Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

It has been three years since I last offered this, but it is time to bring back the Married Couples Retreat!!

You may know the old saying, “the couple that prays together, stays together”, but what does that practically mean in our busy lives? Some families are committed to praying the rosary together – wonderful! The Sacrament of Marriage is a man and a woman growing every day deeper in love by giving their lives to one another. This is an incredibly enriching gift, because in giving ourselves away we discover a love beyond imagining.

To that purpose, each year (prior to COVID) I offered a retreat for married couples, dedicated to the formation and spiritual growth of their marriage, Teams of Our Lady. The format of the retreat includes short talks, lectio divina, and discussions that provide an opportunity for couples to pray together and deepen their mutual understanding.

Oh Nooooooo!!!!! I didn’t write about the 4th of July last week! And I LOVE this holiday! Next to Christmas, this was my favorite holiday as a child! So Happy [belated] Fourth of July! Do we have a duty to our love our country? Yes. Why?

One way to consider patriotism is found in having a proportionate love of country as the specific community where the Lord has given me life, support, and opportunity. It is no wonder that the Catechism of the Catholic Church touches upon it in paragraphs about the fourth commandment to honor father and mother:

In our brothers and sisters we see the children of our parents; in our cousins, the descendants of our ancestors; in our fellow citizens, the children of our country; in the baptized, the children of our mother the Church; in every human person, a son or daughter of the One who wants to be called “our Father.” CCC 2212.

Human families, parishes, cities, and nations are made up of persons. These communities are an expression of the loving providence of God.

The love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. CCC 2239

I think sometimes of an account written by a Catholic convert from atheism, Jennifer Fulwiler. Her objections to faith melted the more she contemplated that her love for her family had to be more than just chemical reactions in a highly evolved, but meaningless arrangement of matter.

Because we have encountered uncreated love, through created beings, we owe to them a veneration of gratitude and respect. To love our families, parishes, city, and country does not mean that we are blind to faults. It is because we love that we can strive to improve every level of society.

Why do I love America? Because Jesus commanded me to “Love the Lord God with your whole heart, mind and soul; and love your neighbor as yourself.”

I hope you enjoyed the holiday. God Bless America.

pax,

Father John Mosimann