Amazing Catechists

Teaching and learning the faith together

Marriage Memes: Holy Family

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I’m thrilled to announce the conclusion to this 12-part series of memes on marriage, covering every topic from communication to finances to prayer. This final installment focuses on the Holy Family, any marriage’s best and most perfect role model. Quotes are from Chapter 12 of  our Catholic marriage advice book The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for  a Lifetime. Please put our book on your Christmas list for any engaged or married couples you know. And throughout this beautiful Advent season of preparation, let’s ask Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to pray for us!

Meme #1: Catechism

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Meme #2: Scripture

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Meme #3: Quote from Four Keys

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Meme #4: Pope Quote

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Meme #5: Action Plan

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Printable Worksheets on the Holy Family #freebie #4KEYS

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In December, our thoughts turn to the Holy Family. We celebrate the Marian feasts of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 and Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. And of course, all those Christmas carols  — even though they’re a bit out of season — remind us that Baby Jesus’ birthday is coming soon. So it’s entirely appropriate that this twelfth and final downloadable worksheet focuses on the Holy Family. If you haven’t already, pick up a copy or two of our book, The Four Keys to Everlasting Love. And God bless you! TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE WORKSHEET, CLICK HERE.

Chapter 12

Turning into a Happier, Holier Family:

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Can Show You How


The Holy Family is the best role model that any family could possibly ask for. Our Blessed Mother Mary is a shining example of grace under pressure, faith in the face of uncertainty, and perseverance through the hardest of life’s challenges. St. Joseph is a pre-eminent father figure, protective, strong, and willing to share all with no expectation of return. As individuals we can ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do,” or WWJD? As members of a family we can ask ourselves, “What would the Holy Family do,” or WWHFD?

Manny and Karee describe the Holy Family in Chapter 12 of The Four Keys: “God was the center of their lives — not sex, money, or even work. The Holy Family shows us that marriage is more than just the union of two people. Marriage is the union of two people with God through each other.”

Chapter 12 sums up each of the four essential characteristics of faithful, free, fruitful, and total married love and shows how Mary and Joseph modeled those characteristics throughout their lives. The example of the Holy Family reveals how:

  • to remain faithful in times of joy and sorrow
  • to use our freedom wisely to work and serve for others’ sake
  • to cherish our spouses’ precious bodies, and
  • to love totally through self-giving parenting and constant prayer

As Manny and Karee say, “God has handed you the keys to everlasting love: how to love faithfully, freely, fruitfully, and totally, both now and forever. Unlock the door and step through.”

Conversation Starters


You can use the following conversation starters to get a discussion going between yourselves or in a small group. If it helps, think it over on your own time, take it to prayer, and jot down your answers before talking about them.


1.  Do you see any similarities between your life and the Holy Family’s? What are they?




2.  How easy is it to make God the center of your family life? What would make it easier?




3. What pulls you away from God the most?




4.  What unites you most as a couple? As a family? How can you become more united?

 

Marriage Memes: Family Prayer

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Advent is a great time of year to start new habits of family prayer. The fun of the Advent wreath and the excitement of preparations for Christmas remind everyone of the reason for the season — our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Here are some downloadable graphics on family prayer to help you out. Share with anyone you feel might enjoy them! Quotes are from Chapter 11 of The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for  a Lifetime. Don’t forget that Cyber Monday is a fantastic opportunity to buy books like this as Christmas gifts for your loved ones!

Meme #1: Catechism

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Meme #2: Scripture

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Meme #3: Quote from Four Keys

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Meme #4: Pope Quote

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Meme #5: Action Plan

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Printable Worksheets on Family Prayer #freebie #4KEYS

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“Only by praying together with their children can a mother and father — exercising their royal priesthood — penetrate the innermost depths of their children’s hearts,” said Pope John Paul II. And the future will never be able to erase the impact of shared family prayer. We share several ideas on how to pray every day and throughout the year with your spouse and children in Chapter 11 of The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for a Lifetime. Please get your copy, read along, and join in the discussion with the 4 Keys Online Book Club on Facebook. The last day of the Facebook discussion will be November 26. FOR A PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THE WORKSHEET, CLICK HERE. 

Chapter 11

Turning Our Homes into Places of Prayer:
The Eternal Consequences of Everyday Family Life


In the day-to-day grind of life, it can be easy to forget that what we do now has consequences for eternity. This is especially true in family life, where we live out our vocation to sacramental marriage and, God willing, as parents to the next generation. Our families are “domestic churches,” where we share God’s divine love with each other and strengthen each other’s faith. A rich family prayer life can bring great peace to our homes. 


As Manny and Karee say in Chapter 11 of The Four Keys, “When family members spend time together nurturing their friendship with God, they form a nearly unbreakable bond. In becoming closer to God, they become closer to each other. Evenings become filled with prayer instead of electronic entertainment, and Sundays become filled with praising God instead of hopping in separate minivans to drive different kids in different directions to various extracurricular activities.”


