November 21st, 2010
Making Marriage Better
Ok. You’ve thought about it. Maybe cried about it. Maybe got depressed about it. Got angry about it. “It?” Your marriage. Sure, everybody’s marriages have ups and downs -- you know, for better for worse. But you keep thinking “worse.” Counselling? You’re tempted, but not sure where to begin. Or with whom. And would “he” go? Or would “she” go? Maybe the safest thing would be to go on living as we are -- like two single people with separate lives, sharing the same house, the same kids. We don’t want to break up, but another 20 years of “this”?
If you’re married and that set of thoughts sounded familiar, have I got a gift for you! A weekend away to rediscover the love in your marriage. I’ve been invited to be the priest on a marriage-mending weekend (December 3-5) and I’d like to invite you to be part of this uplifting experience. It’s not group therapy. You don’t tell your troubles to the others on the weekend. It’s just between you and your spouse. And it works. And you deserve it.
This weekend has a French name -- cause it was first developed in the Catholic Church in French-speaking Canada. It’s called Retrouvaille (pronounced “rétro-veye”) and the word means “rediscovery.” You can read about it (and register) online at www.retrouvaille.org or you can call Linda and John in our parish at (516) 334-0178 and chat about what the weekend is like.
I’ve participated in these weekends over the past few years and I’ve seen marriages in worse condition than yours get turned around. I’ve seen marriages that were starting to go dry get new life. People who were just “staying-in-their-marriage-because-it-was-better-for-the-kids” ended up giving their kids the BEST gift: Mom and Dad loving each other again in healthy, fulfilling ways.
If you long for the intimacy of past times and find yourself steeped in sadness instead, now is the time to do something about it.
During this weekend you will work hard. But it will save your life. That’s worth working hard for. Show this to your spouse. Talk about it. Go online to register or you can call the toll free registration number: 1-800-470-2230. I’m looking forward to sharing this weekend and its healing love.
