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God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage is divided into two main
parts, each with three engaging presentations and two reflection
exercises for couples.
Part 1 - Catholic Faith & Your Marriage
It is the common experience of those who work with engaged couples that the faith of these couples is most often in need of rediscovery, nourishment, and maturation. Part I of the workshop is evangelistic in nature. With clear respect for the freedom of each person, it encourages an encounter with the person of Christ through a call to faith in the fundamental truths of Catholicism. Following the basic Christian schema of “Creation, Fall, and Redemption,” Part I provides a reflection on the Word of God as understood by the Church in regard to God’s plan for marriage and our need for Christ. It also helps couples to understand the nature and meaning of the commitments they make in their exchange of vows. Part 1 includes three presentations:
PRESENTATION 1:
God’s Plan for Marriage “In the Beginning”
(Male and Female He Created Them)
Following Christ’s words that direct us to reflect on
God’s plan for marriage “in the beginning” (Mt
19:8), this presentation offers a simple catechesis on marriage as
found in Genesis chapters 1-3. It focuses on the image of God in man
and woman, the call to love as God loves inscribed in masculinity and
femininity, and the impact of the Original Sin on the marital
relationship.
PRESENTATION 2:
Christ Restores God’s Plan for Marriage
(Male and Female He Redeemed Them)
Beginning with the miracle at the wedding in Cana (Jn 2:1-11), this
presentation reflects on the “good news” of Christ’s
redemption of the marital relationship. It focuses on the power of
God’s grace to heal the relationship between man and woman,
effectively transforming our hearts and empowering us to love
“as Christ loves the Church.” To the degree that couples
enter into this gift of grace, they experience the Church’s
teaching on marital love, not as a list of prudish prohibitions, but
as an invitation to embrace the love that truly satisfies.
PRESENTATION 3:
What Are You Saying “I Do” To?
(The Basics of Marriage in the Church)
This presentation was inspired by the testimony of numerous couples
who, after experiencing a divorce and obtaining an annulment, lamented
that no one had told them what they were supposedly committing
themselves to by marrying in the Church. Beginning with a basic
definition of marriage gleaned from Canon Law and the Catechism of the
Catholic Church, this presentation focuses on the nature of marriage
as a sacrament. With the aim of helping couples understand what
Catholic marriage is (and isn’t), this presentation provides a
guided tour of the exchange of consent and concludes by explaining
what makes a marriage valid or invalid according to Catholic teaching.
Part 2 - Sacramental Sexuality
While many factors have contributed to the breakdown of marriage and family life, special attention must be given to the widespread acceptance of new sexual attitudes and “lifestyles.” There is no sidestepping this often difficult aspect of marriage preparation. What is needed is a compassionate approach that explains the beauty of the Church’s teaching and, with full respect for people’s freedom, invites couples to embrace it. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body provides the positive approach we need. Building on the foundation laid in Part 1, Part 2 of God’s Plan for a Joy-filled Marriage presents the joys of “sexual honesty” before and within marriage. Part 2 includes three presentations:
PRESENTATION 4:
The Joy of Sexual Honesty Before Marriage
Beginning with an examination of cultural attitudes and influences
regarding sexuality, this presentation is designed to help couples
distinguish mature sexual love from the counterfeits of lust. With
compassion and sensitivity, it encourages couples to reserve sexual
intimacy for that time when it can be an honest renewal and enactment
of the marriage covenant. It also encourages couples to re-examine
past attitudes and choices that may have negatively influenced their
understanding of sexual intimacy. It should be noted that surveys have
indicated a very favorable response to this presentation. When the
truth is presented with sensitivity and love, couples respond
positively.
PRESENTATION 5:
The Joy of Sexual Honesty Within Marriage
This presentation examines sexual intercourse as a renewal of the
wedding vows—spoken not with words, but with the “language
of the body.” The goal is to help couples see the Church’s
teaching for what it is: the path to authentic freedom and happiness
that it is. If couples have followed the logic of the program to this
point, they are able to recognize for themselves the consistency of
the Church’s teaching on sexual morality. Special attention is
given to the issue of responsible parenthood and the critical
difference between contraception and natural family planning. Once
again, surveys have indicated a very positive response to this
presentation.
PRESENTATION 6:
(OPTIONAL—Depending on the needs of the parish/diocese):
Some Practical Benefits of Natural Family Planning
This shorter, closing presentation is designed to introduce couples to
some of the many benefits of practicing Natural Family Planning. It
does not instruct couples in how to use the method, but dispels
various myths surrounding it and addresses initial questions about its
use in marriage. Once again, the Church’s understanding of
sexual intercourse as a renewal of marriage vows clarifies how a
husband and wife who use Natural Family Planning strengthens their
love and commitment to each other, to God, and to the virtues
necessary for a joy-filled marriage.
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