Each person should consider: "What does my faith mean to me?"
As you begin or continue your family life, invite God into the relationship.
Learn to pray together regularly.
Pray about:
- Your lives, needs and hopes
- The people dear to you
- Critical questions facing you as a couple
- Determine occasions, times of day, or week, when you can pray together
Maintain a healthy interdependence in your relationship.
Develop your personal talents and gifts. You'll be a more interesting partner.
Develop a joy of sharing and being with one another.
Support one another in times of both joy and sorrow.
Forgive one another.
Take time to rest and reflect alone and renew your spirit.
Build rich religious traditions and rituals into your family customs.
| Journey of Faith Our faith is shaped by parents, siblings, spouse, children, peers, and society. Partners religious attitudes & behaviors may vary widely. We might recognize the need for God as an integral part of married life, praying together, truly calling on God for assistance in marital difficulties, viewing ourselves as partners with God on life's journey. We might attend church faithfully and follow church rules, but praying to God is only a Sunday activity. Some of us may be active in parish events but do not have a strong spiritual base. Others may want to be married in church due to family or social pressure, though they choose to participate in religion occasionally or not at all. We may have been raised in another faith that promotes religious prejudices. The extended family may oppose the union. Many people possess a rich internal spiritual life, but speak little about their personal faith journeys. While some people have no religious tradition, they may be curious about religion and open to learning more. |
Praying Together
Throughout their years of marriage, a couple shares themselves. When we pray together, it opens up a new and deeper level of sharing. By praying together, we consciously bring God into our lives and our love.
Together we put our lives and love into the hands of the Creator. It is a way of listening and being open to God's word, and to make us available to do His will. With this kind of awareness, prayer together as a couple should be much richer and easier.
Personal Faith
Each person has a unique faith. It could be said that every marriage is "interfaith", even when both are from the same denomination. Each couple must respect the other's faith experience and relationship with God.
Develop Spirituality in Marriage
- Foster interdependence
- Pray together
- Challenge each other
- Support each other
- Respect each other
- Forgive one another
- Loving share your sexuality
- Remain faithful (fidelity) to your spouse
- Maintain courage in doubt and sorrow
- Know that God is present to make this marriage work
