealthymarriageinfo.org y en www.smartmarriages.com. Para las parejas que est�n pasando momentos angustiosos, los beneficios que les ofrecen los programas de educaci�n matrimonial pueden ser muchos. Estos programas pueden ayudar a las parejas a mejorar su � habilidad para comunicarse y mejorar su satisfacci�n como esposos. (Jane Reardon-Anderson, et al, Systematic review of the impact of marriage and relationship programs, Urban Institute, 2005). Los consejos o terapias matrimoniales eficaces puede reparar matrimonios infelices e insalubres. Las parejas deben tener cuidado de encontrar un terapeuta que apoye el matrimonio y que tenga la experiencia adecuada para trabajar con parejas con problemas. El asesoramiento matrimonial ayuda mucho cuando las parejas buscan ayuda a la primera se�al de problemas matrimoniales serios. (www.healthymarriageinfo.org/aboutmarriage). La ense�anza de la Iglesia y la pr�ctica pastoral � � � � La Iglesia reconoce que las parejas casadas siempre han experimentado problemas que amenazan su uni�n como los celos, la infidelidad y las peleas. Estas cuestiones son el resultado del pecado original y del pecado personal que rompieron la unidad entre var�n y mujer propuesta por Dios. Sin embargo, el plan de Dios para el matrimonio contin�a y Dios dar� a las parejas la misericordia y la sanaci�n que ellas necesitan para mantener su matrimonio. (Ver United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 287). La oraci�n, la Eucarist�a y el Sacramento de la Penitencia y la Reconciliaci�n son recursos importantes para las parejas cat�licas. Retrouvaille es un programa de un fin de semana y post fin de semana para parejas con serias dificultades conyugales. Miles de parejas que iban camino al divorcio pudieron salvar su matrimonio luego de participar en este programa. Para m�s informaci�n, incluyendo la lista de los pr�ximos programas de fin de semana, visite: www.retrouvaille.org. Algunas personas han sufrido abuso en su matrimonio. Ellas pueden creer--err�neamente--que la ense�anza de la Iglesia sobre la durabilidad del matrimonio exige que ellas permanezcan en una relaci�n abusiva. Los obispos estadounidenses han dicho claramente que no se espera que nadie permanezca en un matrimonio abusivo. Los obispos animan a las personas abusadas que se han divorciado que averig�en la posibilidad de buscar la anulaci�n (Ver Cuando pido ayuda: Una respuesta pastoral a la violencia dom�stica contra la mujer, 2002) La Iglesia les aconseja a los cat�licos divorciados que permanezcan cerca del Se�or por medio de los sacramentos, especialmente la Santa Comuni�n. Algunos cat�licos divorciados se han vuelto a casar por lo civil. En estos casos, la Iglesia no considera v�lido ese segundo matrimonio; sin embargo, aconseja a esos cat�licos que participen en las actividades de su parroquia y que asistan a la Misa dominical, a pesar de no poder recibir la Comuni�n (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, pp. 287). Conclusi�n Todas las parejas de novios se acercan al matrimonio con la esperanza que �ste durar� para siempre. Nadie desea divorciarse. En algunos casos, el divorcio es la �nica opci�n, por ejemplo, cuando la salud o el bienestar de un c�nyuge son amenazados por la conducta abusiva de su pareja. Sin embargo, en otros casos, las parejas con problemas necesitan �nimo y recursos para tratar de salvar su matrimonio. Ellas pueden ver el divorcio como su �nica opci�n ya que no saben que existe ayuda para ellas. Estas parejas se pueden beneficiar con programas de asesoramiento, enriquecimiento y educaci�n matrimonial, o programas para parejas con problemas, por ejemplo, programa como Retrouvaille, The Third Option y otros. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/divorcesp.shtml    ");
array_files[127]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/SP%20USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20SOCIETY%20BENEFITS.pdf","2008-06-18","32K","How does society benefit from strong marriages? Spanish translation    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth �De qu� manera se beneficia la sociedad con unos matrimonios s�lidos? La situaci�n Reconociendo que el matrimonio es la base de la sociedad, el gobierno federal y los gobiernos locales, los organismos c�vicos y comunitarios y las comunidades religiosas han resuelto ofrecer su apoyo al matrimonio. Ellos reconocen que la falta de matrimonios comprometidos y de familias con ambos padres es la ra�z de muchos de los problemas sociales de hoy, especialmente en lo que se refiere al bienestar de los ni�os (Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good: 10 Principles, www.princetonprinciples.org). El gobierno de Estados Unidos ha establecido la iniciativa Healthy Marriage Initiative (Iniciativa para un matrimonio saludable) a fin de apoyar a los matrimonios capacitando a las parejas con los conocimientos necesarios para lograr un matrimonio saludable. (Healthy Marriage Initiative, www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage) Los matrimonios benefician a la sociedad construyendo y fortaleciendo las relaciones humanas dentro del hogar (entre los esposos y los hijos) y fuera de �l (involucrando a familiares, vecinos y comunidades). Por esta raz�n y desde tiempo atr�s, se entiende que la familia es la unidad fundamental de la sociedad, la base desde donde se desarrollan y florecen naturalmente las organizaciones religiosas, c�vicas y jur�dicas. Investigaciones cient�fico-sociales El v�nculo de las relaciones y de los bienes comunitarios que se forjan dentro del matrimonio deriva resultados positivos para la sociedad. El matrimonio es el semillero de un comportamiento pro-sociedad que fomenta las relaciones sociales, los compromisos c�vicos y religiosos y los donativos ben�ficos. El matrimonio conecta al hombre y la mujer a la comunidad en general y estimula la responsabilidad personal, el compromiso familiar, el voluntariado en la comunidad, y el altruismo social. (Barbara D. Whitehead, U.S. Senate Testimony, http://marriage.rutgers.edu) El matrimonio es el gran educador social de los ni�os. Es la instituci�n que ense�a m�s eficazmente las virtudes c�vicas como la honestidad, la lealtad, la confianza, el auto-sacrificio, la responsabilidad personal y el respeto a los dem�s. Las virtudes que se cultivan entre el hombre y la mujer en el matrimonio y entre los padres y los hijos son irradiadas hacia la sociedad civil. �stas intensifican en las parejas casadas fuertes h�bitos de dedicaci�n hacia la vida c�vica. (Wilcox, Sacred Vows, Public Purposes: Religion, the Marriage Movement, & Marriage Policy, The Institute for the Advanced Study of Religion, p.3,28, 2002, http://pewforum.org/publications/reports/marriagepolicy.pdf ) Los ni�os criados dentro de familias intactas tienen mayor probabilidad de asistir a la universidad, son m�s saludables f�sica y emocionalmente, tienen menor probabilidad de sufrir abusos f�sicos o sexuales, menor probabilidad de usar drogas o alcohol y de mostrar conductas delictivas, menor riesgo de divorciarse cuando se casan, menor probabilidad de quedar embarazadas o de embarazar a alguien en la adolescencia, y menor probabilidad de criarse en la pobreza (Why Marriage Matters: 26 Conclusions from the Social Sciences, Bradford Wilcox, Institute for American Values, www.americanvalues.org/html/r-wmm.html). En 2004, solo un 68% de los ni�os viv�a con sus dos padres casados (Family Structure and Childrens Living Arrangements, Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, http://childstats.gov/amchildren05/pop6.asp). Los ni�os en familias con un s�lo progenitor constituyen el 27% de todos los ni�os estadounidenses pero tambi�n constituyen el 62% de todos los ni�os en familias que est�n por debajo del umbral de pobreza. (The Positive Effects of Marriage: A Book of Charts, Patrick Fagan, www.heritage.org) Los efectos negativos de un divorcio afectan en forma desproporcionada a los miembros m�s vulnerables de la sociedad (Patrick Fagan & Robert Rector, The Effects of Divorce on America, The Heritage Foundation, 2000, www.heritage.org/Research/Family/BG1373.cfm). El matrimonio beneficia especialmente a los miembros m�s d�biles de la comunidad. Un an�lisis de unas estad�sticas sociales recientes concluye que la opci�n preferencial por el pobre empieza en el hogar. (B. Wilcox, The Facts of Life & Marriage, Touchstone, Jan/Feb 2005, www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=18-01-038-f) El matrimonio es una instituci�n generadora de riqueza. El compromiso del esposo y la esposa fomenta la especializaci�n econ�mica y econom�as de escala (dos pueden vivir tan barato como uno). La relaci�n entre el divorcio/ni�os de madres solteras y la pobreza infantil, as� como los crecientes gastos gubernamentales en programas de beneficencia dan testimonio de los beneficios econ�micos del matrimonio. (Whitehead & Popenoe, The State of Our Unions 2006, p.27, http://marriage.rutgers.edu/Publications/SOOU/SOOU2006.pdf) La ense�anza de la Iglesia y la pr�ctica pastoral El Concilio Vaticano II se refiri� a la familia como la base de la sociedad y como una escuela del m�s rico humanismo. Resalt� la habilidad de la familia para conjugar los derechos del individuo con las exigencias de la sociedad (Gaudium et Spes #52). La Iglesia ve la similitud entre la unidad de las personas divinas y la comunidad que las personas establecen entre ellas. La persona humana necesita vivir en sociedad y las sociedades como la familia son necesarias para el hombre y la mujer. (Catecismo de la Iglesia Cat�lica, #s 1878-1896) Juan Pablo II se refiri� a la familia como la iglesia dom�stica y como una comunidad salvada y salvadora. La familia participa en la misi�n de la Iglesia y manifiesta al mundo el amor de Cristo por la humanidad. El matrimonio forma una comuni�n de personas ordenadas a la sociedad las cuales tambi�n deber�n ser defendidas y apoyadas por la sociedad. Las funciones complementarias de la sociedad y la familia indican que la sociedad debe respectar y alentar a las familias asegurando que est�n equipadas para convertirse plenamente en lo que son. (Familiaris Consortio, #s 45, 49, 70) El bien que la Iglesia y la sociedad espera del matrimonio y la familia es tan grande que exige un compromiso pastoral pleno hacia esta �rea en particular. El matrimonio y la familia deben ser promovidos y protegidos de cualquier equ�voco posible sobre su naturaleza verdadera porque el da�o que se les hace provoca de hecho una herida a la sociedad como tal. (Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis, #29) Los obispos estadounidenses manifiestan que la familia es el coraz�n de todas las sociedades. Es la primera comunidad, y la m�s b�sica, en donde los ni�os aprenden acerca de Cristo y experimentan la dicha de la existencia en comunidad en el hogar, en el vecindario, en la Iglesia y en la sociedad... (Follow the Way of Love, p.1, 29). Los obispos reconocen que para ayudar a los ni�os, la sociedad debe apoyar a las familias. Ellos hacen un llamado a la sociedad, como protectora y promotora de ni�os y familias, para que entre en asociaciones creativas con las familias con el prop�sito de ayudarlas. (Putting Children and Families First, p.2, 10) Conclusi�n El matrimonio es la base para la familia, la sociedad humana fundamental. Un matrimonio y una vida familiar saludables aseguran la estabilidad social y mejoran la calidad de vida para todos los miembros de la sociedad. Las comunidades y los gobiernos obran en pro de sus mejores intereses cuando toman pasos concretos para apoyar el matrimonio y la familia. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/societysp.shtml    ");
array_files[128]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/SP%20USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20SAME%20SEX%20MARRIAGE.pdf","2008-06-18","34K","How does legalizing same sex marriage deny the true nature of marriage? - Spanish translation    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth �C�mo es que legalizando el matrimonio de personas del mismo sexo se niega la verdadera naturaleza del matrimonio? La situaci�n � � � � La creencia y ense�anza cat�lica se opone a que las uniones de personas del mismo sexo reciban la equivalencia social, legal y moral del matrimonio. El matrimonio es la uni�n de un hombre y una mujer unidos en una sociedad exclusiva, fiel y permanente de vida y amor. Algunas personas creen que la posici�n de la Iglesia Cat�lica se basa en una hostilidad hacia las personas homosexuales. Esto no es cierto. La ense�anza cat�lica est� basada en la verdadera naturaleza del matrimonio descubierta por el raciocinio humano. Esta verdad es confirmada por revelaci�n divina en la Sagrada Escritura. Los que defienden el matrimonio de personas del mismo sexo, impl�cita o expl�citamente exigen tres cosas sobre el matrimonio que contradicen la verdadera naturaleza del matrimonio y m�s bien la destruyen. En unas decisiones legales recientes, se ha visto tres exigencias. Los jueces que apoyan el matrimonio de personas del mismo sexo han articulado estos nuevos y desconcertantes puntos de vista que pueden reflejar y moldear la opini�n p�blica. Los argumentos legales y la ense�anza de la Iglesia � Exigencia #1: El matrimonio es una instituci�n que pertenece al estado, el cual la crea y, por consiguiente, la modifica seg�n su parecer. Argumento a favor: En el caso Goodridge v. Massachusetts, 798 N.E. 2nd 941, la mayor�a manifest�: empezamos considerando la naturaleza del matrimonio civil en s�. Sencillamente, el gobierno crea el matrimonio civil. En Massachusetts, el matrimonio civil es, y lo ha sido desde tiempos pre-coloniales, precisamente lo que denota su nombre: una instituci�n totalmente secular. En Hernandez v. Robles la opini�n disidente hace eco a este mismo tema: El matrimonio civil es una instituci�n creada por el estado. Como la instituci�n del matrimonio ha sido definida nuevamente dentro de la sociedad moderna en Estados Unidos, la ley se ha adaptado como corresponde...Vale decir que tanto la ley como la poblaci�n percibe ahora al matrimonio, al menos dentro de un ideal abstracto, como una sociedad de personas iguales con iguales derechos...que se basa en una intimidad compartida y en el mutuo apoyo financiero y emocional....A pesar de esta percepci�n generalizada, el g�nero de la pareja dentro del matrimonio ya no es considerado como algo critico para su definici�n. (2005 Slip Op 09436, p. 34). Argumento en contra: La Corte Suprema se expres� as� en Murphy v. Ramsey: [N]inguna ley puede suponerse m�s saludable y necesaria en el establecimiento de una comunidad libre y auto-gobernante, lista para tomar su lugar como uno de los estados de la Uni�n Americana, como aquella que busca establecerse sobre la base de la familia, y que consiste en y brota de la uni�n vitalicia de un hombre y una mujer en el estado sagrado del matrimonio. 