New life, new beginnings, resurrection and rebirth…spring is here again! It was a cold winter and long Lent, but He never leaves us without the graces to keep on and to begin again. The power of Christ’s forgiveness and love has never felt more present as it does now. We’ve seen it first hand!
These past few months, we’ve seen a fire from within the hearts of couples in this ministry to married life, that have rekindled the flames in our own faith of exactly why we are here. It is because of you that this Faith and Marriage ministry continues on, growing stronger year by year.
Through our retreats, we’ve witnessed couples of all ages and backgrounds come together and witness to one another by their openness to share as presenters, or to receive as retreatants, and to grow in faith as community through sharing as one body in Christ with the same mission to grow in His love and bring each other along for the ride! Where two or more are gathered, Christ is present. It is only through that presence that we’ve witnessed the healing, the forgiveness and the love pouring forth from the married couples we’ve been so blessed to be with on these retreats.
The Lord surely hasn’t stopped there, in February we were again graced by God through an amazing couple, Greg and July Alexander of “The Alexander House” in Texas, who presented at our 3rd annual Diocesan Wide Supper and Substance. Their honesty and humility was forever touching while their passion for Christ and what He alone can do for us in our vocations was inspiring! Again, we thanked the Lord for not only their willingness to share, but for our archdiocesan family in welcoming them not only into our community, but also into our hearts. We saw many seeds planted that evening and have heard tremendous stories of the growth, responding to the call that they shouted out to us on our mission in marriage, the grace of forgiveness and the joy found in that healing and loving sacrifice for one another and our families.
Our Diocesan Supper and Substance evening was a great success, due to careful planning but moreover due to the support in carrying out the event that night. Thank you to so many for their time, talents and generosity in this event. Because of your enthusiasm, we were encouraged to take the event one step further and hold a Marriage workshop the following day. The Alexanders and Dr. Chris Baglow shared amazing insights into who we are as man and woman, God’s design and plan for us, how our roles play out in our vocations, and many more encouraging thoughts on the “whys” and the “whats” of marriage, with additional testimony to these facts. Yet again, another success! We must first and foremost thank God for that!
“Without Him we can do nothing, and with Him all things are possible.” He lives forever in each and in every one of you. We thank you for your openness to serve God and one another by your sheer involvement and presence with us. In a final reflection as the cold of winter melts away and we welcome the warmth and refreshing breezes of the spring, we open our arms and our hearts to the opportunities of new hearts and new lives to be able to touch and be touched by through this ministry. However, there is no refuting the truth that, although it may have been a tough Lent and a cold winter…. He was always there. Christ has been walking with us, in you, all the way. Thank you for then, thank you for now, and thank you for considering walking with us in the future. God bless you.
