FamilyWorks Nov 2011

Advent Calendar

Advent Calendar prepared by the Melbourne Archdiocesan Office for Evangelisation. It has a brief (about 50 words) reflection for each of the 28 days leading to Christmas, including a scripture quote, to challenge us to witness Gospel values a bit more each day as we prepare to remember the momentous event … when the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity “emptied himself … being born in the likeness of men” [Phil 2:7] so that humanity could enter the Trinity.

This is an ideal resource to help families prepare for Christmas.

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Lectio Divina – Praying the scripture in Advent

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the Word was made flesh” [John 1:1]

Th e Word of God is Jesus. He is the human face of God. It is Jesus who gives meaning to the whole of God’s revelation, of God’s love for each one of us. In meditating on Scripture, on the Word, we enter into communion with God.

Lectio Divina (Latin for divine reading) is a traditional Catholic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase our knowledge of God’s Word. Lectio Divina, is the meditative reading of a text of God’s Word, the Scriptures, alone or with others, which leads to prayer, transformation of life, and, through that transformed life, the sharing with others of the mystery of God entrusted to us.

Bishop David Walker of Broken Bay has prepared an Advent Lectio Divina, a series of brief scriptural reflections for each Sunday of Advent, which invite us “to rest with the Word” this Advent, and in our resting with the Word we may find the space and the place and the patience to wait and discover anew the meaning of our waiting.

 

This is another ideal resource to help individuals & families prepare for Christmas.

Download here

For Your Marriage – US Bishops’ Website

‘For Your Marriage’ is a comprehensive resource on all aspects of sexuality, marriage, parenting and family life from a Catholic perspective.
For Your Marriage website

Getting Married in the Catholic Church

Frequently Asked Questions

The Australian Catholic Marriage & Family Council has just published a comprehensive Q & A on “Getting married in the Catholic Church”. The document addresses a large range of questions posed by people over the internet. The questions range across inter-religious and inter-denominational marriages; they cover diverse delicate issues relating to personal circumstances (non-church going or ‘lapsed’ Catholics, people who have had abortions, vasectomies or tubal ligations etc); as well as addressing practical issues relating to preparing for the wedding ceremony.
• Why should we bother with a Catholic wedding?
• Basic requirements for marriage in the Catholic Church
• Will the Church let us have a Catholic wedding?
• What are the requirements re marriage celebrants?
• What are the promises and commitments in the wedding ceremony and what do they mean?
• What are the requirements relating to marriage education?
• How should we prepare for the nuptial mass and wedding ceremony?
• Structure of the wedding ceremony (Catholic rite of marriage)
This document is an authoritative source of Catholic teaching. It is a valuable resource both for couples contemplating marriage and for Catholic parents who would like to advise their children.
Download here

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