114 U.S. 15, 45 (1885). La ense�anza de la Iglesia: La �ntima comunidad de vida y amor que constituye el estado matrimonial fue fundada por el Creador y provista de leyes propias... (Constituci�n sobre la Iglesia en el mundo actual #48) La vocaci�n al matrimonio se inscribe en la naturaleza misma del hombre y de la mujer, seg�n salieron de la mano del Creador. El matrimonio no es una instituci�n puramente humana a pesar de las numerosas variaciones que ha podido sufrir a lo largo de los siglos en las diferentes culturas, estructuras sociales y actitudes espirituales. (Catecismo de la Iglesia Cat�lica #1603) El matrimonio es una instituci�n humana y social b�sica. Aunque est� regulada por leyes civiles y leyes eclesiales, �sta no naci� ni de la iglesia ni del estado, sino de Dios. Por lo tanto, ni la iglesia ni el estado podr�n alterar el significado y la estructura b�sica del matrimonio. (U.S. Catholic Bishops, Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers about Marriage and Same-Sex Unions) Exigencia #2: Los ni�os no son el bien primario o el prop�sito esencial del matrimonio. Argumento a favor: La corte de Goodridge rechaz� expl�citamente un inter�s del estado en relacionar la procreaci�n con el matrimonio: [E]l compromiso exclusivo y permanente entre los miembros de la pareja casada es el sine qua non del matrimonio civil, no el � engendrar hijos. P. 961. Goodridge tambi�n mostr� neutralidad estatal en relaci�n a los diversos marcos posibles para la procreaci�n: No es nada sorprendente que el matrimonio civil se haya establecido hist�ricamente como un medio para reglamentar la conducta heterosexual y para fomentar la crianza de los hijos ya que, hasta hace poco, las relaciones heterosexuales por s� solas eran el �nico medio, salvo adopci�n, por el cual los ni�os ven�an a este mundo. Pero es el razonamiento circular, y no el an�lisis, que sostiene que el matrimonio debe permanecer como una instituci�n heterosexual ya que, hist�ricamente, eso es lo que ha sido. P. 961, n. 23. Argumento en contra: En Skinner v. Oklahoma la Corte Suprema manifest�: El matrimonio y la procreaci�n son esenciales para la existencia y supervivencia propia de la raza. 316 U.S. 535, 541 (1942). La ense�anza de la Iglesia: Por su propio car�cter natural, la instituci�n misma del matrimonio y el amor conyugal est�n ordenados a la procreaci�n y educaci�n de la prole y con ellas son coronados como su culminaci�n. (Constituci�n sobre la Iglesia en el mundo actual #48) De este modo los c�nyuges, a la vez que se dan entre s�, dan m�s all� de s� mismos la realidad del hijo, reflejo viviente de su amor, signo permanente de la unidad conyugal y s�ntesis viva e inseparable del padre y de la madre. (Familiaris Consortio #14) � Exigencia #3: El matrimonio es �nicamente una alianza emocional y pr�ctica entre dos adultos. Argumento a favor: En Goodridge la mayor�a insisti� en que el matrimonio es realmente acerca de los derechos del individuo, ni siquiera acerca de los derechos de la pareja: El [estado] argumenta que este caso trata sobre los derechos de la pareja... no los derechos del individuo. Esto es incorrecto. Los derechos implicados en este caso est�n en la esencia de la intimidad y autonom�a individual. Goodridge at 957, n. 15. Al citar la opini�n de la Corte Suprema del Estado de Vermont que exig�a que el estado permitiera el matrimonio de personas del mismo sexo o las uniones civiles de personas homosexuales, la corte de Goodridge manifest� tambi�n: Sin el derecho...de escoger con quien casarse � a uno se le excluye de toda la gama de la experiencia humana y se le niega la plena protecci�n de la ley para el `reconocido compromiso a una relaci�n humana �ntima y duradera. Goodridge en el 957, citando a Baker v. State, en el 229. Argumento en contra: La Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos tradicionalmente ha considerado el matrimonio no como un medio para satisfacer a la pareja o a los individuos adultos sino como la base de la familia y la sociedad, sin el cual no habr�a civilizaci�n ni progreso. Maynard v. Hill 125 U.S. 190, 211 (1888). En la decisi�n de Nueva York que negaba la legalizaci�n del matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo, la mayor�a afirm� el aspecto primordial de las leyes matrimoniales: Las leyes matrimoniales no tratan principalmente de la necesidad del adulto de un reconocimiento oficial sino m�s bien del bienestar de los ni�os y la sociedad.... Hernandez v. Robles (2005 Slip Op 09436, en el 8). La ense�anza de la Iglesia: El mismo Dios es el autor del matrimonio, al que ha dotado con varios bienes y fines, todo lo cual es sumamente importante para la continuaci�n del g�nero humano, para el provecho personal y la suerte eterna de cada miembro de la familia, para la dignidad, estabilidad, paz y prosperidad de la misma familia y de toda la sociedad humana. (Constituci�n sobre la Iglesia en el mundo actual #48). El amor conyugal fecundo se expresa en un servicio a la vida que tiene muchas formas, de las cuales la generaci�n y la educaci�n son las m�s inmediatas, propias e insustituibles. En realidad, cada acto de verdadero amor al hombre testimonia y perfecciona la fecundidad espiritual de la familia, porque es obediencia al dinamismo interior y profundo del amor, como donaci�n de s� mismo a los dem�s. (Familiaris Consortio #41). Conclusi�n El debate actual sobre el matrimonio de personas del mismo sexo se est� desarrollando dentro de un entorno m�s amplio el cual, cada vez m�s, entiende el matrimonio como una relaci�n privatizada, no orientada hacia los hijos ni relacionada con la comunidad, y que est� enfocada principalmente en la satisfacci�n del adulto. Algunas decisiones recientes de la corte han dado paso a m�s exigencias acerca del matrimonio las cuales est�n ayudando a crear una crisis de acepci�n y est�n fomentando la aceptaci�n de matrimonios de personas del mismo sexo. La ense�anza de la Iglesia, enraizada en la ley natural y fiel a la revelaci�n divina, deber� ser compartida en forma m�s eficaz si se ha de proteger el verdadero significado del matrimonio y fomentar su valor fundamental. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/samesexsp.shtml    ");
array_files[129]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/SP%20USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20NFP.pdf","2008-06-18","31K","Why is natural family planning good for your marriage? Spanish translation    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth �Por qu� la planificaci�n familiar natural (PFN) es buena para su matrimonio? La situaci�n La planificaci�n familiar natural (PFN) es una designaci�n general que se da a los m�todos de planificaci�n familiar basados en el ciclo menstrual de la mujer. La mujer experimenta se�ales claras y visibles que indican cu�ndo est� f�rtil y cu�ndo no lo est�. Las parejas, cuando aprenden a observar y a entender estas se�ales, pueden participar en una planificaci�n familiar responsable--ya sea que la pareja desee evitar o lograr un embarazo. (USCCB, Married Love and the Gift of Life, www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/MarriedLove.pdf) Un estudio muestra que s�lo un 3.5% de mujeres entre los 15 y los 44 a�os, us� alguna vez la PFN, porcentaje que hace siete a�os era de 4.2%. Los resultados de otra encuesta muestran que s�lo unas 230,000 entre las mujeres activas sexualmente utilizan hoy algunos m�todos modernos de la PFN comparado a 750,000 que todav�a est�n utilizando el antiguo m�todo del ritmo basado en el calendario. (Use of NFP in the U.S. Remains Low, Current Medical Research, Vol. 16, #1-2, 2005, 8-13, www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/Win-Sp-05CMR.pdf) Las parejas que desean planificar sus familias en forma responsable prefieren un m�todo natural y no invasor que les brinde informaci�n sobre sus funciones reproductivas, que tenga un impacto positivo en su comunicaci�n personal, que no disminuya el placer y que sea eficaz. (Psychological Aspects of Achieving or Avoiding Pregnancy, L. J. Severy and J. Robinson, en Integrating Faith and Science Through Natural Family Planning, T. Notare and R.J. Fehring, 130, Marquette University Press, 2004) Ciencia Social Los obispos de Estados Unidos auspiciaron un estudio que muestra que un 70% de parejas casadas estaban satisfechas con el uso de la PFN (Factors Affecting Client Satisfaction on the Instruction and Usage of Natural Methods, G.A. Boys, International Journal of Fertility, 33 [suplemento], 1998, 56-64). Otro estudio confirm� esto mostrando que un 74% de personas que usan la PFN expres� opiniones positivas sobre su experiencia. Aunque para muchos la abstinencia temporal exigida por el m�todo representaba un desaf�o, la mayor�a se benefici� debido a una mejor din�mica en la relaci�n que dio como resultado unos lazos m�s fuertes, mejor comunicaci�n y mejor conocimiento de su sistema reproductivo. (Couples Views of the Effects of NFP on Marital Dynamics, VandeVusse, Hanson, Fehring, et al, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Vol. 35, 2003, 171176; revisado en Majority of Couples Experience Improved Relationships with Use of NFP, Fehring, Current Medical Research, Vol. 15, #1-2, 2004, www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/CMR042004.pdf) La eficacia (uso apropiado) del m�todo de PFN es de 97-98%. La eficacia real en el usuario es de 85-95%. Estas variaciones reflejan la intenci�n de los c�nyuges. En aquellos casos en que es poco aconsejable que la pareja conciba, la eficacia real se asemeja m�s al �ndice del m�todo. Sin embargo, cuando las parejas parecen estar m�s receptivas a tener hijos, �stas muestran menos deseos de seguir todas las directrices de la PFN. Por esta raz�n, cualquier an�lisis de la eficacia de la PFN deber� tomar en cuenta la investigaci�n social concerniente a los deseos de la pareja. (World Health Organization-USA, A Prospective Multicenter Trial of the Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning: Part II. The Effectiveness Phase, Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 36, #5, 1981, 591-598; Ibid. Part IV. The Outcome of Pregnancy, Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 41, #4, 1984, 593-598; Crossing the Threshold of Love, M. Shivanandan, 234-270) Aunque los m�todos anticonceptivos artificiales ponen el peso de la responsabilidad principalmente en la mujer, la PFN trata de fomentar una comunicaci�n �ntima entre los c�nyuges a la vez que �stos cooperan para informase m�s sobre la fertilidad y la planificaci�n familiar responsable. (Practice of NFP Versus the Use of Artificial Birth Control: Family, Sexual and Moral Issues, M. Arzu Wilson, 6, www.familyplanning.net/CSSRPublishCOLOR.pdf) Ense�anza de la Iglesia / Respuesta Pastoral La ense�anza de la Iglesia reafirma la relaci�n entre los fines unitivos y procreadores del matrimonio. A fin de mantener este lazo necesario, las parejas deber�n mantenerse abiertas a la vida cada vez que tengan relaciones sexuales. Los m�todos modernos de la planificaci�n familiar natural ayudan a las parejas a cumplir con la voluntad de Dios para la familia, una comunidad de vida y amor, permitiendo a las parejas a espaciar el nacimiento de sus hijos cuando as� lo crean necesario. (U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, USCCB, 409) Existe una relaci�n inherente entre la ense�anza moral de la Iglesia y la felicidad personal y conyugal de las personas. En lo que respecta al apoyo que la PFN ofrece a las parejas que buscan cooperar con la estructura y con el prop�sito del amor conyugal otorgados por Dios, el Papa Pablo VI describe los frutos de la PFN como serenidad y paz, consideraci�n, y atenci�n mutua. (Humanae Vitae 21) A lo largo de su pontificado, el papa Juan Pablo II dese� integrar el estudio cient�fico de las relaciones personales con la revelaci�n del plan de Dios para el matrimonio. Recordando sus reflexiones acerca de las relaciones entre el hombre y la mujer, Juan Pablo II habl� sobre la manera en que los m�todos de la PFN permiten a la pareja mantenerse abierta al don de la vida otorgado por Dios mientras responde por la persona total con la aceptaci�n del di�logo, del respeto rec�proco, de la responsabilidad com�n y del dominio de s� misma. (Familiaris Consortio 32) El Comit� de obispos de Estados Unidos para la investigaci�n y pr�cticas pastorales nos dice que los m�todos contempor�neos para la PFN son eficaces y saludables, ofrecen un enfoque hol�stico de la sexualidad, fomentan la comunicaci�n �ntima entre los c�nyuges sobre los asuntos vitales y alientan formas diversas y creativas para expresar su afecto. (Faithful to Each Other Forever, 42). Recientemente, los obispos estadounidenses afirmaron que El apoyo de la Iglesia a la PFN no se basa en que la planificaci�n sea natural en lugar de artificial. M�s bien, la PFN respeta el poder otorgado por Dios de amar una nueva vida para crearla, incluso cuando no estemos procurando activamente ejercer dicho poder. Luego explican que la PFN es algo que todas las personas pueden aceptar, no s�lo desde una perspectiva moral sino tambi�n al percatarse de los beneficios que la PFN ofrece tanto en lo f�sico--al no modificar el cuerpo mediante sustancias o medios da�inos--como emocionalmente, llevando a las parejas a demostrar mayor atenci�n y respeto mutuo. (USCCB, Married Love and the Gift of Life, www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/MarriedLove.pdf) Conclusi�n La PFN es saludable, segura y eficaz. Adem�s, la ciencia social ha encontrado que los m�todos naturales para la planificaci�n familiar mejoran en varias maneras la comunicaci�n interpersonal de las parejas casadas. La Iglesia anima a todas las personas a fomentar m�s investigaci�n, concientizaci�n y educaci�n y el uso de la planificaci�n familiar natural como algo moral y beneficioso para la felicidad y la plenitud de las parejas casadas. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/nfpsp.shtml    ");
