Getting regular ‘tune-ups’ can enrich even the best relationships
Why would a normal couple with a good marriage invest time, energy and money in marriage enrichment? Most of us can see the need for couples in crisis to read self-help books, take seminars, get counseling or go on special retreats. But if you think your marriage is cruising along anywhere between “OK” and “pretty good,” why bother?
We need to be willing to invest in regular care and maintenance for this most important relationship, as much as, if not more than, we do with our car or career. To have the best marriage possible — the most joy-filled, super-solid, radiant marriage, which God intends for you — we need to be willing to keep growing, to keep learning, to get inspired, to sharpen our skills and to aim for excellence. Regularly! That’s what marriage enrichment is all about. Here is a “course catalog” of Catholic and Christian marriage enrichment resources for you to consider for your ongoing marriage education. Aim for 25 “credit hours” a year!
1. Check out www.foryourmarriage.org, a website sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- Read three articles. (5 credits)
- Read and do the website’s Daily Marriage Tips for seven days. (5 credits)
- Sign up for its newsletter by email, or follow on Facebook or Twitter.
(10 credits) - 2. Read a book that improves your relationship skills. Try Christian counselor Gary Chapman’s classic “The 5 Love Languages,” or humorous Catholic counselor Gregory Popcak’s “For Better … Forever! or Holy Sex!” (20 credits per book)
3. Read a book that deepens your knowledge about the Catholic vision of marriage. (20 credits each)
- Something old: Fulton Sheen’s classic “Three to Get Married.”
- Something new: “The Human Person,” a presentation of Pope St. John Paul II’s theology of the body by J. Brian Bransfield.
- Something borrowed and something blue: “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan,” by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, available at the Archdiocese of Seattle Library Media Center. (Did you know that the gracious library staff will mail you materials? You only pay return postage when you send them back in blue reusable mailing pouches.
4. Together, watch the inspiring six-part “Humanum Series” of short video documentaries, free on YouTube. This well-produced Catholic series draws on many cultures and discusses the beauty of being created man and woman, the gift of marriage and the contribution of marriage to society. (5 credits per video. Extra credit if you watch them all!)
5. Sign up for a marriage enrichment retreat. Spending a whole weekend together focusing on your marriage can be transformative. Whether it deepens intimacy, increases joy, strengthens communication or helps forge a common vision, great fruit is sure to come from the investment in your marriage. (25 credit hours per retreat)
Some retreats available in our archdiocese include:
“Habits of a Very Loving Marriage,” led by Father Pat Freitag, May 15–17 at the Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center at the Palisades. Father Freitag uses Stephen R. Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (and The 8th Habit)” to empower couples to communicate successfully.
Marriage Encounter. Decades of Catholic couples have benefitted from the excellent communication and dialogue skills taught at Marriage Encounter weekends. For upcoming dates check out www.seattlewwme.org.
“Living in Love.” This theology of the body retreat energizes romance and renews the joy of being a man and a woman in love. It incorporates insights into masculinity and femininity from the sciences and introduces practical ways to live as self-gift to each other. (Full disclosure: My husband and I are passionately enthusiastic about these retreats and help facilitate them.)
Don’t be afraid to earn “extra credit” in marriage enrichment! The renewed energy and inspiration from your investment of time and energy blesses not only your own marriage, but your family, friends and the whole church.
Originally posted on Northwest Catholic – April 2015