Post # 1
Member
1025 posts
Bumble bee
I just wanted to say I’m happy I found this board! It’s fun to hear from other Catholic brides.
I wanted to know if anyone had any good books on married life they’d like to recommend. Or bible studies, or anything. I want to prepare my heart for this big adventure as much as I can. It’s funny, I feel like I had to do way more work to prepare for first communion/confirmation, but this one will be even more life altering!
How are you preparing yourself for the sacrament of marriage and married life?
Post # 3
Member
618 posts
Busy bee
- Wedding: July 2010 - Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown Studios
Welcome! The Catholic board is one of my favorites. There are some women here who really know their stuff and are great resources when things get confusing.
If you can, I strongly suggest a Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend. Some parishes require it, others don’t. Its not “reading material” per say but it is a wonderful structured way for you and your future husband to have dialogue on really important issues and to share things that perhaps you have never put into words before. Mr P and I just completed ours and I we agree that it was the most meaningful thing that we have done to prepare ourselves for marriage.
Best Wishes!
Pretzel
Post # 4
Member
916 posts
Busy bee
I cannot recommend highly enough Pope Benedict’s first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love). He writes about what Christian love, including romantic love, is all about. Reading this a few years back absolutely transformed the relationship my fiance and I have. The whole encyclical isn’t about mushy stuff–he also discusses love of neighbor and social justice.
You can read it online at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html, or they also sell book versions of it (I originally read it online, but have found it so inspiring that I went out and bought a hardcover copy!).
My favorite line:
“Love is not merely a sentiment. Sentiments come and go. A sentiment can be a marvelous first spark, but it is not the fullness of love…Love is never ‘finished’ and complete; throughout life, it changes and matures, and thus remains faithful to itself.”