array_files[130]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/SP%20USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20MARRIAGE%20EDUCATION.pdf","2008-06-18","31K","What difference does marriage education make? Spanish translation    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth �Que diferencia hace la preparaci�n al matrimonio? La situaci�n La preparaci�n al matrimonio es un elemento importante dentro de un proceso de formaci�n m�s amplio a lo largo de toda la vida. Los programas de preparaci�n matrimonial ayudan al �xito de las relaciones, reconocen que las relaciones requieren trabajo, abordan los problemas comunes que enfrentan los c�nyuges y construyen entornos que los ayudan. (The New Kid on the Block: What is Marriage Education & Does It Work?, Theodora Ooms, Center for Law & Social Policy, www.clasp.org/publications/marriage_brief7.pdf) La preparaci�n matrimonial es la primera experiencia que tienen la mayor�a de las parejas acerca de la educaci�n matrimonial. Aunque la preparaci�n matrimonial es un buen primer paso, sus beneficios disminuyen con el correr de los a�os. Por lo tanto, la educaci�n y la formaci�n matrimonial deber�n continuar a lo largo de toda la vida de la pareja. La educaci�n continua permite a las parejas mantener la frescura de su relaci�n al fomentar nuevos conocimientos pr�cticos y al renovar el apoyo de la comunidad y el compromiso conyugal. (Marriage Preparation in the Catholic Church: Getting it Right, Center for Marriage and Family, Creighton University, 1995, p. 20. See #2 del resumen del documento que hizo la oficina de la USCCB Family, Laity, Women, and Youth: www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/preparation.shtml) La educaci�n matrimonial es ofrecida por organizaciones gubernamentales, religiosas y comunitarias. Esta puede durar varias horas, incluir m�ltiples sesiones o ser tomada como un curso llevado en casa. Los elementos primordiales en todo programa de educaci�n matrimonial son la evaluaci�n de las expectativas que tiene cada uno de su relaci�n, ense�arles t�cnicas para mejorar la comunicaci�n y preparar a las parejas para manejar sus problemas en una manera positiva. (National Healthy Marriage Resource Center, www.healthymarriageinfo.org). Tanto el clero como los l�deres laicos capacitados pueden ense�ar educaci�n matrimonial y destrezas para una mejor comunicaci�n tanto, o quiz�s hasta mejor, que un consejero o terapeuta profesional. La capacitaci�n de un l�der usualmente toma unos cuantos d�as. (www.smartmarriages.com/atlanta.press.html). Algunos programas de educaci�n matrimonial han sido adaptados a relaciones especiales como, por ejemplo, para parejas que son de distinta religi�n, para las que est�n enfrentado cambios decisivos en su vida, o para c�nyuges que enfrentan abuso, violencia y adicci�n. (Ibid.) Investigaciones cient�fico-sociales La educaci�n prematrimonial anima a las parejas a tomarse un tiempo para reflexionar sobre su relaci�n. �sta les hace ver la importancia de la uni�n matrimonial, ayuda a las parejas a darse cuenta de las opciones disponibles en caso necesiten ayuda en el futuro y disminuye el riesgo de aflicciones matrimoniales posteriores en algunas parejas. (Scott Stanley, Making a Case for Premarital Education, Family Relations Journal, 2001, 50, 272-280) Las parejas que participaron en programas de 20 a 30 horas para mejorar sus habilidades, experimentaron una satisfacci�n conyugal m�s profunda, mejores destrezas para la resoluci�n de conflictos, un compromiso conyugal mucho m�s fuerte y expresiones m�s frecuentes de sentimientos positivos y de afecto. Otros estudios confirman que se puede lograr efectos positivos hasta en programas cortos de pocas horas. (www.healthymarriageinfo.org, Marriage Education � About Marriage Education Programs) En una encuesta hecha a m�s de 3000 adultos, 31% hab�a recibido educaci�n pre-matrimonial. Las investigaciones muestran que la participaci�n en estos programas aumenta cuando �stos est�n disponibles. Tambi�n se encontr� que la educaci�n pre-matrimonial se asocia con la disminuci�n de un 30% dentro de las probabilidades de divorcio. (Scott Stanley, Paul Amato, Christine Johnson, Howard Markman, Premarital Education, Marital Quality, and Marital Stability: Findings from a Large, Random Household Survey, Journal of Family Psychology, 2006, Vol. 20, No. 1, 117-126) El efecto que tiene la preparaci�n matrimonial en el divorcio es diferente para parejas de bajos recursos y menor educaci�n. Aunque la tasa de divorcio no bajaba significativamente para esta poblaci�n, estas parejas s� experimentaron una mejora en su satisfacci�n conyugal despu�s de recibir una preparaci�n matrimonial. (M. Robin Dion, Healthy Marriage Programs: Learning What Works, Marriage and Child Wellbeing, Vol. 15, No. 2, 139-153, www.futureofchildren.org) La ense�anza de la Iglesia y la pr�ctica pastoral El papa Juan Pablo II insist�a en la necesidad de subrayar una vez m�s la urgencia de la intervenci�n pastoral de la Iglesia en apoyo de la familia. El hizo hincapi� en las tres etapas de preparaci�n matrimonial y, asimismo, reconoci� la necesidad del cuidado pastoral despu�s del matrimonio. El encomend� la misi�n de la preparaci�n al matrimonio a la comunidad eclesial (especialmente a las parroquias), a la familia (en s� y al hacer su ministerio con otras familias) y a las asociaciones de familias. (Familiaris Consortio, 65-72) El Concilio pontificio para la familia reconoci� que la preparaci�n al matrimonio ofrece una ocasi�n propicia para iniciar una pastoral matrimonial y familiar ininterrumpida. El Concilio dijo que ser�a beneficioso continuar la preparaci�n al matrimonio con cursos postmatrimoniales, especialmente durante los primeros cinco primeros a�os de matrimonio. (Preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage, #57, conclusi�n, 1996) Los obispos de Estados Unidos dijeron que las parejas casadas con frecuencia se sienten desanimadas por las dificultades que conlleva la vida conyugal. Ellos insisten que las parejas pueden encontrar esperanza y confianza en la Iglesia mediante los programas de preparaci�n y formaci�n para el matrimonio pero, principalmente tambi�n, por medio de la gracia de Jesucristo que permite a las parejas a ser fieles uno al otro para toda la vida. (Faithful to Each Other Forever, p.138) El Directorio Nacional para la Catequesis de los obispos de Estados Unidos afirma que la educaci�n y formaci�n matrimonial es necesaria especialmente para los adultos en todas las etapas de su vida de casados. (p. 142) Conclusi�n Cada vez m�s los datos que nos dan las ciencias sociales confirman los efectos beneficiosos de la preparaci�n matrimonial. La Iglesia anima a las parejas en cualquier etapa, empezando con la pre-matrimonial, a aprovechar de los programas de educaci�n matrimonial. Tambi�n hace un llamado a las parroquias y a las organizaciones eclesiales para que utilicen los recursos de la educaci�n matrimonial para que las parejas casadas reconozcan y vivan la naturaleza sacramental de su relaci�n, un amor humano que participa en y representa el amor divino. Recursos �stas son algunas de las organizaciones que ofrecen directorios para programas de educacion matrimonial: Smart Marriages: The Coalition for Marriage, Family, & Couples Education, L.L.C. (www.smartmarriages.com/directory.html); The National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (www.healthymarriageinfo.org, entre a Marriage Education, luego a View a list of Marriage Education Programs and Curricula); y The National Association of Family Life Ministers (www.nacflm.org y entre a Resource Links). http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/educationsp.shtml    ");
array_files[131]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/usccbfactsheets/SP%20USCCB%20-%20(FLWY)%20-%20LASTING%20AND%20HAPPY.pdf","2008-06-18","34K","What promotes a happy and lasting marriage? Spanish translation    ","","","Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth �Qu� genera un matrimonio duradero y feliz? La situaci�n � Los matrimonios duraderos y felices construyen m�ltiples matrimonios a lo largo de experiencias comunes que producen cambios en su vida adapt�ndose a nuevas realidades y renovando su compromiso. (The Lifecycle Stages of a Marriage, Sr. Barbara Markey, ND, www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/Markey.pdf) Los momentos de transici�n y ajuste incluyen los primeros a�os de matrimonio, cuando se convierten en padres de familia, cuando los hijos son adolescentes, luego que los hijos dejan el hogar, la jubilaci�n y el envejecimiento. (Ibid.) Un estudio sobre las parejas reci�n casadas encontr� que el tiempo, el sexo y el dinero son factores que producen mucho estr�s en los primeros a�os de matrimonio. (Time, Sex, & Money: The First Five Years of Marriage, 2000, Center for Marriage & Family, Creighton University, www.creighton.edu/MarriageandFamily/index.html) Algunas encuestas anuales a adolescentes y a j�venes adultos sugiere que ellos valoran mucho el matrimonio y la vida familiar. Aunque las generaciones m�s j�venes enfatizan la importancia del compromiso personal, el cual es necesario para conservar un matrimonio, con frecuencia no toman en consideraci�n lo que significa el apoyo de la comunidad, como el que se recibe de instituciones religiosas y sociales. (The State of Our Unions, Informes Anuales 2001-2006, David Popenoe & Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, The National Marriage Project, http://marriage.rutgers.edu) � � � Investigaciones cient�fico-sociales � Las razones m�s comunes que se dan en un divorcio son tres: la falta de compromiso, muchos conflictos y peleas, y la infidelidad. (With This Ring...A National Survey on Marriage in America, 2005, National Fatherhood Initiative, www.fatherhood.org) Por otro lado, las razones m�s comunes que dan las parejas sobre el �xito de sus matrimonios duraderos son el compromiso y el compa�erismo. Ellos dicen que se necesita mucho trabajo y dedicaci�n, entre uno y otro y en lo que respecta al matrimonio en s�. (The Top Ten Myths of Marriage, Popenoe & Whitehead, http://marriage.rutgers.edu) Las parejas que saben qu� esperar en los per�odos de transici�n dentro del matrimonio tienen menos probabilidad de equivocarse cuando ocurran esos cambios. Las parejas pueden buscar los recursos necesarios que los prepare para cualquier cambio en su relaci�n. (The Lifecycle Stages..., Markey) Las cualidades que una pareja debe tener y/o fortalecer a fin de salvar o de mejorar su matrimonio incluyen: estilos positivos de comunicaci�n, expectativas basadas en la realidad, actitudes comunes respecto a los asuntos y creencias importantes, y un alto grado de compromiso personal. (What Factors are Associated with Divorce &/or Marital Unhappiness?, Scott Stanley, www.prepinc.com/main/docs/what_factors.html) � � � � Lo que complementa el compromiso personal es la necesidad de un compromiso con el matrimonio que est� basado en normas. Esto significa apoyar la maternidad, una apertura a los hijos y la creencia que el matrimonio es para toda la vida. Estos compromisos dan como resultado un alto grado de intimidad y de felicidad conyugal. (Seeking a Soulmate: A Social Scientific View of the Relationship between Commitment & Authentic Intimacy, Brad Wilcox, www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/Wilcox.pdf) Las parejas que permanecen casadas y felices tienen la misma cantidad y el mismo tipo de desacuerdos que las que se divorcian. La diferencia est� en la forma en que se manejan esos desacuerdos. Se trata m�s de comportamientos � o de las mejores pr�cticas. (The Emerging Field of Marriage Education, Diane Sollee, Coalition for Marriage, Family & Couples Education, www.smartmarriages.com/fish.html) � La ense�anza de la Iglesia y la pr�ctica pastoral � A veces parece dif�cil o imposible atarse de por vida a otra persona. Con la gracia de Dios, que se nos dio por medio de Cristo, las parejas son part�cipes del amor divino, el cual es m�s fuerte que nuestras flaquezas humanas y nos permite llevar las cargas de nuestro c�nyuge con indulgencia y bondad. (U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, USCCB, 2006, p.285-287) El papa Benedicto XVI dice que uno de los puntos cr�ticos en el matrimonio es la forma en que la pareja maneja sus temperamentos conflictivos. El da esperanzas diciendo que las parejas pueden hacer suyo el sufrimiento de Cristo en la Cruz, el cual lleva a la Resurrecci�n. Benedicto habla sobre la belleza y sobre la fuerza de un amor que ha pasado por varias pruebas y que se ha renovado mediante las tribulaciones de la vida conyugal. (Benedict XVI, To Priests of the Diocese of Albano, 8/31/06, www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/august/index_en.htm) Los obispos de Estados Unidos hablan sobre los retos del amor conyugal: Para que un matrimonio dure tiene que haber m�s que tolerancia. Es un proceso de crecimiento hacia una amistad �ntima y una paz creciente. Por eso rogamos a todas las parejas: renueven su compromiso con regularidad, busquen enriquecerse frecuentemente y pidan ayuda pastoral y profesional cuando la necesiten. (Follow the Way of Love, www.usccb.org/laity/follow.shtml) En junio del 2003, en unos escritos de los obispos miembros del Comit� para el matrimonio y la vida familiar, dicen: Conservar un matrimonio a lo largo de una vida significa cultivar y mezclar los dones de la naturaleza y la gracia. El esfuerzo, considerado desde el punto de vista de la pareja y desde el punto de vista de los que le dispensan el ministerio, involucra cuatro �reas que se relacionan entre s� y en las cuales debe haber un crecimiento continuo. Estas son: madurez (patr�n personal y de desarrollo social), visi�n (del matrimonio mismo y, espec�ficamente, para los matrimonios), habilidades (comportamientos aprendidos), y comunidad (en el contexto del apoyo social y religioso). (A Renewed Pastoral Effort to Sustain Marriages for a Lifetime, www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/propmar.shtml) � � � Conclusion Hemos sido llamados para entrar en la gracia de Dios mediante una preparaci�n para la santidad que incluye la oraci�n, la Eucarist�a y la Reconciliaci�n (Novo Millennio Ineunte #30-41). Nuestra fe proclama que el matrimonio cristiano es un terreno de preparaci�n para la santidad y anima a las parejas a incorporar lo que nos dicen las ciencias sociales, especialmente las pr�cticas diversas que pueden incrementar la felicidad y la permanencia conyugal, permiti�ndoles entrar m�s de lleno en una comuni�n amorosa uno con otro, con la sociedad y con Dios. http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/lastingsp.shtml    ");
