Have you ever used the Bible as a source of prayer with your spouse? The Book of Tobit offers a beautiful prayer that you can add to your daily or weekly spiritual exercises.
An Introduction to the Book of Tobit
"The Book of Tobit, named after its principal character, combines Jewish piety and morality with folklore in a fascinating story that has enjoyed wide popularity in both Jewish and Christian circles. Prayers, psalms, and words of wisdom, as well as the skillfully constructed story itself, provide valuable insights into the faith and the religious milieu of its unknown author. The book was probably written early in the second century B.C.; it is not known where.
Tobit, a devout and wealthy Israelite living among the captives deported to Nineveh from the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722/721 B.C., suffers severe reverses and is finally blinded. Because of his misfortunes he begs the Lord to let him die. But recalling the large sum he had formerly deposited in far-off Media, he sends his son Tobiah there to bring back the money. In Media, at this same time, a young woman, Sarah, also prays for death, because she has lost seven husbands, each killed in turn on his wedding night by the demon Asmodeus. God hears the prayers of Tobit and Sarah and sends the angel Raphael in human form to aid them both.
Raphael makes the trip to Media with Tobiah. When Tobiah is attacked by a large fish as he bathes in the Tigris River, Raphael orders him to seize it and to remove its gall, heart, and liver because they are useful for medicine. Later, at Raphael’s urging, Tobiah marries Sarah, and uses the fish’s heart and liver to drive Asmodeus from the bridal chamber. Returning to Nineveh with his wife and his father’s money, Tobiah rubs the fish’s gall into his father’s eyes and cures him. Finally, Raphael reveals his true identity and returns to heaven. Tobit then utters his beautiful hymn of praise. Before dying, Tobit tells his son to leave Nineveh because God will destroy that wicked city. After Tobiah buries his father and mother, he and his family depart for Media, where he later learns that the destruction of Nineveh has taken place.
The inspired author of the book used the literary form of religious novel (as in Esther and Judith) for the purpose of instruction and edification. The seemingly historical data, names of kings, cities, etc., are used as vivid details not only to create interest and charm, but also to illustrate the negative side of the theory of retribution: the wicked are indeed punished." (http://www.usccb.org/bible/scripture.cfm?bk=Tobit&ch=)
Tobiah's Prayer
(Tobit 8:4-8)
When Sarah’s parents left the bedroom and closed the door behind them, Tobiah rose from bed and said to his wife, “My sister, come, let us pray and beg our Lord to grant us mercy and protection.”
She got up, and they started to pray and beg that they might be protected. He began with these words:
“Blessed are you, O God of our ancestors;
blessed be your name forever and ever!
Let the heavens and all your creation bless you forever.
You made Adam, and you made his wife Eve
to be his helper and support;
and from these two the human race has come.
You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone;
let us make him a helper like himself.’
Now, not with lust,
but with fidelity I take this kinswoman as my wife.
Send down your mercy on me and on her,
and grant that we may grow old together.
Bless us with children.”
They said together, “Amen, amen!”
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Achieving Financial Peace: an SJE Testimonial
It is with great joy and elation that Greg and I are pleased to announce that we are debt free (everything except the home mortgage)! By the Grace of God we were able to pay off $123,146.22 of consumer debt (including a second mortgage) since November 2006. Since that time in 2006 we gave birth to two children, had a child diagnosed with Autism, miscarried 1 daughter, lost my mother Barbara Andreani, survived cuts in pay due to the economic downturn and had to pay for childcare for 4 children (including 1 with special needs). Our road has not been easy but we have been blessed!
It was our friend Beth who tried to talk to us about money & budgeting early in our marriage in 2000 in Indianapolis. We did not listen. We even enrolled in a Debt Managment Plan at Consumer Credit Counseling Services (non-profit). We were buried in student loans and filled our lives with our wants despite being in the Debt Management Plan. Delayed gratification, what is that? The damage was done. We bought 2 new vehicles. We bought a house that was & is too big for 1 salary. Our journey out of the financial morass began when we both attended a Crown Ministries Journey to Financial Freedom Seminar (now called a Crown Money Map Seminar) on November 4, 2006. It was at this event that Greg and I were able to begin to communicate about money in our marriage for the first time. We began tithing and acknowledged God as the owner of all we were entrusted with, even if we had horribly mismanaged it so far. Most importantly we cut up our credit cards even thought we had balances remaining and vowed to never use them again. We promised to incur no more debt. In the fall of 2008 we participated in a small group Crown 10 week Biblical Financial Study in our church. We attended Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University in January of 2009 which solidified the lessons we still needed to learn about budgeting and working together as a couple. In the summer of 2011 we facilitated our first Financial Peace University at our church St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in St. John IN. And in the fall of 2011 we joined Dave Ramsey's Great Recovery.
We want to encourage and support others in our families & community who may be in debt, that if we can do it despite life's adversities, anyone can. There IS hope if you are drowning in debt! If you know of anyone who needs help or encouragement, we are here to help let others know that it can be done. Bankruptcy is not the only way out of debt. We believe and are the living testimonies that God WILL provide.