In addition to explaining how spouses can deepen their prayer lives as individuals and as a couple, Chapter Eleven also shares easy prayer habits for families, including:

  • morning prayer (even in the car on the way to work or school!)
  • bedtime prayers (more than just rote recitation)
  • reading Bible stories (for adults, it’s called lectio divina)
  • grace before meals (a wonderful way to incorporate multiple faith traditions)

Conversation Starters


You can use the following conversation starters to get a discussion going between yourselves or in a small group. If it helps, think it over on your own time, take it to prayer, and jot down your answers before talking about them.



1.  Do you have a favorite prayer? What is it, and what makes it your favorite?




2.  Do you feel comfortable speaking to God in front of each other? Why or why not?




3. What prayers would you most like your children to learn?




4.  Does your parish church appeal to you? Do other parishes in your area appeal to you more?



Printable Worksheets on Special Needs, Adoption & More #freebie #4KEYS

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Some married couples are called to the challenges of raising big families or special-needs kids, or even adopting, fostering or stepparenting. These special family circumstances can open the door to a flood of graces from heaven to sustain parents in their holy and often incredibly arduous work. We touch briefly on all of these circumstances in Chapter 9 of The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for a Lifetime. Please get your copy, read along, and join in the discussion with the 4 Keys Online Book Club on Facebook. FOR A PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THE WORKSHEET, CLICK HERE. 

Chapter 9

Turning Challenges into Channels of Grace:
Big Families, Special-Needs Kids, Adopting, Fostering & Stepparenting


One of God’s favorite ways to expand our capacity to love is through our families. No matter how big our hearts are at the start, they can always grow bigger. Many special family circumstances challenge parents to do more than they think they ever possibly could. Challenges like big families, special-needs children, adopting, fostering, and stepparenting can all be transformed into channels of God’s all-powerful grace.


As Manny and Karee say in Chapter Nine of The Four Keys, they feel surrounded by everyday heroes called to be extraordinary parents. “Whereas we have six kids, many of our friends have more — into the double digits. Several of our friends have children with a range of special needs, including autism, Down syndrome, and muscular dystrophy. We have watched other friends struggle with the cross of infertility and then turn that cross into a blessing by adopting or fostering children in need …. Still other people we know have turned stepparenting into an act of selfless love,” they say.


Chapter Nine talks about all these special family circumstances, explaining how:

  • large families are a sign of God’s blessing and the parents’ generosity
  • every human life, even if weak and suffering, is a splendid gift
  • adopting or fostering a child is an expression of spiritual fruitfulness
  • stepparenting shows great openness of heart

Conversation Starters


You can use the following conversation starters to get a discussion going between yourselves or in a small group. If it helps, think it over on your own time, take it to prayer, and jot down your answers before talking about them.



1.  What particular challenges do you think large families or blended families face? What families do you know who have managed such challenges successfully?




2.  Do you have friends whose children have special needs? What strikes you about the role the child plays in the family?





3. Do you have friends who have chosen to adopt or foster a child? What have you learned from them about what it means to be a family?




4.  Have you considered adopting or fostering children? What about special-needs children? Do you feel called to have a large family, or a larger one than you have now?




Marriage Memes: Natural Family Planning

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Although many dioceses require a class in Natural Family Planning as part of pre-Cana instruction, it may be too late at that point. Many engaged couples have already made their decisions about their sexuality and their fertility long ago. They may have been living together, sleeping together, and using contraception to prevent pregnancy for years. That’s why NFP advocates suggest spreading information on how to care for your body and your fertility at a much younger age, either in the teens or early twenties.

These graphics on Natural Family Planning are appropriate for use in catechetical instruction even before pre-Cana. But of course, they’re great for marriage prep, too.  Quotes are from Chapter 8 of The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for  a Lifetime. Feel free to use and share them. And you’re welcome to join the online discussion of The Four Keys on Facebook.

Meme #1: Catechism

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Meme #2:  Scripture

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Meme #3: Quote from Four Keys

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Meme #4: Pope Quote

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Meme #5: Action Plan

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Printable Worksheets on NFP, Contraception & IVF #freebie #4KEYS

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Many Catholics don’t understand the value of Natural Family Planning, and even fewer use it (about 2% by some accounts). Even fewer are aware of the Catholic Church’s principled objection to techniques such as in vitro fertilization. These teachings can be hard to transmit, because they are hard for people to hear, especially couples who are struggling with infertility and desperately want their own child. But as one couple told us in a pre-Cana class we were teaching, “if you don’t tell us, who will?” 

We included what we felt to be a gentle yet crystal clear explanation of the Church’s position on NFP, contraception, and IVF in Chapter 8 of The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for a Lifetime. Please get your copy, read along, and join in the discussion with the 4 Keys Online Book Club on Facebook. FOR A PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THE WORKSHEET, CLICK HERE. 