array_files[132]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/separatedanddivorced/websites.pdf","2008-06-18","508K","Website resources.    ","","","Websites with valuable information: is the ministry of the North American Conference of Separated and Divorced Catholics, Inc., sanctioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and working since 1974 to create a network of support for families experiencing separation and divorce. Through our membership on USCCBs National Catholic Organizations Committee, CDM speaks to the Church with the united, collective voice of separated and divorced Catholics. Through our Central Office, conferences, member groups, ministry leadership training, resources, and liaisons with church and civic organizations, CDM has substantially improved the entire familys experience of divorce by addressing the religious, emotional, financial, and parenting issues relative to separation, divorce, and remarriage. www.nacsdc.org Committee on Marriage and Family Life U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops www.foryourmarriage.org About Catholic Marriage/Issues/Divorce Divorce and the Catholic Church a series of Frequently Asked Questions published by the Bishops Committee for the Family and for Life, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference www.acbc.catholic.org    ");
array_files[133]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/separatedanddivorced/syllabustimetoheal.pdf","2008-06-18","12K","Time to heal.    ","","","DIVORCE................TIME TO HEAL A six week program of peer support built on a foundation of the gifts of our Catholic faith. Please contact the Office of Life and Family Ministries if you would like to host this program. SESSION ONE Introduction to program THIS PROGRAM IS FOR YOU AND ABOUT YOU!! We learn from and with each other The Process of Divorce Understanding the stages of divorce SESSION TWO Self-image Divorce has a tremendous effect on a persons concept of self. Our sense of identity has undergone a tremendous shock. Stress Learning to accept the things that cannot be changed, develop the courage to change the things that can be changed and the wisdom to know the difference. SESSION THREE Anger Divorce brings a special kind of anger that we have not experience before. Healthy ways to express and deal with anger. SESSION FOUR Blame and Guilt Its all my fault. If only I ........................ ! What is appropriate guilt and how do we work through this? Forgiveness Can I be free from the past if I dont forgive myself and others? SESSION FIVE Loneliness The greatest need for all human beings is to be in relationship with others. Children and Family Divorce has a heavy impact on the entire family structure SESSION SIX Trust Begin with building a basic trust within yourself Love Your capacity to love others is closely related to understanding that you are loved by God and your capacity to love yourself Happiness Choose to be happy, learn how to be happy and put in the necessary time, prayer and practice to be happy!    ");
array_files[134]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/separatedanddivorced/sampleflyer.pdf","2008-06-18","14K","Sample flier    ","","","SAMPLE The Office of Life and Family Ministries Invites You to Attend An Evening for Separated or Divorced Catholics Saturday, June 30th St. John the Baptist Church Quincy, MA 4:00pm Parish Mass, Lower Church 5:00pm Dinner 6pm-9pm Reflections on the gifts of our Catholic faith Presentations on the dynamics of divorce Peer Sharing Resources for you, your family, and your parish Tickets 20 Please contact Joanne Curry at 617-746-5820 or Joanne_Curry@rcab.org Deadline for reservations Monday, June 25th    ");
array_files[135]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/separatedanddivorced/faq_on_divorce.pdf","2008-06-18","174K","FAQs on Divorce    ","","","FAQ on Divorce How does the Church view divorce? The Church believes that God, the author of marriage, established it as a permanent union. When two people marry, they form an unbreakable bond. Jesus himself taught that marriage is permanent (Matthew 19:3-6), and St. Paul reinforced this teaching (see 1 Cor 7:10-11 and Eph 5:31-32). The Church does not recognize a civil divorce because the State cannot dissolve what is indissoluble. See Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2382-2386. Are divorced people excommunicated from the Catholic Church? No. Divorced people are full members of the Church and are encouraged to participate in its activities. May a divorced Catholic receive Holy Communion? Yes. Divorced Catholics in good standing with the Church, who have not remarried or who have remarried following an annulment, may receive the sacraments. What support does the Church offer to divorced persons? The Church understands the pain of those caught in this situation. When divorce is the only possible recourse, the Church offers her support to those involved and encourages them to remain close to the Lord through frequent reception of the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist. (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 287). Many dioceses offer programs and support groups for divorced and separated persons. The North American Conference of Separated and Divorced Catholics and The Beginning Experience also offer networks of support. I am a divorced Catholic who would like to remarry in the Catholic Church. What do I need to do? Unless your former spouse has died, you will need to obtain an annulment. I am divorced. I am not a Catholic but I plan to marry a Catholic. We have been told that I need to obtain an annulment before we can marry in the Catholic Church. I do not understand this since I was not married in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church respects all marriages and presumes that they are valid. Thus, for example, it considers the marriages of two Protestant, Jewish, or even nonbelieving persons to be binding. Any question of dissolution must come before a Church court (tribunal). This teaching may be difficult to understand, especially if you come from a faith tradition that accepts divorce and remarriage. Some couples in a situation similar to yours have found it helpful to talk with a priest or deacon. To go through the annulment process can be a sign of great love for your intended spouse. From www.foryourmarriage.org, a project of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops    ");
array_files[136]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/separatedanddivorced/facilitator_training.pdf","2008-06-18","14K","Facilitator Training    ","","","Office of Life and Family Ministries Archdiocese of Boston Ministry to Separated and Divorced In ministering to the separated and divorced, we have the opportunity to witness to Gods love and faithfulness to those who experience the trauma of marriage breakdown and also experience Gods healing as it takes place in their lives. The many people who contact our office looking for help and understanding from their Church identify the ongoing need for this type of support. Please consider having your parish, cluster or vicariate offer a support program. Those who have themselves experienced divorce can offer understanding and hope through a network of peer support. Perhaps there are persons in your parish who would have the experience and gifts for this ministry. The Office of Life and Family Ministries will assist your parish, cluster or vicariate by offering: � Initial training for group facilitators � Coordination of program schedules � Publicity for programs � Ongoing support and resources for group facilitators � Faith enrichment and self-care opportunities for group facilitators. � Regional and archdiocesan programs on topics relative to this ministry If you would like to discuss this ministry further or if you would like someone to come and meet with your parish staff please contact our office. Next Facilitator/Team Training Fall 08 ~ date to be announced Pastoral Center, Braintree    ");
array_files[137]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/separatedanddivorced/annulment_info.pdf","2008-06-18","26K","Annulment information gatherings    ","","","The Metropolitan Tribunal and the Office of Life and Family Ministries Annulment Information Sessions I could not believe my marriage that was meant to last a lifetime was over. I tried so hard, for so many years. Why hadnt my prayers been answered? What would become of my family? I felt I was no longer a good Catholic. It was in the annulment process that my Church helped me reflect on my marriage and provided me the opportunity to experience healing. In ministering to those who are divorced, we have the opportunity to witness to Gods love and faithfulness to those who experience the trauma of marriage breakdown and also experience Gods healing as it takes place in their lives. In response to the invitation in the January Parish Mailing we have received requests from over twenty parishes to host these sessions. The following sessions are scheduled for 2008. Unless indicated, all begin at 7pm. Wednesday, March 26 Wednesday, April 2 Wednesday April 9 Tuesday, April 22 Wednesday, May 7 Saturday, May 31 Thursday, June 12 Thursday, June 19 Monday, July 14 Monday, July 21 Wednesday, August 20 Wednesday, September 10 Thursday, September 25 Tuesday, October 7 Tuesday, October 21 Tuesday, October 28 Wednesday, November 5 Tuesday, November 18 Bulletin announcement: St. Mary Cambridge (Spanish and English) St. Mary Scituate Corpus Christi - St. Bernard Newton St. Julia, Weston St. Bridget Abington Holy Family Duxbury (10am) St. Helen Norwell All Saints Haverhill St. John Quincy St. Benedict Somerville (Spanish and English) St. Thecla Pembroke St. John Winthrop St. Mary Hanover St. Bridget Framingham St. James Haverhill (Spanish and English) Blessed Sacrament Walpole St. Michaels North Andover Sacred Heart, North Quincy Annulment Information Sessions offered by the Metropolitan Tribunal and the Office of Life and Family Ministries You may desire to learn more about what the Catholic Church teaches about annulments or you may be interested in beginning the process. The following meeting is designed to offer basic information and provide the opportunity to seek answers for any questions you may have. No registration is required. For further information or if you have questions please contact Joanne Curry at 617-746-5820. FILL IN DATE AND PLACE OF MEETING    ");
array_files[138]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/what_the_church_teaches.pdf","2008-06-18","149K","What the Church Teaches, Social Science Confirms    ","","","Having a [spouse] who is committed for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, makes people happier and healthier. Gallagher and Waite, The Case For Marriage, p. 77 What the Church teaches, social science confirms... Marriage Is Good for Husbands, for Wives and for Their Children G od is both Creator and Redeemer. So God knows all about our bodies, our hearts, and our relationships. After all, He made them! God invented sex and marriage. It shouldnt be a surprise, therefore, that His way for marriage is the way that makes us truly fulfilled and happy. But does science back up the Churchs teaching? Yes! The sociological evidence is clear: lifelong, life-giving marriage is good for husbands and wives. It is also the ideal environment for raising children. More Security. The marriage bond is invisible, but it exists! In fact, sociology shows that its effects are powerful: marriage makes people healthier and wealthier. In contrast, cohabiting couples (who live together in a sexual relationship outside of marriage) do not have the security of a publicly sworn love. More Money. Spouses make more money, pool resources, and reduce expenses to a much greater degree than cohabiting couples do.1 Better Health. And marriage improves a persons physical health. A wife is significantly healthier, and a husband benefits even more. Married adults have longer lives, less illness, greater happiness, and lower levels of depression and substance abuse than cohabiting and single adults.2 The difference that marriage makes is only common sense, when you think about it. For example, men are likely to benefit from their wives Marriage Is Good for Husbands and Wives For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health--the marriage vows bind a man and woman together publicly. In an uncertain world, these vows create a rock-solid reality. The husband and wife can set out on the adventure of building a shared life together because of the security of their publicly sworn love. looking after their behavior and diet. (Some sociologists call this phenomenon the virtue of nagging!) Single men are much more likely to engage in risky behaviors--to drink and smoke too much, for instance-- than married men. Marriage inserts them into the wide world of family networks and social responsibility. Few propositions have more empirical support in the social sciences than this one: Compared to all other family forms, families headed by married, biological parents are best for children. David Popenoe, Rutgers University, February 2006 9 Increased Sense of Meaning Marriage and parenthood give a person a sense of meaning. We arent just living for ourselves. We have other people to think about. That sense of meaning helps our mental health as well. Increased Happiness. Do you want to be happy? Marriage is one of the best predictors of happiness. 40% of married people rate their lives very happy, compared to less than 25% of cohabitors.3 Better (and More) Sex. In fact, married sex is much more physically and emotionally satisfying than sex among unmarried people. And husbands and wives have more of it than unmarried people.4 Again, this is just common sense. Sexual intimacy is much more satisfying when it is experienced in the context of marital love, with its public commitment. Marriage promises a spouse who will be there forever, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health. Who doesnt want that? Children living in low-conflict families with their married biological mother and father are more likely to attend school and graduate, less likely to be depressed and abuse drugs and alcohol, less likely to be physically and sexually abused, and less likely to be sexually active and undergo teen pregnancy.6 In addition, children flourish when they have both their mother and father. Studies suggest that men and women bring different strengths to the parenting enterprise, and that the biological relatedness of parents to their children 1 has important consequences for the young, especially girls.7 In fact, exposure to a biological fathers pheromones (chemical signals) seems to delay sexual development and thus sexual activity in daughters!8 Of course, many single parents do a terrific job raising their kids, and they need to be supported in their heroic efforts. Still, having both a mother and father is optimal. Sociology confirms what the Church has always taught: following Gods plan for sexuality and marriage leads to human fulfillment and happiness! The Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good: Ten Principles (Princeton: The Witherspoon Institute, 2006), p. 22. 2Witherspoon, Marriage, p. 22. 3Maggie Gallagher and Linda Waite, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially (New York: Broadway Books, 2000), p. 67. 4Ibid., pp. 78-96. 5Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2363. 6Witherspoon, Marriage, pp. 18-21. 7Ibid., p. 20. 8Ibid., p. 21. 9 The Scholarly Consensus on Marriage, Center for Marriage and Families Fact Sheet no. 2 (New York: Institute for American Values, 2006). THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life-Giving Marriage Children want that permanence too. The spouses union achieves the twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life.5 Married love, which is sexual love, creates new life. And children flourish under marriage as God has created it. Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.CatholicTV.com.    ");
