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Marriage Preparation Tools

wed-5.gif · 1) Give couples an outstanding "marriage prep packet".
· 2) Set out a table with additional resources.
· 3) Build a powerful Marriage Preparation Curriculum.
· 4) Create a library for couples, presenters, and mentors.
· 5) Provide resources for Hispanic couples as needed.


There is now an online marriage preparation service that works with local Marriage support personal and allows couples in unusual situations (such as one partner being overseas for the time being) to complete a full featured marriage preparation program.


Why Marriage Preparation Matters

The goal of Marriage Preparation is to bring about superb marriages, the kind of marriages where people say, "Aren’t they a wonderful couple!" and mean it. The realities of our culture make this extremely challenging. Nearly all of the couples who come to the Church for marriage are already sexually active with one another; nearly all of them are using contraceptives* to avoid pregnancy before marriage, and half to three quarters of them are already living together. By their lifestyle choices, they have already convinced themselves that the Church has nothing to tell them about male-female relationships or fertility management, and certainly nothing worthwhile to say about sexuality.

So why do they come? Plainly they are looking for something more than they can get from cohabitation. They know from observation of other couples (and possibly their own bitter experience) just how fragile sexual relationships outside of marriage can be. They want something better for themselves and hope that a gorgeous public ceremony or maybe some mysterious "blessing" from the Church can give them that extra something.

So what can the Church do for them? Well, Jesus gave us the best teaching on marriage and relationships ever delivered, and John Paul II has taken that teaching and packaged it so well that we now know more about what makes a marriage work (and what doesn’t) than ever before, and this knowledge is mostly available only through the Catholic Church.

Marriage is a fine-tuned, extremely powerful biological/psychological/spiritual package. Marriage moves couples to create the very best setting for bringing up resourceful, contributing members of society.
That setting is the human family with two highly involved parents. The family, however, revolves around the wholehearted sexual donation of each spouse to the other. Anything that attacks that relationship is highly destructive to marriage and the family. Pornography, for example, involves the husband with imaginary sexual images instead of his wife. Both partners are clearly aware of this disconnection, and sexual activity becomes divisive instead of unitive, with typically disastrous consequences. Birth control is even worse. Contracepted sex is the individual pursuit of physical/emotional gratification instead of a mutual pursuit of greater love and family involvement. This self-centered sex, unlike family-oriented sex, has devastating effects, for example, the huge increase in divorce that has come about as our culture has become saturated with birth control.

Marriage preparation programs can now clearly teach what factors, such as birth control, attack the marriage bond and what factors, such as accepting children, support and enhance it. We owe a great debt to John Paul II, because now we can tell couples not only what to do (and avoid) for a life-long, excellent relationship, but we can also tell them why these practices make such a remarkable difference. Effective marriage preparation, however, calls for a thorough re-education of the trainers as well as the trainees, since all of us are immersed in a culture where sexual values are highly distorted.

This is absolutely worth the effort. Healthy marriages lead to loving families. Loving families lead to functional, productive communities—a culture of life, a Civilization of Love. Anything we can do to foster this society will have an enormous payoff!

Four steps to take:



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AN ObGyn Talks Straight to Priests About Sex and Marriage

Christopher West digs deep into Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body and into the connection between marriage and the Eucharist.

Birthing and raising 14 children (not including 5 already with the Lord) sounds almost easy when Jim and Kathleen share “anecdotes and a philosophy of life from a family of sixteen” in this wonderful book. They spell out for us the great rewards and the challenges of large family living, and they urge “the reader to reevaluate the possibility of having another child [and to be] open to God’s will, with a supernatural, faith-filled perspective. . . .There is a great feeling of freedom and peace that one experiences when one steps out in love and trust in our infinitely loving God.” You’ll want to read this book all in one sitting.
AN ObGyn Talks Straight to Priests About Sex and Marriage
CODE: CAOB
And the Two Become One
CODE: CTBO
Better by the Dozen, Plus Two
CODE: BBBD
Price: $2.00


Price: $9.95


Price: $24.95



unanimous Christian rejection of contraception broke down in 1930, leading to the disastrous sexual revolution

Information from the book Breast Cancer, Its Link to Abortion and the Birth Control Pill, in a short and highly persuasive format.

 A complete breast cancer prevention guide, a vital tool for every woman's health.
Birth Control and Christian Discipleship
CODE: BBCC
Breast Cancer Risk from Abortion
CODE: PBCA
Breast Cancer Risks and Prevention
CODE: KBCR
Price: $4.50


Price: $0.35


Price: $3.00



Reflections on the spirituality and practice of breastfeeding.

Una guia para prevenir dos de las principales causas del cáncer de seno hoy en d­ía: el aborto y el uso de los anticonceptivos hormonales. Este librito es una guía de prevención del cáncer de seno completo, una herramienta vital para la salud de cada mujer.

Este cartel dramáticamente presenta la anticoncepción como la raíz de la Cultura de la muerte y la castidad como el camino a una sociedad saludable.
Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood
CODE: BBCM
Cáncer de Mama Riesgos y Prevención
CODE: KBCRsp
Cartel 'Las Raices del Problema'
CODE: ZROPsp
Price: $10.95


Price: $3.00


Price: $2.00



A great study aid for the great encyclical Humanae Vitae

Señalador con un mensaje de castidad: "Cenicienta no se quitó su vestido para conquistar a su príncipe."

Find out how chastity is about so much more than saying no to sex but about saying yes to real authentic love and much more!
Catechism on Humanae Vitae
CODE: BCHV
Cenicienta (Cinderella)
CODE: ZCINsp
Chastity: What Are You Saying Yes To?
CODE: PSYT
Price: $3.00


Price: $0.35


Price: $0.35



Bookmark promoting chastity: "Cinderella didn't have to take off her dress to win her prince."

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Short leaflet (less than 300 words), very clear, totally common sense, supported by the latest research. Message: Condoms do not effectively protect against anything!
Cinderella
CODE: ZCIN
Civilization of Love Tools
CODE: KCLT
Condom Sense
CODE: PCSP
Price: $0.35


Price: $1.00


Price: $0.50



A clear and engaging summary of the reasons for the Catholic Church's opposition to contraception

Professor Janet Smith takes a close look at the way contraception harms relationships, families, and societies, and gives great ideas for a healthier way of life.

Instructions and tools for guiding a young man through the "Daughters Forever, Sons Forever" sexuality education program, including study assignments, background material for each lesson, reflection questions, and a variety of tools for starting discussion of the material with one's son.
Contraception and the Family
CODE: BCAF
Contraception: Why Not (mp3)
CODE: CCWNm
Daughters Forever Sons Forever: A Study Guide for Dads
CODE: BDSFf
Price: $8.95


Price: $0.00
[this product is electronically distributed]


Price: $14.95


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