12 TENETS
OF A CATHOLIC MARRIAGE & FAMILY SPIRITUALITY
Within the Church there exists a number of spiritualities, distinct ways of praying and living out the Christian Life. Every distinct spiritualty will emphasize the living out of the same general pillars essential to a truly Christian life: A) BELIEF in the Church’s teachings, B) reception of the SACRAMENTS, C) moral ACTION (according to the Church teachings), D) a serious life of PRAYER. (In fact, any spirituality will stem from a serious life of prayer.) While these are the areas that every spirituality will fulfill, it is in the how each spirituality fulfills these, that makes them unique. A marriage and family spirituality will focus on how these general pillars of Christianity can be appropriately lived for married couples and parents, in particular. At School of Love, we design our formation to help couples meet the basic tenets of this particular spirituality.
(Note: This list of “12 Tenets” is a School of Love list, meant to give a framework, but not meant to be official or authoritative.)
BELIEF
- Learn & Believe Church Teachings
– learning the faith in general, but particularly in the areas of marriage & family - Education of Children
– being the primary teachers of the faith & first witness of love to our children
SACRAMENTS
- Regular Reception of Sacraments
– receiving (when possible) frequent Eucharist & regular Confession - Living Marital Vows
– faithfully fulfilling & prioritizing our vows - Living a Liturgical Year at Home
– living seasons, feasts, & anniversaries through family practices
ACTION (MORALITY)
- Prioritizing Relationship with Spouse
– particularly by spending frequent & regular (when possible) intentional time - Prioritizing Relationship with Children
– particularly by spending frequent & regular (when possible) intentional time - Fostering Community
– primarily within one’s family, & secondarily with other couples & families - Living a Family Mission
– having family (members) as our mission, but also, together, witnessing & serving the Church
& world - Sanctifying Temporal Realities (Especially the Home)
– bringing the Gospel into all aspects of secular life, particularly the home
PRAYER
- Daily Mental Prayer (Meditation)
– prioritizing at least half an hour in daily mental prayer - Frequent Prayer with/for Spouse & with/for Family
– frequent prayer with/for spouse & children (especially the Rosary)
When these tenets are followed, couples and parents can be assured that they are practically answering their vocation to marriage, faithfully living out their vows, and providing a unique and greatly needed witness of unity to the Church and the world.
A CATHOLIC MARRIAGE & FAMILY SPIRITUALITY
Within the Church there exists a number of spiritulaities, distinct ways of praying and living out the Christian Life. Spiritualities can help provide individuals with a particularly fitting guide in their personal approach to God, in their witness and work in the world, and in their own personal fulfillment. A person’s spirituality can shape and encompass their entire life. Catholic spouses are called to live, together and with their children, not just any spirituality, but a spirituality that fits their vocation to marriage and family. For Catholic husbands and wives, sacramental Marriage and the family coming through it become the exact path on which and through which they will approach God, witness and work in the world, and find their personal fulfillment.
SCHOOL OF LOVE & THE MARRIAGE & FAMILY SPIRITUALITY
School of Love exists to help other couples and other families prioritize their vocations and go all in with the spirituality that the Church is asking of us all. While couples and families do not have a formal “rule” of life like religious orders, the Church has frequently, clearly, and authoritatively spoken on the subject. Much of the work of School of Love has been to extract these beautiful teachings from Church documents and present them to other couples and their families.