array_files[139]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/what_the_church_teaches.pdf","2008-06-18","149K","What the Church Teaches    ","","","Having a [spouse] who is committed for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, makes people happier and healthier. Gallagher and Waite, The Case For Marriage, p. 77 What the Church teaches, social science confirms... Marriage Is Good for Husbands, for Wives and for Their Children G od is both Creator and Redeemer. So God knows all about our bodies, our hearts, and our relationships. After all, He made them! God invented sex and marriage. It shouldnt be a surprise, therefore, that His way for marriage is the way that makes us truly fulfilled and happy. But does science back up the Churchs teaching? Yes! The sociological evidence is clear: lifelong, life-giving marriage is good for husbands and wives. It is also the ideal environment for raising children. More Security. The marriage bond is invisible, but it exists! In fact, sociology shows that its effects are powerful: marriage makes people healthier and wealthier. In contrast, cohabiting couples (who live together in a sexual relationship outside of marriage) do not have the security of a publicly sworn love. More Money. Spouses make more money, pool resources, and reduce expenses to a much greater degree than cohabiting couples do.1 Better Health. And marriage improves a persons physical health. A wife is significantly healthier, and a husband benefits even more. Married adults have longer lives, less illness, greater happiness, and lower levels of depression and substance abuse than cohabiting and single adults.2 The difference that marriage makes is only common sense, when you think about it. For example, men are likely to benefit from their wives Marriage Is Good for Husbands and Wives For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health--the marriage vows bind a man and woman together publicly. In an uncertain world, these vows create a rock-solid reality. The husband and wife can set out on the adventure of building a shared life together because of the security of their publicly sworn love. looking after their behavior and diet. (Some sociologists call this phenomenon the virtue of nagging!) Single men are much more likely to engage in risky behaviors--to drink and smoke too much, for instance-- than married men. Marriage inserts them into the wide world of family networks and social responsibility. Few propositions have more empirical support in the social sciences than this one: Compared to all other family forms, families headed by married, biological parents are best for children. David Popenoe, Rutgers University, February 2006 9 Increased Sense of Meaning Marriage and parenthood give a person a sense of meaning. We arent just living for ourselves. We have other people to think about. That sense of meaning helps our mental health as well. Increased Happiness. Do you want to be happy? Marriage is one of the best predictors of happiness. 40% of married people rate their lives very happy, compared to less than 25% of cohabitors.3 Better (and More) Sex. In fact, married sex is much more physically and emotionally satisfying than sex among unmarried people. And husbands and wives have more of it than unmarried people.4 Again, this is just common sense. Sexual intimacy is much more satisfying when it is experienced in the context of marital love, with its public commitment. Marriage promises a spouse who will be there forever, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health. Who doesnt want that? Children living in low-conflict families with their married biological mother and father are more likely to attend school and graduate, less likely to be depressed and abuse drugs and alcohol, less likely to be physically and sexually abused, and less likely to be sexually active and undergo teen pregnancy.6 In addition, children flourish when they have both their mother and father. Studies suggest that men and women bring different strengths to the parenting enterprise, and that the biological relatedness of parents to their children 1 has important consequences for the young, especially girls.7 In fact, exposure to a biological fathers pheromones (chemical signals) seems to delay sexual development and thus sexual activity in daughters!8 Of course, many single parents do a terrific job raising their kids, and they need to be supported in their heroic efforts. Still, having both a mother and father is optimal. Sociology confirms what the Church has always taught: following Gods plan for sexuality and marriage leads to human fulfillment and happiness! The Witherspoon Institute, Marriage and the Public Good: Ten Principles (Princeton: The Witherspoon Institute, 2006), p. 22. 2Witherspoon, Marriage, p. 22. 3Maggie Gallagher and Linda Waite, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially (New York: Broadway Books, 2000), p. 67. 4Ibid., pp. 78-96. 5Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2363. 6Witherspoon, Marriage, pp. 18-21. 7Ibid., p. 20. 8Ibid., p. 21. 9 The Scholarly Consensus on Marriage, Center for Marriage and Families Fact Sheet no. 2 (New York: Institute for American Values, 2006). THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life-Giving Marriage Children want that permanence too. The spouses union achieves the twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life.5 Married love, which is sexual love, creates new life. And children flourish under marriage as God has created it. Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.CatholicTV.com.    ");
array_files[140]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/the_benefits_for_marriage.pdf","2008-06-18","133K","The Benefits of Marriage    ","","","The Church teaches that the sexual union of husband and wife is meant to express the full meaning of love, its power to bind a couple together and its openness to new life. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Married Love and the Gift of Life the benefits for marriage of Cherishing Fertility D o you want to avoid divorce? To be true to their public vows to love for as long as the beloved lives, married couples have to be vigilant and have constant recourse to the graces of the sacraments. A healthy marriage requires attention: conscious efforts to communicate better, and certainly a growing prayer life together. One practice ties all these together and seems almost magical in its ability to strengthen marriages. In fact, less than 1% of couples who practice it suffer divorce. That activity is natural family planning (NFP).1 Not Your Grandmothers Rhythm Method Oh, that, maybe you are thinking. Isnt that the old, unreliable `rhythm method? Not so fast. Its true that the rhythm method failed when a womans cycle wasnt uniform.2 But NFP isnt rhythm. Natural family planning uses specific signs of the womans natural rhythms of fertility to plan sexual activity for the purpose of either avoiding or achieving pregnancy. Modern methods of NFP have a 99% success rate in avoiding pregnancy.3 NFP methods, especially NaPro technology, also have success rates ranging from 38% to 82% in achieving pregnancy, depending on the problem causing the infertility. (In contrast, the morally objectionable in vitro fertilization method has a success rate ranging from 21% to 27%.)4 Most people have never heard of natural family planning, and those who have are often skeptical. One woman, Sharon, relates how she felt during her Pre-Cana introduction to NFP: I sat in the class with my arms folded and an almost closed mind and heart. But, it was there I started to realize (although I didnt yet want to admit it to anybody) that my thoughts about NFP came strictly from a place of ignorance.5 Her fianc�, Michael, liked the idea of protecting Sharon from using potentially dangerous contraceptive chemicals by using NFP. But he faced other problems. He was hampered by old habits, such as viewing pornography, that made it difficult for him not to objectify women. How could he value his wife as a whole person? How could NFP help Michael and Sharons marriage, as it has helped so many other marriages? Sex = Babies + Bonding The answer lies not so much in what NFP is but in what sex is. Sex has two meanings: babies and bonding.6 God wants sex to be life-giving: to give life to the relationship of a husband and a wife (bonding) through giving life to a new person (a baby). Like Mike and Sharon, many of us wonder, Cant I just have the bonding, without the openness to babies? The problem with this idea is that the two meanings of sex are inseparable. Being closed to new life makes us closed to our spouse. After all, a wifes fertility is part of her; female fertility is a personal reality not to be chemically suppressed or destroyed. The same is true of a husbands fertility. Do we treat our spouses body and fertility with reverence or with fear? Sadly, our whole culture seems to fear fertility. Societys message is often that the worst possible consequence of sex is a baby. But, as Dr. Janet Smith puts it, ... if a pregnancy results from an act of sexual intercourse, this means that something has gone right with an act of sexual intercourse, not that something has gone wrong.7 Fertility is not a disease: its a sign of health. What would you think about someone who said, The worst possible consequence of a job is a paycheck! It would be a little odd, wouldnt it? There are many reasons to have a job, but its primary purpose remains to support oneself and ones family financially. Likewise, sex has many wonderful effects, but its primary purpose remains enabling the gift of a new life. (This is one of the most secure findings of evolutionary biology.) And babies are indeed gifts, one of the great rewards of marriage. Because NFP respects the fact that the conjugal act is ordered to new life, NFP is not Catholic birth control. There is a fundamental difference between having contraceptively sterilized sex and abstaining from sex during a fertile period. The total giving of oneself, body and soul, to ones beloved is no time to say: `I give you everything I am--except . . . United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Married Love and the Gift of Life Really Good Things for Marriage In fact, married couples abstain from sexual activity all the time, for all kinds of reasons. (Youre probably abstaining right now!)8 Couples who use NFP tend to have as much intercourse as other couples.9 All kinds of benefits come from NFP: more communication, more discernment about Gods will, more respect for one another, not to mention preserving the woman from all the toxic side-effects of contraceptive drugs. These effects include blood clots, hypertension, migraines, and depression. In addition, it should be considered that the Pill may occasionally operate not through preventing pregnancy but as an abortifacient (causing an abortion).10 Also, it must be noted that the main mechanism of the intrauterine device (IUD) is most certainly abortifacient. Women and girls are not often adequately informed of these 1 significant issues--a grave violation of their dignity and their right to informed consent. Couples using NFP avoid these problems. But the biggest benefit of NFP comes from letting God into the bedroom. Sex is too wonderful to close it off to God. (It should be noted that there are couples who give their marriage to God by opening themselves in an absolute way to new life. This generosity and NFP are mutually complementary ways of life.) Mike and Sharon were so impressed with what NFP did for their marriage that they began to teach it to other couples. Reflecting on this experience, Mike said, [In] teaching NFP for seven years and talking to couples about these issues, Sharon and I have never, not once, met a husband or wife who says about [NFP], `Its the dumbest thing I ever did. We consistently see a mixture of surprise, joy and peace. And surprise, joy and peace are really good things for a marriage.11 FIND OUT MORE Family Life Offices in Massachusetts Boston: www.familylifeboston.com, (617) 746-5800 Fall River: www.familyfallriver.org, (508) 999-6420 Springfield: www.diospringfield.org (click on Departments/Ministries and Family Life), (413) 452-0614 Worcester: www.worcesterdiocese.org (click on Departments and Marriage and Family), (508) 929-4311 Mercedes Arz� Wilson, The Practice of Natural Family Planning Versus the Use of Artificial Birth Control: Family, Sexual and Moral Issue, Catholic Social Science Review, vol. 7 (Nov 2002), p. 1. 2The methods failure rate is 9% (R.A. Hatcher, et al, ContraceptiveTechnology, 18th Edition [New York:Ardent Media, 2000]. 3Summarized at http://www.fertilitycare.org/crms/effectiveness.htm and http://ccli.org/nfp/basics/effective ness-p02.php. 4Summarized at http://www.fertilitycare.org/napro/infertility.htm. 5Sharon and Mike Phelan, Escape from Fuddledom, http:// www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/nfpweek/art-phelan.pdf. 6Janet Smith, Ph.D., Contraception: Why Not, audio CD. 7Janet Smith, Ph.D., Humanae Vitae: A Challenge to Love (New Hope, Ken.: New Hope Publications, n.d.), p. 10. 8As Christopher West likes to say. See www.christopherwest.com. 9Study confirms that couples using natural family planning have intercourse just as frequently as couples using other methods, 10/11/2005, http://www.news-medical.net/?id=13701. 10Walter L. Larimore and Joseph B. Stanford, Postfertilization Effects of Oral Contraceptives and Their Relationship to Informed Consent, Archives of Family Medicine, vol. 9 (Nov. 2000), pp. 126-133. 11Phelan and Phelan, Escape from Fuddledom. THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Information on NFP Couple to Couple League International, www.ccli.org Fertility Care Centers of America, www.fertilitycare.org One More Soul, www.omsoul.org NFP Outreach, www.nfpoutreach.org Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org.    ");
