Marriage & Family. two by two. Archbishop Says Americans Ready to Defend Marriage Despite Laws. 3 States in Just Over a Week Redefine Marriage

Transcription

1 OFFICE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY NEWSLETTER Marriage & Family two by two JUNE 2013 IN THIS ISSUE Archbishop Says Americans Ready to Defend Marriage Despite Laws Archbishop Says Americans Ready to Defend Marriage by Zenit 3 States in Just Over a Week Redefine Marriage WASHINGTON, D.C., May 16, 2013 (Zenit.org) - "It is the height of irony that the Minnesota legislature decided, and the governor signed into law, the redefinition of marriage just after we celebrated the unique gifts of mothers and women on Mother's Day," said Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the US bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. The archbishop said the decision "also renders senseless the very idea of President Obama's National Fatherhood Initiative, in that a bill now becomes law in Minnesota that effectively claims that a mother and a father together are superfluous and can be replaced by two men or two women." Archbishop Cordileone noted that Minnesota is the third state in just over a week to redefine marriage in the law. "There are many of us Americans, including many Minnesotans, who stand for the natural and true meaning of marriage. They know that men and women are important; their complementary difference matters, their union matters, and it matters to kids. Mothers and fathers are simply irreplaceable," he said. "Instead of strengthening, the Minnesota legislature's decision to redefine marriage weakens motherhood and fatherhood, and so strikes a blow to all children who deserve both a mother and father." To read more about Archbishop Cordileone s comments, go to hop-says-americans-ready-to-defendmarriage-despite-laws?utm_campaign= dailyhtml&utm_medium= &utm_so urce=dispatch Prayer to End a School Year Learn more about Freedom Pope Francis Reminds Us About Evangelium Vitae Day Fortnight for Freedom Do you have dates with your daughter? What about Sons??? Dad, You Influence How Your Daughter Sees Herself Start one new habit that will make a difference with your family Linus Gets It!

2 TWO BY TWO JUNE Prayer to End a School Year from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers/Revised Edition USCC God of wisdom, we thank you for all the gifts you have given us throughout this school year. We praise you for giving us life, and saving us in Christ, and for choosing us to be your people. As we come to the end of this school year, we voice our gratitude for the good things you have done in us, and we praise you for all who have shared in the work of this school. We ask you to bless them in your love and give them refreshment and peace. We praise you, God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. LEARN MORE ABOUT FREEDOM Start by reciting slowly the Pledge of Allegiance. Then, as a family, read or listen to Patrick Henry s Give me liberty or give me death speech (found at tics/giveme.cfm text or audio reenactment). What does liberty and freedom mean today differently than 200+ years ago? Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! Patrick Henry at St. John's Church, Richmond, Virginia, March 23, 1775 Pope Francis Reminds Us About Evangelium Vitae Day In his Regina Caeli address on Sunday May 12, Pope Francis reminded the faithful about the Evangelium Vitae Day in Rome on June 15-16, calling it a special moment especially for those who care about the defense of the sanctity of human life. The Holy Father also invited us all to keep the attention of everyone on the important issue of respect for human life from the moment of conception. As part of the Year of Faith events, the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization has designated June as days of celebration of Evangelium Vitae, Blessed Pope John Paul II s encyclical on the Gospel of Life. For those of us that cannot join those in Rome, this is a reminder to pray for an end of abortion and the threats against life and to use every opportunity to Build a Culture of Life for our children and grandchildren. If you wish to read Blessed Pope John Paul II s encyclical, you can read it on-line at: Thank you and may God shower you with blessings as you continue to spread the Gospel of Life.