Two verses that inspired us during our journey out of debt:
"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender." Proverbs 22:7
"Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty." Proverbs 21:5
We are eternally grateful to those of you who have supported, inspired and encouraged us through this struggle. We pray that God blesses each of you abundantly!
Yours In Christ,
Greg & Louise Carr
September 2011
Financial Peace University will be offered at SJE beginning September 5, 2012. For more information or to register online, please visit our website.
It was our friend Beth who tried to talk to us about money & budgeting early in our marriage in 2000 in Indianapolis. We did not listen. We even enrolled in a Debt Managment Plan at Consumer Credit Counseling Services (non-profit). We were buried in student loans and filled our lives with our wants despite being in the Debt Management Plan. Delayed gratification, what is that? The damage was done. We bought 2 new vehicles. We bought a house that was & is too big for 1 salary. Our journey out of the financial morass began when we both attended a Crown Ministries Journey to Financial Freedom Seminar (now called a Crown Money Map Seminar) on November 4, 2006. It was at this event that Greg and I were able to begin to communicate about money in our marriage for the first time. We began tithing and acknowledged God as the owner of all we were entrusted with, even if we had horribly mismanaged it so far. Most importantly we cut up our credit cards even thought we had balances remaining and vowed to never use them again. We promised to incur no more debt. In the fall of 2008 we participated in a small group Crown 10 week Biblical Financial Study in our church. We attended Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University in January of 2009 which solidified the lessons we still needed to learn about budgeting and working together as a couple. In the summer of 2011 we facilitated our first Financial Peace University at our church St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in St. John IN. And in the fall of 2011 we joined Dave Ramsey's Great Recovery.
We want to encourage and support others in our families & community who may be in debt, that if we can do it despite life's adversities, anyone can. There IS hope if you are drowning in debt! If you know of anyone who needs help or encouragement, we are here to help let others know that it can be done. Bankruptcy is not the only way out of debt. We believe and are the living testimonies that God WILL provide.
Two verses that inspired us during our journey out of debt:
"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender." Proverbs 22:7
"Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty." Proverbs 21:5
We are eternally grateful to those of you who have supported, inspired and encouraged us through this struggle. We pray that God blesses each of you abundantly!
Yours In Christ,
Greg & Louise Carr
September 2011
Financial Peace University will be offered at SJE beginning September 5, 2012. For more information or to register online, please visit our website.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Resource Referral: Financial Peace
Can you guess four things that couples should talk about before marriage?
According to Dave Ramsey, a financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker, they are: money, religion, kids and in-laws. Read Dave's full article here. Notice that money is first on the list? Even though its one of the leading causes of divorce, and in many studies the number one reason, financial challenges can be overcome with increased communication, common goals and a plan.
If this is an area you struggle with, we have several Dave Ramsey resources available for loan in the Lending Library. The Total Money Makeover is just one example of Dave's books that is full of practical advice and easy-to-implement tools to put you and your spouse on the same page. In fact, it's so valuable that we have started offering it to our engaged couples during marriage preparation class!
For a more extensive and interactive option, consider Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University offered at SJE two or three times each year! This popular class has been completely revised and updated. It's now 9 weeks long (instead of 13) and can be taken for free by current FPU alumni! For new participants, the cost is $95 and one membership kit with materials can be used by your whole family. Plus, you can take additional classes at any time in the future!
The next SJE-based Financial Peace University series will be held on Wednesday nights from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Panel Room beginning September 5th. Registration is open to everyone - you don't have to be an SJE parishioner. Register online today!
According to Dave Ramsey, a financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker, they are: money, religion, kids and in-laws. Read Dave's full article here. Notice that money is first on the list? Even though its one of the leading causes of divorce, and in many studies the number one reason, financial challenges can be overcome with increased communication, common goals and a plan.
If this is an area you struggle with, we have several Dave Ramsey resources available for loan in the Lending Library. The Total Money Makeover is just one example of Dave's books that is full of practical advice and easy-to-implement tools to put you and your spouse on the same page. In fact, it's so valuable that we have started offering it to our engaged couples during marriage preparation class!
For a more extensive and interactive option, consider Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University offered at SJE two or three times each year! This popular class has been completely revised and updated. It's now 9 weeks long (instead of 13) and can be taken for free by current FPU alumni! For new participants, the cost is $95 and one membership kit with materials can be used by your whole family. Plus, you can take additional classes at any time in the future!