array_files[141]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/more_than_a_wedding.pdf","2008-06-18","133K","More than a Wedding: Bulletin Insert    ","","","The Holy Spirit is with you: He dwells within you by virtue of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Marriage! He will sustain you in the fulfillment of your mission! Pope John Paul II, 2/7/1998 more than a wedding: Why Get Married in the Church? W hen Joel and Marie decided to get married, they were graduate students making little money. They had a choice: a church wedding, with all the expenses that the wedding industry in all those wedding magazines says are necessary, or just a simple civil ceremony before a justice of the peace? Sometimes we are given the impression that the reason to get married in the Church is primarily aesthetic: we can find a beautiful church and have the picture-perfect wedding. Opposing this idea, for many people, are often significant financial constraints. It is reasonable not to want to drain the savings account just for nice pictures and memories. But the wedding isnt the real reason to get married in the Church. The real reason is the marriage. A Christian marriage is a sacrament that makes Gods grace present. And nothing about the sacrament requires emptying the bank account. Inviting Jesus Think of all the difficulties that marriages face these days. God wants to empower us to have a happy and holy marriage. He wants us to be delivered from the evils of divorce, to raise our children well, and to flour- ish as a family. God gives us his grace to do all these things in the sacrament of Matrimony (marriage). By grace, God transforms us so that we are able to love as He loves. In fact, in the sacrament of Matrimony a groom starts off marriage by ministering Gods grace to his bride, as she ministers to him. That is because the spouses as ministers of Christs grace mutually confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church.1 The priest is the witness; the spouses are the ministers of the sacrament. That moment is the beginning of a flood of grace that Jesus wants to pour out upon the spouses. The Catechism of the Catholic Church spells out these graces: Christ dwells with them, gives them the strength to take up their crosses and so follow him, to rise again after they have fallen, to forgive one another, to bear one anothers burdens, to `be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph 5:21), and to love one another with supernatural, tender, and fruitful love.2 By having a church wedding, Catholics have more than a beautiful wedding. They have Gods sacramental power for a beautiful marriage! Marriage: Natural and Supernatural Not every wedding held in a church is a sacrament, however. In order to receive sacramental grace, a person has to be baptized. Baptism initiates a person into the Christian life and prepares him or her to receive other sacraments. If one or both of the spouses is unbaptized, then the marriage is not a sacrament. It is, however, a real marriage, what the Church calls a good and natural marriage. As Jesus said, Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh (Mt 19:4-5). Marriage has been designed by the Creator from the beginning to be the place where lifelong and life-giving love forms a family. Marriages involving non-Christians have this natural value, and thus they are valid (good and natural) marriages. The sacrament of Matrimony bathes this naturally good thing in Gods grace and blesses it even more. What if a Catholic marries a nonCatholic? If the non-Catholic spouse is a baptized Christian (a mixed marriage), then both husband and wife receive the sacrament of Matrimony, as long as the Catholic gets permission from the diocese to marry and follows the requirements for a Catholic wedding. What if a Catholic marries a nonChristian (someone not baptized)? Then more caution is required, which is expressed in the dispensation needed in these cases (called disparity of cult). The marriage will not be sacramental but a good and In the joys of their love and family life, Christ gives them here on earth a foretaste of the wedding feast of the Lamb. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1642 natural marriage. Why does the Church care what faith someone has? Because she has a realistic understanding of the possible difficulties entailed in mixed marriages and marriages with disparity of cult. They can lead to tension in the marriage and to indifference to religion. And, above all, the fate of the children to be born is at stake. God wants them to have all the graces of His goodness--which can only be found in their fullness in the Catholic Church. But the Church affirms that different religions do not constitute an insurmountable obstacle for marriage when both spouses are open to Gods grace working in their lives.3 Putting the Mass First When Joel and Marie were contemplating marriage, they did not have any hesitations: they would be married in the Church. For us, the wedding wasnt about the reception, the dress, or the honeymoon, says Marie. It was about the sacrament, 1 which would unite us as one flesh in Gods eyes. But how could they afford a church wedding? Easy, says Joel. We kept the focus on the Mass. The reception was held in the parish hall, and it was catered by a bunch of friends who volunteered. The decorations were simple, and Maries mother did the wedding cake. A friend took pictures. The honeymoon lasted a few days. Joel and Maries student days are behind them, and they celebrate their tenth anniversary this year. Do they have any regrets about having such a simple wedding? No, none! says Marie. Why start off married life buried in debt from a lavish wedding? Joel confirms, We loved our wedding, and we have great memories from it. But we have more than memories--we have a great marriage that draws us closer to God, which is what the sacrament is all about. Christ was at the center of our wedding then, and He is at the center of our marriage today. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1623. 2Ibid., #1642. 3Ibid., #1634. THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org.    ");
array_files[142]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/marriage_vs_cohabitation.pdf","2008-06-18","140K","Marraige vs. Cohabitation    ","","","By its very nature conjugal love requires the inviolable fidelity of the spouses. ... Love seeks to be definitive; it cannot be an arrangement `until further notice. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1646 marriage vs. cohabitation: Is There a Difference? C an a relationship be like a test-drive? That is what writer and economist Jennifer Roback Morse wonders in a reflection on cohabitation (living in a sexual relationship with someone not your spouse). Many people argue that it is only sensible to try out living with someone before committing to marrying them. You wouldnt buy a car without taking it for a test-drive, right? But Dr. Morse points out the obvious: Heres the problem with the car analogy: the car doesnt have hurt feelings if the driver dumps it back at the used car lot and decides not to buy it. The analogy works great if you picture yourself as the driver. It stinks if you picture yourself as the car.1 Dr. Morse knows what she is talking about. She and her husband lived together before marriage. While their relationship survived, most cohabitors are not so lucky: fewer than half will marry, statistics indicate.2 And if they do marry, they are nearly 50% more likely to divorce.3 Cohabitors seem to be setting themselves up for unhappiness. The sad thing is that many people cohabit because they have experienced the tragedy of divorce and are trying to avoid it. But cohabiting doesnt protect anyone from heartbreak. The chances of being dumped are far higher among cohabiting couples than among married couples.4 The test-drive analogy already indicates the tenuousness of the relationship. What the driver is saying to the car is, You act like youre married; Ill act like Im shopping.5 The Cohabitation Risk In fact, not only does cohabiting increase your chances of break-up, it also decreases your odds of experiencing the personal benefits that come with marriage. Married couples are happier, healthier, wealthier, and have more and better sex than the unmarried.6 Both women and children are more likely to be abused in cohabiting environments than in marriage. In general, the evidence suggests that the most unsafe of all family environments for children is that in which the mother is living with someone other than the childs biological father. This is the environment for the majority of children in cohabiting couple households.7 And about 40% of cohabiting households have children. Even when it is the biological parents who are cohabiting with children, the situation is not likely to be stable; 75% of children in cohabiting households experience the trauma of parental separation, compared to around 33% of children in married households.8 Cohabiting = A Habit of Not Trusting The fact is, marriage isnt just a piece of paper. It is a reality that changes those who enter into it whole-heartedly. What is it that makes marriage so different? The answer is easy: commitment. When a husband and a wife have a lifelong commitment to one another and to the children that God wishes to send them, then they are living a different relationship than the cohabiting couple is living. A married couple is living a committed relationship. And it turns out that commitment to another makes us happy and fulfilled. We are made for self-giving love. In reflecting on her own story, Dr. Morse ruefully reports that cohabiting is no way to teach yourself to be generous in love. No one can simulate self-giving. Half a commitment is no commitment. Cohabiting couples have one foot out the door, throughout the relationship. They rehearse not trusting.9 Any habit, especially a habit of the heart, is hard to break. It is unrealistic to expect to stop on a dime and suddenly be able to commit to a life-time of love when the right person comes around. Human freedom finds its deepest realization in the marriage covenant. The world tells us that freedom means avoiding all commitment but the truth is the opposite! True freedom is the ability to unite your whole being in choosing what is good, without any constraint. Mary Healy, Men and Women Are From Eden 11 Church, and embody His love in the world. And the sacrament of Matrimony provides us with the grace to live out the commitments made in the wedding vows. Perfect Love Casts Out Fear In his first epistle, St. John writes, There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear (I Jn 4:18). Ultimately, most people cohabit out of a fear of the future. What if this relationship does not work out? Living together instead of marrying seems to be the easier way. But in relationships, as in so many other things, victory goes to the brave, not the timid. Real love trusts the beloved person and places all hope in the grace of God working through the sacraments. The bishops of Australia have commented on the fundamental link between sex and trust: If one or both persons are not yet ready to say `I give all that I am, including my body and `I accept from you the gift of all that you are, including your body, then they are not ready for sex. If a couple do not fear becoming a real gift to each other, they should not fear marriage.10 Becoming a real gift to another person--sounds a lot better than being the used car returned to the lot. Gods Love Energizes Our Love Fortunately, God understands us better than we understand ourselves. While we are not able to change ourselves, He can change us. He has given us the sacraments to inject His strength and love into our lives. In the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), God forgives our sins and gives us grace to persevere in loving well. The sacrament of the Eucharist feeds us with Jesuss own Body and Blood, so that we can be true members of His body, the 1 Jennifer Roback Morse, Why Not Take Her For a Test Drive? http://www.jennifer-roback-morse.com/articles/cohab_ fast_facts.html 2David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, Should We Live Together? What Young Adults Need to Know About Cohabitation Before Marriage, A Comprehensive Review of Recent Literature, 2nd ed., 2002, p.6, http:// marriage.rutgers.edu/publicat.htm 3Ibid., p. 4, citing Alfred DeMaris & K. Vaninadha Rao, 1999, Premarital Cohabitation & Subsequent Marital Stability in the U.S.: A Reassessment, Journal of Marriage and the Family 54. 4After 5 to 7 years, 39% of all cohabiting couples have broken their relationship, 40% have married (although the marriage might not have lasted), and only 21% are still cohabiting (Popenoe and Whitehead, Should We Live Together?, pp. 6-7). 5 See Morse, Why Not Take Her For a Test Drive? 6Maggie Gallagher and Linda Waite, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially (New York: Broadway Books, 2000). 7Popenoe and Whitehead, Should We Live Together?, p. 8. 8Ibid. 9Morse, Why Not Take Her For a Test Drive? 10Australian Bishops Conference, Marriage in the Catholic Church: Frequently Asked Questions, 2006, p. 8, http://www.acbc.catholic.org. au/documents/20061024972.pdf 11Mary Healy, Men and Women Are From Eden (Cincinnati: Servant Books, 2005), pp. 25-26 THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org.    ");
