Why Do We Have to Get Married in a Church?
Often, I get asked: “Why do we have to get married in a church?” Read more
Are You Alive?
We don’t go through Lent, through the sacrifice, penance, and prayer to finish the forty days and continue to stay in the tomb. If we are preparing ourselves for the Easter celebration then it seems obvious that we’re preparing ourselves for joy. What does joy look like? How about … Read more
Mission Matters: December 13, 2016
This week’s “Parish Table Talk”: Ministers of Communion resource; GIVEN success; Interpreters’ needs during Mass; Transitions; plus this Thursday’s blog post. Read more
Our Young Adults: Single By Default
Two weeks ago, my colleague, Craig, wrote an excellent piece on bridging the gaps the Church is facing with the young adult population. It reminded me of an article on being single by default from America Magazine. I found the author’s experience and reflections very helpful for ministering to young adults (YAs) discerning marriage and the consecrated life.
What is your opinion?
Let’s Make Marriage Preparation Relevant
Too often, as lay ecclesial ministers, priests, and deacons, we complain that engaged couples require a great deal of time and energy from the parish but, in the end, many couples simply use the Church for their wedding after which they are never to be seen at the parish again. Conversely, engaged couples complain about all the “hoops” that they are required to jump through in order to get married in the Church.
Both perspectives hold some truth. Read more
Why – and How – We All Need to Read ‘Amoris Laetitia’
There has been a lot of buzz about Pope Francis’ Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, “The Joy of Love” which came out last Friday. There’s a good reason for that. And it’s not the one you’ve seen in the headlines.
Lent and Marriage: A Match Made at the Synod
Pope Francis and the bishops at the Synod on the Family called for marriage preparation to take on a catechumenal form. What an exciting proposition! When preparing couples for marriage, I invite them to model their immediate marriage preparation after Lent and Advent. Read more