Lenten Resolutions

Grab

What is your Lenten family tradition?

Grace

Read: Ephesians 5:24-30

As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said in his general audience on February 7, 2007, “Every home is called to become a ‘domestic church’ in which family life is completely centered on the lordship of Christ and the love of husband and wife mirrors the mystery of Christ’s love for the Church, his bride.”

As Catholic married couples, our relationship as husband and wife should always be in reference to Christ’s relationship to the Church, his bride. His love for her has always been the selfless kind, even to the point of laying down His life for her.

Time flies so fast that we are already in the fourth month of the year. So many things are happening around us. We are embracing the “new normal” of living and the national elections are coming up. The Covid-19 virus is still here and so we still try our best to be cautious whenever we go out and do our daily activities. But let us not forget that we are also in the Lenten Season, the perfect time to pause and reflect on our personal relationship with God, our spouse, and our children.

The ultimate goal of Lent is to bring us back to our senses, repent for our sins, and be sanctified and renewed in Christ. As we continue to strive for holiness in our marriage, here are some Lenten Resolutions that are based on the homilies and addresses of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. He has spoken quite directly about how husband and wife should treat each other, about prayer within the family, and other ways the family lives its identity as a “domestic Church.”

1. Be courteous to your spouse.

Use polite requests: “May I? Can I?” For example, “Would you like for us to do this?” and “Do you want to go out tonight?”

“To ask permission means to know how to enter with courtesy into the lives of others. …True love does not impose itself harshly and aggressively.” (Address to Engaged Couples, Rome, Feb. 14, 2014.)

2. Say “thank you” to your spouse.

“It seems so easy to say these words, but we know that it is not. But it is important! … It is important to keep alive the awareness that the other person is a gift from God – and for the gifts of God we say thank you!” (Address to Engaged Couples, Rome, Feb. 14, 2014)

3. Ask forgiveness from your spouse. Say, “I’m sorry.”

“Let us learn to acknowledge our mistakes and to ask for forgiveness. ‘Forgive me if today I raised my voice’; ‘I’m sorry if I passed without greeting you’; ‘excuse me if I was late’.” (Address to Engaged Couples, Rome, Feb. 14, 2014)

“Never let the sun go down without making peace! Never, never, never!” (Address to Engaged Couples, Rome, Feb. 14, 2014)

“It is important to have the courage to ask forgiveness when we are at fault in the family.” (Address to Participants in the Pilgrimage of Families, Rome, Oct. 26, 2013)

4. Pray together with your spouse and family.

“Praying the Our Father together, around the table, is not something extraordinary: it’s easy. And praying the Rosary together, as a family, is very beautiful and a source of great strength! And also praying for one another! The husband for his wife, the wife for her husband, both together for their children, the children for their grandparents…praying for each other. This is what it means to pray in the family and it is what makes the family strong: prayer.” (Homily for Family Day, Rome, Oct. 27, 2013)

Pray to the Lord to “multiply your love and give it to you fresh and good each day.” Pray together, “Lord, give us this day our daily love.” (Address to Engaged Couples, Rome, Feb. 14, 2014)

5. Visit the elderly, especially your grandparents.

“Grandparents are like the wisdom of the family, they are the wisdom of a people. … Listen to your grandparents.” (Address to Participants in the Pilgrimage of Families, Rome, Oct. 26, 2013)

“How important grandparents are for family life, for passing on the human and religious heritage which is so essential for each and every society!” (Angelus at World Youth Day, Rio de Janeiro, July 26, 2013)

6. Share the faith with others.

“Christian families are missionary families. …They are missionary also in everyday life, in their doing everyday things, as they bring to everything the salt and the leaven of faith!” (Homily for Family Day, Rome, Oct. 27, 2013)

Source: https://www.foryourmarriage.org/lenten-resolutions-for-married-couples-inspired-by-pope-francis/

Gather

For discussion, answer the following questions:

1. Which among the Lenten Resolutions challenged me to be a better spouse/father/mother?

2. What will I stop doing and start doing so that my family will be a true “domestic church” after Christ’s example?

Go Forth

Have a dialogue with your spouse and write down your Top 3 Lenten Resolutions that will help bring you and your family closer to Christ. Place it in a spot in your room/house where you can easily see it.