Marriage and Family

Since the year dedicated to the “Gospel of the Family,” Rich has repeatedly provided presentations on the role and importance of the family – not just in the Church but in our society today. Since Vatican II, all our pontiffs have understood the importance of the family and that the future of the Church requires Catholics to establish a clear identity, a strong sense of belonging, of being part of a community. In fact – the authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society (CCC 2207). The “domestic church” is also a seedbed of vocations!

One of Pope St. John Paul II’s major contributions that is now taught in many parishes across the nation, is his five years of “Catechesis on Human Love in the Divine Plan” popularly called the "Theology of the Body" which presents his most developed biblical anthropology on the nuptial dimension of human life and on the importance of the Sacrament of Marriage in human redemption. His teachings are not just a theology of sex, but provides the rich anthropological premises drawn from Divine Revelation for almost every conclusion of the Church’s teachings with regard to human love, marriage and family.

Rich provides a multi-part series on marriage and family establishing the biblical and ecclesial foundations. He covers the concept of the “covenant” which is interwoven though out salvation history and is also tied to nuptials and the marriage bond. He also deals with difficult situations that typically many families must face today and concludes with the Holy Family as a model to follow.

Three sessions are recommended.