array_files[143]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/marriage_vs_cohabitation.pdf","2008-06-18","140K","Marriage vs. Cohabitation    ","","","By its very nature conjugal love requires the inviolable fidelity of the spouses. ... Love seeks to be definitive; it cannot be an arrangement `until further notice. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1646 marriage vs. cohabitation: Is There a Difference? C an a relationship be like a test-drive? That is what writer and economist Jennifer Roback Morse wonders in a reflection on cohabitation (living in a sexual relationship with someone not your spouse). Many people argue that it is only sensible to try out living with someone before committing to marrying them. You wouldnt buy a car without taking it for a test-drive, right? But Dr. Morse points out the obvious: Heres the problem with the car analogy: the car doesnt have hurt feelings if the driver dumps it back at the used car lot and decides not to buy it. The analogy works great if you picture yourself as the driver. It stinks if you picture yourself as the car.1 Dr. Morse knows what she is talking about. She and her husband lived together before marriage. While their relationship survived, most cohabitors are not so lucky: fewer than half will marry, statistics indicate.2 And if they do marry, they are nearly 50% more likely to divorce.3 Cohabitors seem to be setting themselves up for unhappiness. The sad thing is that many people cohabit because they have experienced the tragedy of divorce and are trying to avoid it. But cohabiting doesnt protect anyone from heartbreak. The chances of being dumped are far higher among cohabiting couples than among married couples.4 The test-drive analogy already indicates the tenuousness of the relationship. What the driver is saying to the car is, You act like youre married; Ill act like Im shopping.5 The Cohabitation Risk In fact, not only does cohabiting increase your chances of break-up, it also decreases your odds of experiencing the personal benefits that come with marriage. Married couples are happier, healthier, wealthier, and have more and better sex than the unmarried.6 Both women and children are more likely to be abused in cohabiting environments than in marriage. In general, the evidence suggests that the most unsafe of all family environments for children is that in which the mother is living with someone other than the childs biological father. This is the environment for the majority of children in cohabiting couple households.7 And about 40% of cohabiting households have children. Even when it is the biological parents who are cohabiting with children, the situation is not likely to be stable; 75% of children in cohabiting households experience the trauma of parental separation, compared to around 33% of children in married households.8 Cohabiting = A Habit of Not Trusting The fact is, marriage isnt just a piece of paper. It is a reality that changes those who enter into it whole-heartedly. What is it that makes marriage so different? The answer is easy: commitment. When a husband and a wife have a lifelong commitment to one another and to the children that God wishes to send them, then they are living a different relationship than the cohabiting couple is living. A married couple is living a committed relationship. And it turns out that commitment to another makes us happy and fulfilled. We are made for self-giving love. In reflecting on her own story, Dr. Morse ruefully reports that cohabiting is no way to teach yourself to be generous in love. No one can simulate self-giving. Half a commitment is no commitment. Cohabiting couples have one foot out the door, throughout the relationship. They rehearse not trusting.9 Any habit, especially a habit of the heart, is hard to break. It is unrealistic to expect to stop on a dime and suddenly be able to commit to a life-time of love when the right person comes around. Human freedom finds its deepest realization in the marriage covenant. The world tells us that freedom means avoiding all commitment but the truth is the opposite! True freedom is the ability to unite your whole being in choosing what is good, without any constraint. Mary Healy, Men and Women Are From Eden 11 Church, and embody His love in the world. And the sacrament of Matrimony provides us with the grace to live out the commitments made in the wedding vows. Perfect Love Casts Out Fear In his first epistle, St. John writes, There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear (I Jn 4:18). Ultimately, most people cohabit out of a fear of the future. What if this relationship does not work out? Living together instead of marrying seems to be the easier way. But in relationships, as in so many other things, victory goes to the brave, not the timid. Real love trusts the beloved person and places all hope in the grace of God working through the sacraments. The bishops of Australia have commented on the fundamental link between sex and trust: If one or both persons are not yet ready to say `I give all that I am, including my body and `I accept from you the gift of all that you are, including your body, then they are not ready for sex. If a couple do not fear becoming a real gift to each other, they should not fear marriage.10 Becoming a real gift to another person--sounds a lot better than being the used car returned to the lot. Gods Love Energizes Our Love Fortunately, God understands us better than we understand ourselves. While we are not able to change ourselves, He can change us. He has given us the sacraments to inject His strength and love into our lives. In the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), God forgives our sins and gives us grace to persevere in loving well. The sacrament of the Eucharist feeds us with Jesuss own Body and Blood, so that we can be true members of His body, the 1 Jennifer Roback Morse, Why Not Take Her For a Test Drive? http://www.jennifer-roback-morse.com/articles/cohab_ fast_facts.html 2David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, Should We Live Together? What Young Adults Need to Know About Cohabitation Before Marriage, A Comprehensive Review of Recent Literature, 2nd ed., 2002, p.6, http:// marriage.rutgers.edu/publicat.htm 3Ibid., p. 4, citing Alfred DeMaris & K. Vaninadha Rao, 1999, Premarital Cohabitation & Subsequent Marital Stability in the U.S.: A Reassessment, Journal of Marriage and the Family 54. 4After 5 to 7 years, 39% of all cohabiting couples have broken their relationship, 40% have married (although the marriage might not have lasted), and only 21% are still cohabiting (Popenoe and Whitehead, Should We Live Together?, pp. 6-7). 5 See Morse, Why Not Take Her For a Test Drive? 6Maggie Gallagher and Linda Waite, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially (New York: Broadway Books, 2000). 7Popenoe and Whitehead, Should We Live Together?, p. 8. 8Ibid. 9Morse, Why Not Take Her For a Test Drive? 10Australian Bishops Conference, Marriage in the Catholic Church: Frequently Asked Questions, 2006, p. 8, http://www.acbc.catholic.org. au/documents/20061024972.pdf 11Mary Healy, Men and Women Are From Eden (Cincinnati: Servant Books, 2005), pp. 25-26 THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org.    ");
array_files[144]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/marriage_gods_loving_plan.pdf","2008-06-18","141K","Marriage: God's Loving Plan for Sex    ","","","Christian faith and ethics are not meant to stifle love, but to make it healthier, stronger and more truly free. Pope Benedict XVI, Fifth Meeting of Families, Valencia, Spain, 7/8/2006 Gods Loving Plan for Sex The Jewelers Shop In a play entitled The Jewelers Shop, Anna, an unhappily married woman, goes to a jeweler and tries to sell her wedding ring. The jeweler places the ring on his scales. But nothing happens. This ring does not weigh anything, he tells her. Without her husbands ring, her own ring had no weight or meaning. These days its common to hear that marriage doesnt have a special place among other types of adult relationships. But The Jewelers Shop points out that marriage does indeed have a unique weight and power. The rings exchanged in a wedding ceremony are not just pretty ornaments. They symbolize something very real. They symbolize the commitment that the husband makes to his wife and the wife makes to her husband. With Gods grace, that commitment has the power to change each spouse and to transform the world. Why? Because it is only in giving ourselves away generously and totally that we find fulfillment. Most people are used to thinking of the Churchs teaching on sex and marriage as a list of rules. But heres a great secret: Gods plan for sex is to make you happy. All of the rules are meant only to protect sex from marriage: selfishness. When sex is about generous self-giving, then it has the power to make us happy. Self-Giving Love Of course, our culture is full of temptations to live otherwise. We are told that sex outside of marriage, including living together in a sexual relationship while unmarried (cohabitation), is a way for adults to become fulfilled personally. Actually, the sociological evidence tells a different story: married couples are far happier and healthier than unmarried and cohabiting couples. (You can read about some of this evidence at www. MassCatholicMarriage.org.) The reason is simple: marriage is the only place where sex can ex- press self-giving love, and it is only in giving ourselves away that we can find ourselves. Self-giving love in marriage has the power to make us happy here on earth. But ultimately Jesus wants even more for us: He wants us to be unspeakably happy with Him in a life beyond death. We cant fathom what that joy must be like. But we can begin to taste that joy here and now by pursuing holiness (doing the Fathers loving will in all our actions) within the sacramental life of the Church. By grace, Christs total self-giving love heals and perfects our loving, leading us to a happiness without end. God has made everything about us to reflect this truth about holi- ness and self-gift. In fact, the truth of sex and self-gift is written in our bodies. Have you ever thought about the fact that the sexual differences between men and women dont make much sense on their own? Clearly, man and woman are fitted physically for each other. Our bodies allow us to give ourselves to a person of the opposite sex in a faceto-face embrace. Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. Pope John Paul, II, Redemptor Hominis, #10 Gods Love Creates Our bodies reveal still more. They show us that sex is oriented toward new life. Self-giving in marriage is meant to be fruitful, the way Gods love is always fruitful. Gods love creates. It brings new life! And human married love is meant to serve the creation of a new human being. Everyone, even non-Christians, can understand that marriage should be lifelong and life-giving. So, if everything about us--even the human body--is made for selfgift, why is it sometimes so hard to be married? Why did Anna want to sell her wedding ring? The cross at the front of the church may help to answer this question. Our Lord died on the cross to save us from sin and bring us into the embrace of Gods eternal love. Each one of us is called to be a saint, but most of us are not there yet. Sin of- ten makes our relationships difficult. Fortunately, God doesnt expect us to fix things on our own! Thats why He gives us his grace through the Church. In particular, He gives us grace in the sacraments, which make Gods grace present. Marriage between baptized Christians is a sacrament, a very special one that injects Gods own love into the deepest rhythms of the world. Sacramental marriage expresses the self-giving love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through the bodies of the husband and wife. In The Jewelers Shop, when Anna catches a glimpse of Jesus, He has her husbands face. Your Vocation Is marriage your vocation? Is it how God wants you to become holy and happy? Only you can perform your particular God-given mission. No one else can do it for you. Are you ready to transform the world? Some have already embraced their unique world-transforming mission by giving themselves away totally in the priesthood or religious life. Most of us will transform the world as married persons. Pope John Paul II pointed out, The future of humanity passes by way of the family. All of us--married or single, clergy or religious or lay--can support the family in our society. We can evangelize about Gods plan for marriage. We can support family-friendly laws. Most importantly, we can strive to live a life of self-giving love, whatever our vocation. The Jewelers Shop presents an engaged couple who fears for the future, but each reassures the other by saying, The future depends on love. Years later, The Jewelers Shops author--Pope John Paul II--would exclaim, Be not afraid! Do not be afraid to love! THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.CatholicTV.com.    ");
