2009 FAMILY LIFE CALENDAR REFLECTIONS
THEME: MARRIAGE AND FAMILY GROWING TOGETHER
SEPTEMBER 2009 : GROWING A FAMILY HISTORY
INTRODUCTION
Traditionally in both western culture and African culture a marriage sets up a dynasty. Two families are united and a new offshoot is born that keeps some of the family traits but must establish its own way of life and its own norms and standards. Christian marriage is more than a legal contract but a way of life of two people striving to be one in mind and heart while retaining their unique individuality. As members are added traditions are created that incorporate but go beyond the culture of the people. Share together how your family has grown its particular family traditions.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY GROWING TOGETHER 2009
Reflections for the weeks 21 – 27 in ordinary time year B (23rd August – 4th October, Marriage Day)
The Sacrament of Matrimony is a foundation sacrament of the church. As sacrament means sign, the way couples live out their sacrament is a sign to one another and to the whole community. It is a sign of the presence and love of God. It is therefore important for those who are married and also for the whole community.
The 2009 MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, GROWING TOGETHER project of the Family Life Desk of the SA Catholic Bishops Conference has used the opportunity afforded by the liturgical readings of the time. A resource package will be sent to all parishes. One of the items is a leaflet for faith sharing “CELEBRATING MARRIAGE” that can be used by couples, also couples in mixed marriages, as well as the wider community. The reflections given here are shortened summaries. For more details contact Toni Rowland of the Family Life Desk on 011 789 5449 cel 082 552 1275 Email trowland@sacbc.org.za or toni@marfam.org.za
Week 1. 23rd August - 21st Sunday of the Year.
Theme: Husband and wife are like Jesus and the Church.
The writer of Ephesians 5: 21-32 invites couples to “give way to one another in obedience to Christ.” There is greater equality between husbands and wives in modern marriages than before. Jesus does not invite subjection in a negative sense but a positive total commitment and self-giving in order to become one. Sometimes men find this difficult, sometimes women do. Each couple is challenged to develop their relationship and find a balance that reflects the unity of Christ and the Church.
For reflection and sharing couples and individuals are invited to consider what marriage in the Church means for them and how they are contributing to supporting marriages in the Church.
Week 2. 30th August - 22nd Sunday of the Year.
Theme: A Call to Action to Build Strong Marriages.
James 1:17-18, 22, 27. James is a practical man and challenges the community not just to pay lip-service to what is right but to take action. Do couples take their marriage for granted or do they work to strengthen their relationship? Does the community recognize the role of couples or see people purely as individuals?
Do leaders in the community, priests, catechists, pastoral councils promote marriage and offer help to couples and to those preparing to be married?
For reflection and sharing couples and members of the community are invited to look at concrete ways in which marriages can be strengthened during this time.
Week 3. 6th September – 23rd Sunday of the Year.
Theme: Value and affirm the good.
We are often inclined to focus on the problems and the negatives around marriage, or choose to ignore what we see is happening. We often neglect to affirm and build on the good. The theme for the Sunday readings is ‘The Lord who does all things well” (Mark 7:37) God created human beings and recognized them as good. He has created marriage as good and a strong foundation on which to build a family.
For reflection and sharing couples and members of the community are invited to focus on what is good in their own marriages and those of others, share this and affirm one another, thanking God for the good he has done.
Week 4. 13th September – 24th Sunday of the Year.
Theme: Carrying one’s cross is unconditional love.
The readings for the Sunday speak of the cross and of suffering. We each have a cross to bear, either a personal weakness or disability or something in one another that we find difficult to accept. People are not expected to continue in abusive relationships but it also happens that couples give up much too easily when the going gets tough, possibly because they do not know how to communicate. One way of learning to carry one’s cross is learning to communicate about it, to share openly and honestly with one another.
Through reflection and discussion the whole community can grow in understanding about the ups and downs of marriage and pray for married couples.
Week 5. 20thst September – 25th Sunday of the Year.
Theme: Peace begins in the home. James 3:16 – 4:3.
James warns against jealousy and ambition resulting in disharmony and wickedness of every kind and states that wisdom coming from above makes for peace. Jealousy and ambition are challenges in marriage as in other aspects of life and may cause conflict and division between spouses. They may first manifest themselves as feelings, e.g. of rejection or challenge. Feelings in themselves are neutral, neither right nor wrong but can lead to judgements, criticism and harmful behaviour if not dealt with in a life-giving manner. Communication skills must be acquired and practised for the sake of peace and harmony.
Couples and communities can offer support in learning these skills. Pray for healing in hurting marriages.
Week 6. 27th September – 26th Sunday of the Year.
Theme: Are we being a good example?
Mark 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48. Jesus condemns those who give scandal to the little ones in the strongest possible terms.
Children learn from what they see. They see parents fight but how often do they see parents make up? They watch the way couples around them live out their relationship and decide whether this is a good choice for their own future. As a community do we give good example and paint a truly positive picture of marriage, as a true tower of strength, not just pretending all is well?
Couples can spend time on reconciliation with one another and Catholics can receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The community too can examine their conscience and reflect on how they have encouraged and promoted marriage.
MARRIAGE DAY. 4th October.
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.
A PRAYER FOR MARRIAGE IN THE CHURCH
Loving God,
You created human beings in your own image and likeness,
Created them as male and female,
To love as you love,
To become one, as you, God are one,
To become co-creators with you and so bring new life into the world,
To show the love that Jesus has for his body, the Church
To make visible the presence of the Holy Spirit through their love.
We ask you to bless your Church and your people
With renewed faith in this powerful mystery
With renewed hope for the strengthening of the Sacrament of Matrimony
With renewed couple love to build the Church of today
For the families of tomorrow.
Amen |
