National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers
Strengthening the Church’s Commitment to Families
LENT
Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It’s a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ’s will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ’s death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ. (USCCB)
March News Nugget
We have been suffering along with our brothers and sisters in Texas as they experienced terrible weather and power outages. in Let Us Dream, Pope Francis addresses such situations. “As long as one part of humanity is suffering the most abject misery, how can any of us be joyful? But at the same time we see an awakening, a call for change, a sense that what has been is not all there is to come. The joy of the Lord is their strength, but they know they have a road ahead before they can eat, drink, and rejoice in the new way of living.” Let us support each other to reach the time of rejoicing.
Resources From Our Organizational Members
Our Organizational Members provide NACFLM members, other family life parish ministers, and clergy with resources they can use in their local communities to strengthen marriages and families.
MARRIAGE PREPARATION
In response to COVID-19 and social distancing required by local or state governments, the following is provided as a list of online marriage preparation course options. Courses listed here are not necessarily endorsed by the Association but are provided for informational purposes.
Online Marriage Preparation Courses – (In alphabetical order)
Agape Catholic Marriage Preparation – https://www.catholicmarriageprep.com/ – Fee: $194 – $245 – Languages: English, Spanish, French
For Better and For Ever – https://marriagepreparation.com/ Fee: $20 per set of workbooks – Training of Sponsor Couples on ZOOM is free – Languages: English, Spanish, French, Vietnamese
Joy Filled Marriage – https://ascensionpress.com/ – Fee: $50 – Language: English
Living Our Faith in Love – https://themarriagegroup.com/ – Fee: $195 20% discount: $156 – Languages: English, Captioning in English and Spanish
Smart Loving – https://smartloving.org/engaged/ – Fee: $68 – $273 – Language: English
Unveiled – http://www.unveiledmarriage.com/home – Fee: $190 – Language: English
DOMESTIC CHURCH RESOURCES
In response to COVID-19 and social distancing required by local or state governments and families staying home the following are provided as helpful resources to the family.
Lord God, we thank you for the gift of family. We acknowledge that our image and name as family come from you.
We believe that within our family lies a home-made holiness. We affirm that it is this household of faith that we experience Your presence. Your forgiveness, and Your love.
We are family. We give thanks to You, for the many joys and blessings that have come to us through our family.
As family, we sometimes feel pain.l And so we offer to You our disappointments, frustrations, and hurts. Help us to forgive those members of our family, including ourselves, who have caused pain.
We pray for the strength to be a light within our family. May we open our hearts, our eyes and ears and carry our light to those in need.
God, Creator of the earth and all its people, help us to be mindful that, as members of one global family, we are equal in Your eyes. Help us to continue to appreciate the diversity of persons in our homes and in our world. As members equal in human dignity, may we build a better world and proclaim our willingness to be the holy people you call us to be.
Amen