Dear Parishioners,
When I was newly ordained, a
couple from my parish asked me to go on a Marriage Encounter Weekend. As you might expect, my first reaction was
somewhat puzzled. I am obviously not married. What
would be the benefit of me attending such a weekend?
Over a quarter of a century later,
I can honestly say that this experience (and its aftermath) had one of the most
profound and lasting effects on me as a
person and on my priestly ministry. This is probably not something that I would have chosen to do myself. It would certainly not even be on my “radar
screen.” Yet, what happened as a result
can only be described as life-changing. And it was thanks to a couple who simply invited me to try such an experience.
For approximately twenty-seven years,
I have been presenting the Marriage Encounter Weekend usually twice a year. Together
with a team of three couples, we present a series of talks to couples (and
sometimes to priests and religious) with the goal of making good marriages better.
The Marriage Encounter Weekend is not primarily designed for
troubled marriages. It is meant to open up the lines of
communication between husband and wife in what is essentially a private experience
between the husband and wife.
What it did for me personally was help me understand
married couples (and their families) better, help me open up lines of
communication, help me better understand my relationship to the Church—the Body of Christ--and also to understand
my feelings. Feelings,
in particular, are not something most men know
how to deal with or choose to deal
with at all
Ladies, have you ever felt that your husband sometimes doesn’t seem
to understand you? Guys, are your wives sometimes still a mystery to you in many ways? Do you both ever wonder if there is more to
life than what you are currently experiencing?
Then maybe it’s time to try a Marriage Encounter Weekend. You can be newly-married or married for
fifty years. It does not matter. The weekend can help to make any marriage
better.
If you are married and desire more
for your marriage, I invite you to
consider attending such a weekend. The
next two weekends that I am scheduled to present are October 17, 18 and 19, 2014 and December 5, 6 and 7, 2014 (beginning on Friday evening) at the Golden Inn Hotel and Resort in Avalon. For further information, you can check out
the South Jersey Worldwide Marriage
Encounter website (http://wwme-southjersey.org)
or call (609) 742-4035.
Many people are afraid of the unknown, afraid of change or may not want to “rock the boat.” I invite you, and ask you to suggest to your
spouse the possibility of attending a Marriage Encounter Weekend.
I can only tell you from experience that it indeed
has life-changing possibilities!
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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