Engaged to be Married?
Congratulations! We rejoice with you during this special time as you prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage.
Catholic Marriage is a little different to civil marriage. It is meant to be a sign of the love God has for each of us.
Therefore, Catholic marriage has the same qualities as God’s love; freely given, total, faithful and fruitful.
It’s not always easy to love like God – as human beings we are limited and sometimes selfish making it hard for us to love perfectly.
Although loving each other might seem easy to you now, your love will likely be tested in the future by the challenges of life.
That’s why all our engaged couples participate in a marriage preparation course. This course will equip you with practical tools from contemporary relationship science as well as assisting your celebrant in preparing you spiritually to enter the Sacrament of Matrimony.
As it can get very busy in the weeks before the wedding, you should start this course as soon as possible. In our parish, the following courses are available.
SmartLoving Engaged: Online Marriage Preparation -
Consisting of 9 lessons, you progress through the course at your own pace, doing the couple activities as you go. There is an option for a married Sponsor Couple from your community to accompany you through the course.
www.smartloving.org/broken-bay
Marriage Formation
Your marriage is a living thing. It needs nourishment if it is to grow and develop over your lifetime. No matter how many years you’ve been married, there’s always something new to discover! Below are some suggestions for you to explore:
SmartLoving Newlywed Date Nites - Starting out in marriage is an exciting time. It’s also a critical time for establishing rituals and habits that will become the bedrock of a thriving relationship. Newlywed Date Nites will help you do just that!
www.smartloving.org/broken-bay
For a 50% discount, use coupon code: BrokenBayAU
SmartLoving The Marriage Kit - Investing in your marriage is a life-long commitment. Now, it’s easier than ever to access world-class marriage formation from your home that is practical and engaging. This online course of five lessons is tailored to couples seeking a lasting, passionate relationship.
www.smartloving.org/broken-bay
For a 50% discount, use coupon code: BrokenBayAU
Fertility Management
The Catholic church encourages all married couples to consciously and responsibly plan their families according to principles of generosity, openness to life, prudence and trust in God’s provision. To assist you in this sacred responsibility, a number of resources are available to instruct you in Fertility Awareness Methods (FAMs). Based on the natural rhythms of a woman’s fertility cycle, these methods are completely natural, reliable, and are consistent with the vision of Catholic marriage.
SmartLoving Fertility Online Course - Based on the Sympto-Thermal method, the course incorporates scientific insights, relationship frameworks and Catholic Theology. It is included free with registration in SmartLoving Engaged. Individual coaching also available.
www.smartloving.org/broken-bay
For a 50% discount, use coupon code: BrokenBayAU
Catholic Family Life
Looking for ideas and support in raising your children in the Catholic faith? Check out these resources.
CathFamily - An online database dedicated to assisting families in making the home the living heart of the church. Resources include printable handouts, craft activities, games, drama, recipes, and prayer rituals celebrating the seasonal feasts and Catholic culture.
www.cathfamily.org
Support for Couples, Families, Individuals
Sometimes life throws you a curve ball; unemployment, sickness, conflict, trauma -you name it – there are any number of things that can make life hard. When you need support, we in the Catholic community want to help. Here are some of the services available.
Marriage Support
All marriages go through ups and downs. Sometimes, it can be very lonely in a marriage and you might be feeling anxious or uncertain about what you can do to get your relationship back on track. Whether your difficulties relate to communication, conflict, addictions, sickness or infidelity we encourage you to explore the resources available to you below.
SmartLoving SOS is a free information centre listing resources available to Catholic couples and spouses struggling in their marriage. This includes online courses, tele-counselling services, books, blogs and videos and features specialist services for infidelity, mid-life crises, trauma effects, addictions, and others. It is updated regularly.
www.smartloving.org/sos
SmartLoving BreakThrough provides spouses in difficult marriages powerful tools to bring hope and healing to their situations through an online course and optional coaching.
www.smartloving.org/broken-bay
For a 50% discount, use coupon code: BrokenBayAU
Infertility Support
Struggling with infertility, subfertility and miscarriage is a great burden for couples, especially when they so deeply desire to live out their vocation to welcome the gift of children from God. All may seem hopeless. In moments such as these, remember that despite infertility, couples can have a married life that is filled with love and meaning.
NaProTechnology - Fertility Care and NaProTechnology offer a minimally invasive, ethical approach to the assessment and treatment of infertility.
https://www.fccau.org/overcoming-fertility-issues
Free eBook: Infertility - By CathFamily.
https://cathfamily.org/2016-may-infertility/