2009 FAMILY LIFE CALENDAR REFLECTIONS

THEME: MARRIAGE AND FAMILY GROWING TOGETHER

OCTOBER : MARRIAGE, A MISSION TO GROWTH IN LOVE

INTRODUCTION    
Pope John Paul II outlined the family’s tasks of forming and building its own intimate community of life and love, nurturing and supporting life, especially of children, sharing in the task of building up society and in the mission of the Church. Marriage is the ideal foundation of a family. It is a vocation, a calling and a mission to evangelise one another, the children, the wider family and community.  Discuss the importance of marriage for family stability and security and for the Church’s overall mission of evangelisation.
promoted marriage.

2nd  Guardian Angels. Angels are special messengers from God. There is an ancient tradition and belief that every one of us has a special angel to guard over us as another sign of God’s love and care. Discuss how and when you feel really protected and cared for. 

4th  MARRIAGE DAY.   Theme: God created human beings as male and female so that they could become united as one.
The writer of Genesis 2:18-24 tells us that God created men and women as sexual beings. Jesus refers to this passage in the gospel. While everyone is a sexual being marriage is a sexual sacrament of two people, a man and a woman, celebrating most deeply and most uniquely God’s gift of sexuality.  A couple’s sexual relationship expresses their love for each other and has the potential to make them co-creators with God of their children.  
Reflect on the words “This is my body, given for you” in the context of marriage. Couples are invited to renew their marriage commitment to one another and the whole community is invited to celebrate the gift of the Sacrament of Marriage to the Church.
4th  St Francis of Assisi is many people’s favourite saint. Most likely because he loved animals and nature not because he espoused poverty. Respect and love for animals and nature is a quality to be nurtured in our families as it enriches our lives and protects the environment. Take the family and the pets if possible for a nature walk and thank God for this gift and consider how to grow in generosity towards the poor too.     

11th  28th Sunday Year B. Christ our wealth. In last week’s gospel Jesus was challenged about the difficulty of remaining faithful in marriage. This week the challenge is to follow Jesus as the first priority. In Mark’s gospel passage there is no mention of leaving one’s husband or wife as there is in the other synoptic gospels that have the same passage. The challenge is to grow the marriage into a three-fold relationship, with Jesus being the 3rd partner. Continue growing in the awareness of this.     

18th 29th Sunday Year B. Christ, the Suffering Servant of God. The core message is the call to be servants to one another, even suffering servants, as Jesus proclaims himself as the servant of all. Growth is often painful, children with growing pains know this too. In what ways is growing to be servants to one another possible in our family?

25th   30th Sunday Year B. The Lord who works Marvels.  Jesus said to the blind beggar, “Your faith has saved you.” He opens our eyes both to the suffering and the healing that God can grant us through faith.  Faith is a gift but one that is developed and nurtured within loving relationships too. How well are we practicing as couples and families to grow and strengthen our faith?