array_files[145]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/marriage_gods_loving_plan.pdf","2008-06-18","141K","Marriage God's Loving Plan    ","","","Christian faith and ethics are not meant to stifle love, but to make it healthier, stronger and more truly free. Pope Benedict XVI, Fifth Meeting of Families, Valencia, Spain, 7/8/2006 Gods Loving Plan for Sex The Jewelers Shop In a play entitled The Jewelers Shop, Anna, an unhappily married woman, goes to a jeweler and tries to sell her wedding ring. The jeweler places the ring on his scales. But nothing happens. This ring does not weigh anything, he tells her. Without her husbands ring, her own ring had no weight or meaning. These days its common to hear that marriage doesnt have a special place among other types of adult relationships. But The Jewelers Shop points out that marriage does indeed have a unique weight and power. The rings exchanged in a wedding ceremony are not just pretty ornaments. They symbolize something very real. They symbolize the commitment that the husband makes to his wife and the wife makes to her husband. With Gods grace, that commitment has the power to change each spouse and to transform the world. Why? Because it is only in giving ourselves away generously and totally that we find fulfillment. Most people are used to thinking of the Churchs teaching on sex and marriage as a list of rules. But heres a great secret: Gods plan for sex is to make you happy. All of the rules are meant only to protect sex from marriage: selfishness. When sex is about generous self-giving, then it has the power to make us happy. Self-Giving Love Of course, our culture is full of temptations to live otherwise. We are told that sex outside of marriage, including living together in a sexual relationship while unmarried (cohabitation), is a way for adults to become fulfilled personally. Actually, the sociological evidence tells a different story: married couples are far happier and healthier than unmarried and cohabiting couples. (You can read about some of this evidence at www. MassCatholicMarriage.org.) The reason is simple: marriage is the only place where sex can ex- press self-giving love, and it is only in giving ourselves away that we can find ourselves. Self-giving love in marriage has the power to make us happy here on earth. But ultimately Jesus wants even more for us: He wants us to be unspeakably happy with Him in a life beyond death. We cant fathom what that joy must be like. But we can begin to taste that joy here and now by pursuing holiness (doing the Fathers loving will in all our actions) within the sacramental life of the Church. By grace, Christs total self-giving love heals and perfects our loving, leading us to a happiness without end. God has made everything about us to reflect this truth about holi- ness and self-gift. In fact, the truth of sex and self-gift is written in our bodies. Have you ever thought about the fact that the sexual differences between men and women dont make much sense on their own? Clearly, man and woman are fitted physically for each other. Our bodies allow us to give ourselves to a person of the opposite sex in a faceto-face embrace. Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. Pope John Paul, II, Redemptor Hominis, #10 Gods Love Creates Our bodies reveal still more. They show us that sex is oriented toward new life. Self-giving in marriage is meant to be fruitful, the way Gods love is always fruitful. Gods love creates. It brings new life! And human married love is meant to serve the creation of a new human being. Everyone, even non-Christians, can understand that marriage should be lifelong and life-giving. So, if everything about us--even the human body--is made for selfgift, why is it sometimes so hard to be married? Why did Anna want to sell her wedding ring? The cross at the front of the church may help to answer this question. Our Lord died on the cross to save us from sin and bring us into the embrace of Gods eternal love. Each one of us is called to be a saint, but most of us are not there yet. Sin of- ten makes our relationships difficult. Fortunately, God doesnt expect us to fix things on our own! Thats why He gives us his grace through the Church. In particular, He gives us grace in the sacraments, which make Gods grace present. Marriage between baptized Christians is a sacrament, a very special one that injects Gods own love into the deepest rhythms of the world. Sacramental marriage expresses the self-giving love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through the bodies of the husband and wife. In The Jewelers Shop, when Anna catches a glimpse of Jesus, He has her husbands face. Your Vocation Is marriage your vocation? Is it how God wants you to become holy and happy? Only you can perform your particular God-given mission. No one else can do it for you. Are you ready to transform the world? Some have already embraced their unique world-transforming mission by giving themselves away totally in the priesthood or religious life. Most of us will transform the world as married persons. Pope John Paul II pointed out, The future of humanity passes by way of the family. All of us--married or single, clergy or religious or lay--can support the family in our society. We can evangelize about Gods plan for marriage. We can support family-friendly laws. Most importantly, we can strive to live a life of self-giving love, whatever our vocation. The Jewelers Shop presents an engaged couple who fears for the future, but each reassures the other by saying, The future depends on love. Years later, The Jewelers Shops author--Pope John Paul II--would exclaim, Be not afraid! Do not be afraid to love! THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.CatholicTV.com.    ");
array_files[146]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/marriage_at_the_heart.pdf","2008-06-18","136K","Marriage at the Heart    ","","","It is only the rock of total, irrevocable love between a man and a woman that can serve as the foundation on which to build a society that will become a home for all mankind. Pope Benedict XVI, 5/11/2006 At the Heart of Social Justice W hat matters more than children? The French poet Charles P�guy gets at this truth, describing a fathers thoughts concerning his sons (though this clearly applies in similar ways to mothers and daughters as well): Its never the child who goes to the field, who tills and who sows, and who reaps and who harvests the grapes and who trims the vine and who fells the trees and who cuts the wood. For winter. To warm the house in winter. But would the father have the heart to work if he didnt have his children. If it werent for the sake of his children. His children will do better than he, of course. And the world will go better. Later. Hes not jealous of it. On the contrary. Nor for having come to the world, as he did, in an ungrateful time. And to have no doubt prepared for his sons a time that is perhaps less ungrateful. What madman would be jealous of his sons and of the sons of his sons. Doesnt he work solely for his children. 1 1 m ar r i a ge: cence of our children is threatened by the hook-up culture, which is reinforced by Planned Parenthoodstyle sex ed. Abortion and embryo-destructive research are destroying the most powerless human lives, whom Blessed Mother Teresa called the poorest of the poor. We are made for love, so we must seek social justice, which is to have the common good as the horizon of all our actions. And social justice requires above all that we safeguard and strengthen marriage and family life. Promote Peace by Promoting theFamily When Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she was asked what people can do to promote world peace. Her answer was profoundly countercultural: Go home and love your families. Justice can only arise from the human heart, and habits of the heart are first learned in the family. Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly pointed to the same truth. His Message for the World Day of Peace 2008 emphasizes the irreplaceable role of the family in humanizing indi- The future depends on love because the future depends on children. Without children, cultures die, nations die, the human species dies. Nothing is more fundamental to the common good than children. And nothing matters more for the wellbeing of children than the health of marriage and family life. The struggle for the common good is more urgent than ever: the inno- viduals: Indeed, in healthy family life we experience some of the fundamental elements of peace: justice and love between brothers and sisters, the role of authority expressed by parents, loving concern for the members who are weaker because of youth, sickness, or old age, mutual help in the necessities of life, readiness to accept others and, if necessary, to forgive them. For this reason, the family is the first and indispensable teacher of peace.2 Who can replace a mothers care in teaching her child to be unselfish? Or a fathers concern to see his children treat one another fairly? Without healthy family life, selfishness and injustice will corrode society. As a result, the pope has strong words for those who would undermine the family: everything that serves to weaken the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman, everything that directly or indirectly stands in the way of its openness to the responsible acceptance of a new life, everything that obstructs its right to be primarily responsible for the education of its children, constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace. Peace and war begin at home. If we truly want peace in the world, let us begin by loving one another in our own families. common good of all. The weakest among us--the elderly, the disabled, the unborn--are cared for in stable and loving families. Mother Teresa said, The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion, because it injects violence into the most intimate human relationships, that between parents and children. The loving commitment of marriage opens the spouses to the children that result from their union. Just and loving relationships flow outward from the family into the larger community and serve the common good. Mother Teresa4 Sex and the Common Good In marriage, love and life transform the world. The nobility of the vocation to true love must be communicated in a compelling way to our children, who are being drawn away by the dehumanizing hook-up way of life. Friendship with benefits destroys the happiness of everyone involved, but our young girls are especially victimized. With innocence destroyed, our children are finding it harder and harder to grow up to love with that openness of heart necessary to welcome the future in lifelong and life-giving marriage. Intimate relationships between adults can also be unjust, even when the people involved consent to being treated badly. Pope John Paul II never tired of reminding us that sexuality is meant to express lifelong and life-giving love. Anything less is lying with our bodies. We owe it to other people to respect their dignity, which is inseparable from how we treat their bodies. We must not exploit them for our own pleasure. And we are owed the same respect. Conversely, when sexuality is an intimate expression of lifelong, lifegiving married love, it serves the Love and Money In our individualistic culture of consumerism, with its focus on the economic calculation of private advantage, it is very difficult for us to act always with the common good of society as our horizon--to treat family values as more basic than economic values. It is very countercultural indeed to point out that sex is not a private matter. Even economically speaking, how- ever, marriage must be recognized as crucial. Marriage is a wealth-building institution. If we want to raise the economic status of the disadvantaged, we need to promote marriage. Minorities have suffered from the breakdown of marriage and the family disproportionately. The lifelong commitment of a husband and a wife is one of the most significant factors in the economic health of the individuals involved, especially women and children. As one sociologist puts it, the sociological data indicate that the preferential option for the poor begins in the home.3 We are the ones that must communicate this social sensibility to our children, pointing out, for example, why cohabitation not only causes broken hearts but also damages the common good. It all begins in the home: in marriage and family life. Whatever attacks the integrity of love in the home undermines society and social justice at its root. The future depends on the lifelong and life-giving love of marriage. 1 Charles P�guy, The Portal of the Mystery of Hope, trans. David Louis Schindler, Jr. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1996), pp. 12, 18. 2Pope Benedict XVI, Message for the World Day of Peace, January 1, 2008, www.vatican.va. 3 B. Wilcox, The Facts of Life & Marriage, Touchstone, Jan/Feb 2005, cited at http://www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/ societyeng.shtml. 4Mother Teresa, In My Own Words, ed. Jose Luis Gonzalez-Balado (Liguori, Mo.: Ligouri Publications, 1997), p. 47. THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON Life Long. Life giving. Massachusetts Catholic Conference West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 5 Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2511 phone: 617.367.6060 ~ fax: 617.367.2767 Web: M ass C atholic M arriage .org Want to Learn More? Watch for The Future Depends on Love television series on Catholic TV and on www.MassCatholicMarriage.org.    ");
array_files[147]=new Array(0,4,"http://masscatholicmarriage.org/assets/HomileticsBulletinInserts/marriage_at_the_heart.pdf","2008-06-18","136K","Marriage at the Heart of Social Justice    ","","","It is only the rock of total, irrevocable love between a man and a woman that can serve as the foundation on which to build a society that will become a home for all mankind. Pope Benedict XVI, 5/11/2006 At the Heart of Social Justice W hat matters more than children? The French poet Charles P�guy gets at this truth, describing a fathers thoughts concerning his sons (though this clearly applies in similar ways to mothers and daughters as well): Its never the child who goes to the field, who tills and who sows, and who reaps and who harvests the grapes and who trims the vine and who fells the trees and who cuts the wood. For winter. To warm the house in winter. But would the father have the heart to work if he didnt have his children. If it werent for the sake of his children. His children will do better than he, of course. And the world will go better. Later. Hes not jealous of it. On the contrary. Nor for having come to the world, as he did, in an ungrateful time. And to have no doubt prepared for his sons a time that is perhaps less ungrateful. What madman would be jealous of his sons and of the sons of his sons. Doesnt he work solely for his children. 1 1 m ar r i a ge: cence of our children is threatened by the hook-up culture, which is reinforced by Planned Parenthoodstyle sex ed. Abortion and embryo-destructive research are destroying the most powerless human lives, whom Blessed Mother Teresa called the poorest of the poor. We are made for love, so we must seek social justice, which is to have the common good as the horizon of all our actions. And social justice requires above all that we safeguard and strengthen marriage and family life. Promote Peace by Promoting theFamily When Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she was asked what people can do to promote world peace. Her answer was profoundly countercultural: Go home and love your families. Justice can only arise from the human heart, and habits of the heart are first learned in the family. Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly pointed to the same truth. His Message for the World Day of Peace 2008 emphasizes the irreplaceable role of the family in humanizing indi- The future depends on love because the future depends on children. Without children, cultures die, nations die, the human species dies. Nothing is more fundamental to the common good than children. And nothing matters more for the wellbeing of children than the health of marriage and family life. The struggle for the common good is more urgent than ever: the inno- viduals: Indeed, in healthy family life we experience some of the fundamental elements of peace: justice