Chapter 8

Turning the Fear of Fertility into a Total Gift of Self:
Finding a Better Alternative to Artificial Birth Control & IVF

According to Pope Francis, when we rob sexual acts of their natural fruitfulness by using contraception, we disfigure married love (Amoris Laetitia, 80). But 75% of sexually active Catholics use artificial birth control, according to one 2006-2010 study. So what’s causing the major disconnect between what the Church teaches and what vast numbers of Catholics actually do? One big cause is fear.

Women especially are taught to fear their fertility during their teen years when adults (with the best of intentions) warn of the dangers of premarital sex. In addition, many couples worry about the impact of children on finances or career plans. “Women can be put into a state of constantly fighting their fertility, chemically suppressing it when it’s at its height and then trying to jump-start it as it diminishes,” say Manny and Karee in Chapter Eight of The Four Keys.

Natural Family Planning (or NFP) assists women in breaking that vicious cycle. NFP encourages the mindset that fertility is a great blessing. It helps couples to avoid or achieve pregnancy in an effective, safe, ethical, and relatively inexpensive way. And it helps them develop the gift of sexual self-control. In Chapter Eight, Manny and Karee offer scads of helpful information on contraception, NFP, and IVF, including:

  • the medical dangers of artificial birth control
  • the financial, emotional, and ethical downsides to IVF
  • the advantages of using NFP to achieve or avoid pregnancy
  • selecting the right method of NFP to fit your lifestyle

Conversation Starters


You can use the following conversation starters to get a discussion going between yourselves or in a small group. If it helps, think it over on your own time, take it to prayer, and jot down your answers before talking about them.


1.  Do you and your spouse agree on the morality of contraception? If you don’t, how do you cope with this disagreement?




2.  What have you heard (good and bad) about NFP?





3. Do you or anyone you know use NFP? What were the most powerful reasons influencing the choice to use NFP?




4.  Which NFP method do you think might work best for you and why?



Marriage Memes: Married Sexuality

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This next installment of free downloadable graphics focuses on the intimate subject of married sexuality and fertility. Nothing can bring a married couple closer together or drive them further apart.

Quotes are from Chapter 7 of The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for  a Lifetime. Feel free to use them in your ministry. And please join the online discussion on Facebook.

 

Meme #1: Catechism

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Meme #2: Scripture

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Meme #3: Quote from Four Keys

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Meme #4: Pope Quote

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Meme #5: Action Plan

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Printable Worksheets on Married Sexuality #freebie #4KEYS

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Yep, it’s time to talk about sex. This week’s marriage prep/enrichment topic is married sexuality and its power to bring pleasure and create new life. Read Chapter 7 of The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for a Lifetime, and join in the discussion with the 4 Keys Online Book Club on Facebook. FOR A PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THE WORKSHEET, CLICK HERE. 

Chapter 7

Turning Spouses into Life-Giving Lovers:
The Creative Power of Sex

One of the most misunderstood areas of Catholic teaching is sexuality. Many people are shocked to learn that the Catechism calls married sexuality “a source of joy and pleasure” and “a sign and pledge of spiritual communion” (CCC 2360-62). Catholicism regards sexuality as a precious gift from God, enriching marriages on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.

But unlike the culture around us, Catholicism also regards fertility, which is inextricably linked with sexuality, as a precious gift from God. As Manny and Karee say in Chapter Seven of The Four Keys, “Through the conception of a child, a husband and wife are bound together closer than ever before. They become one flesh, even on a biological level. The DNA of the father and the mother combine in a new human being. And the Holy Spirit is there, too, contributing the new person’s soul. It is difficult to imagine a closer unity among husband, wife, and God.” Just like sexuality, fertility is not limited to the physical realm. It has emotional and spiritual aspects as well.

In Chapter Seven, Manny and Karee address some of the common problems couples have with experiencing sexuality and fertility as the great blessings they are meant to be. They give tips on:

• Communicating about sex in a natural and intimate way

• Building healthy body image

• Overcoming the past

• Healing from infidelity and porn addiction

Conversation Starters

You can use the following conversation starters to get a discussion going between yourselves or in a small group. If it helps, think it over on your own time, take it to prayer, and jot down your answers before talking about them.

1. What preconceived notions of sex did you learn from your parents or your peers? Do they differ from the Catholic view of sexuality and, if so, how?

2. How easy is it for you and your spouse to talk about sex? How might you communicate even better?

3. Do you feel there is a “best” time in marriage to start having children? Why?

4. Do you and your spouse agree on how many children to have? If not, what keeps you from reaching an agreement?

Marriage Memes: Family Community Service

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This week’s Marriage Memes highlight the importance of doing community service together as a family. You can change the world for the better — together! — one act of charity at a time.

Quotes are from Chapter 6 of The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for  a Lifetime. Feel free to use them in your ministry. And please join the online discussion on Facebook.

Meme #1: Catechism

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Meme #2: Scripture

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Meme #3: Quote from Four Keys

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Meme #4: Pope Quote

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Meme #5: Action Plan

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