3 TWO BY TWO JUNE Labor of Love? A good argument can be a labor of love. Have something sensitive or difficult to talk about with your spouse? Try holding hands and maintaining direct eye contact when you are having a discussion about a disagreement. Fortnight for Freedom June 23rd The US Bishops have asked us to participate in a Fortnight for Freedom event with the goal to be A visible, vibrant reminder of the God-given nature of religious liberty, the right to bring our faith into the public square, and the rights of individuals and institutions to conduct their professional lives according to their religious convictions. Key issues are: The potential Supreme Court rulings on marriage in June 2013 The need for conscience protection in light of the August 1, 2013 deadline for religious organizations to comply with the HHS mandate National Barefoot Week The 1st week in June is National Barefoot week. Go barefoot with your child this weekend for an hour or a day. Feel the grass, dirt, stones, or pavement under your feet and delight in it together. Remember those who don't have shoes. Soles 4 Souls can help you help others. By Susan Vogt, FAST FACTS Religious liberty concerns in other areas, such as immigration, adoption, and humanitarian services. Why do we need to gather for such an occasion? Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, explained, The need has never been greater. The Fortnight for Freedom exists to meet that need. This year s Fortnight occurs just weeks before August 1, when the administration s mandate coercing us to violate our deeply-held beliefs will be enforced against most religious non-profits. During the Fortnight the Supreme Court s decisions on the definition of marriage will likely be handed down as well. Those decisions could have a profound impact on religious freedom for generations to come. 7 years old The average age children begin to use a microwave. 200 Times The number of times greater a 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than adults in a crowded restaurant. DID YOU KNOW THAT Fathers tend to determine the height of their child, mothers their weight. The Diocese of Saint Cloud is planning an event on Sunday, June 23rd from 12:00 to 4 pm. The event will begin at in the parking lot of Cathedral High School s gymnasium (312 N 7th Avenue) with a Walking Rosary going to St. Mary s Cathedral. At 1 pm, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will begin with Eucharistic Adoration, hourly speakers, praying the rosary and divine chaplet. Benediction will be at 4 pm. All are welcome. Schedule for June 23 rd : 12:00 Gather at Cathedral High School Practice Field for Welcome & Prayer 12:30 March to St. Mary s Cathedral 1:00 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Reflections on Life by Fr. Jeremy Ploof & Rosary 2:00 Reflections on Marriage by Fr. Scott Pogatchnik, Rosary & Litany for Religious Freedom 3:00 Divine Chaplet Reflections on Religious Liberty by Fr. Tom Knoblach 4:00 Benediction

4 Do you have dates with your daughter? A lot of dads like the idea, but they don t know where to start. For all those guys, this week s guest blog from my friend Jay Payleitner will be very helpful. Here is Jay s simple advice for that challenge: Enter her world and enjoy your time together. Jay continues: You can t force deep, meaningful, life-changing conversations. But if you keep showing up they ll happen. And you ll be glad you were there. Want More ideas? Also check out Author of Strong Fathers What about Sons??? Five ways fathers impact their children and the main ways they can affect their interpersonal skills. 1. a sense of protection 2. help with development and play 3. model of respect for women 4. inspiration for wiser relationship choices 5. teaching morality and values to sons Did you know? As far as Christian religions are concerned, the mother has a stronger influence on the children's religious identification than the father, but the religious practice of the father is a very important predictor of the long-term religious commitment of the children, especially of the sons. Dad, You Influence How Your Daughter Sees Herself by Carey Casey How does your daughter see herself? How about your wife? There s a fascinating video put out by Dove aimed at women that explores the idea, You re more beautiful than you think you are. I hope you ll go to this week s blog and watch the video. (It s really worth 6 minutes of your time.) [ As a father, this was eye-opening for me. I have to ask myself some sober questions about how I interact with my children how they feel about themselves based on what I do and say. I ll probably never fully understand the pressures girls and women feel in our culture related to their appearance, and how that affects their self-image. But a few things I know without a doubt: Physical appearance is a big deal to girls and women. And with the way they are portrayed in the media, they surely feel very little room to be lessthan-perfect when it comes to their faces and their figures. And focusing on any perceived flaws impacts how they feel about themselves as people. None of us would want our wives or daughters to feel that way, but it s easy to understand why they would. I say it s tragic, because appearances don t reflect the real character of a person. Keep reading more of my thoughts in this week s blog, or check out our free ebook, 5 Things Every Child MUST Get from Dad, which goes into detail about five things your daughter needs from you, and five things your son needs. (One section in the ebook hits today s topic very well.) But don t let your response end with reading something this blog or our ebook or something else. Do something! Start a new habit in the way you express affirmation to your daughter and your son. Watch the video. Then, what are your reactions? How do you affirm your daughter for her inner beauty?

5 TWO BY TWO JUNE Start one new habit that will make a difference with your family: by Carey Casey Think about one change you can make that will benefit your children or bring you closer to them, and then let Father s Day be a time when you make a strong resolution to be that dad going forward. Let me give you one example of the power this can have. This comes from a dad and granddad named Gary. It started two decades ago, when Gary attended a fathering seminar presented by our founder, Dr. Ken Canfield. After the seminar, Gary was inspired to start a new habit with his two kids: regular one-on-one lunch dates with his daughter and his son at least once a month. Through the years, he was faithful with those monthly lunch dates not perfect, but he kept them going. Now, I know that s nothing earth-shattering or over-the-top creative, but it s a great idea, and one you might want to try. One-on-one time is extremely valuable in a world that s getting way too busy for dads and kids. The two of you get a chance to escape the frenzy of life and talk about anything from serious to silly. I think you ll find that your child will look forward to that time with you. Linus gets it!