The next SJE-based Financial Peace University series will be held on Wednesday nights from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Panel Room beginning September 5th. Registration is open to everyone - you don't have to be an SJE parishioner. Register online today!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Reflections from Father Maletta
Father Maletta on Christian Marriage (10/6/2006)
"In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus answers the Pharisees by saying there is no objection that will justify divorce. Not what they expected to hear. Without doubt one of the hard sayings of Jesus. We as faithful sons and daughters of the Church must follow the Church’s guidance in these matters. However, following the teaching of the Church, we can never leave behind or become insensitive to those who have been unable to do so. The people sitting next you are among those divorced. Their pain is real. They are our brothers and sisters. We should reach out in comfort and double our efforts to love. It makes no sense to spend time judging. It is clear from the Gospel passage read today that Jesus wants to make marital stability a priority. What has happened has happened. What we ought to do is put more energy into saving the marriages that exist. That’s exactly what Jesus wants us to do. He wants each of us, those of you who are engaged in marriage, who are in a marriage right now to develop the specific skills necessary in order to stay together. We can argue all we want why some divorces are necessary or why some marriages should be dissolved, but the bottom line is this. You cannot argue with the Word of God. Jesus wants marriages to last.
"In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus answers the Pharisees by saying there is no objection that will justify divorce. Not what they expected to hear. Without doubt one of the hard sayings of Jesus. We as faithful sons and daughters of the Church must follow the Church’s guidance in these matters. However, following the teaching of the Church, we can never leave behind or become insensitive to those who have been unable to do so. The people sitting next you are among those divorced. Their pain is real. They are our brothers and sisters. We should reach out in comfort and double our efforts to love. It makes no sense to spend time judging. It is clear from the Gospel passage read today that Jesus wants to make marital stability a priority. What has happened has happened. What we ought to do is put more energy into saving the marriages that exist. That’s exactly what Jesus wants us to do. He wants each of us, those of you who are engaged in marriage, who are in a marriage right now to develop the specific skills necessary in order to stay together. We can argue all we want why some divorces are necessary or why some marriages should be dissolved, but the bottom line is this. You cannot argue with the Word of God. Jesus wants marriages to last.
As your pastor, it is more than a little frustrating that so many of you fail to seek help until there is no other resort. Listen. It is wiser to seek help sooner than later. Little things eventually become big things. The movement from committed love to barely holding on takes place in baby steps not quantum leaps. Let me offer you some observations this morning. Let me clearly state I am no psychological. Nor am I a professional social worker. I am something better. I am a priest. So what I offer you is observations from a priestly heart. Take it for what it’s worth. The fist observation that I think works against the Sacrament of Marriage is unrealistic expectations."
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
National NFP Awareness Week
July 22-28, 2012
Natural Family Planning Awareness Week is a national educational campaign. The Natural Family Planning Program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops develops a poster each year.
The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlight the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25) which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, conjugal love and responsible parenthood. The dates also mark the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the Blessed Mother.
Practicing Natural Family Planning in your marriage can make a difference, because NFP is more than just a way to plan your family. NFP changes the way you relate to your spouse, because it allows you to give each other the complete gift of yourselves with nothing changed and nothing held back. With NFP, you truly live the love of your marriage vows!
At St. John the Evangelist Parish, our NFP Network offers a variety of resources on Natural Family Planning from NFP instructional classes for couples to books, CDs and DVDs in the Lending Library of the church narthex. Watch video testimonies from 3 couples whose marriages have been changed forever by NFP. Learn the history of contraception and several reasons why not to use it from Dr. Janet E. Smith. If you have more questions, just ask! Couples are standing by to share why using NFP is the best choice you can make for your marriage.
The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlight the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25) which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, conjugal love and responsible parenthood. The dates also mark the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the Blessed Mother.
Practicing Natural Family Planning in your marriage can make a difference, because NFP is more than just a way to plan your family. NFP changes the way you relate to your spouse, because it allows you to give each other the complete gift of yourselves with nothing changed and nothing held back. With NFP, you truly live the love of your marriage vows!
At St. John the Evangelist Parish, our NFP Network offers a variety of resources on Natural Family Planning from NFP instructional classes for couples to books, CDs and DVDs in the Lending Library of the church narthex. Watch video testimonies from 3 couples whose marriages have been changed forever by NFP. Learn the history of contraception and several reasons why not to use it from Dr. Janet E. Smith. If you have more questions, just ask! Couples are standing by to share why using NFP is the best choice you can make for your marriage.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Mission Trip Strengthens Marriage
In August 2006, my wife and I decided to go on a mission trip to New Orleans. More accurately, my wife decided to take this trip. Me signing up to ‘tag along’ was something that surprised her at the time but became an experience that we both still highly value today for a great number of reasons.
The parish, led by Helen Rutkowski, was planning a mission trip to help the rebuilding process in neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina a year earlier. I was proud of Wen Dee’s conviction to more fully live out her faith, committing her time and energy to helping others she had not met. I was also quite interested, but was drawn more by a work ethic and curiosity of the damage done to a great American city than any expression of faith. I was not Catholic or a regular churchgoer. My wife asked me to join her on the mission, but knowing that the mission would include faith meetings, mass, and two van loads of eager Catholics she did not expect me join her. Besides that curiosity, I decided to sign up simply to spend a week with my wife.
That week brought us closer together as a married couple, but it also brought us closer together as a family of faith. “Life gets in the way.” A common refrain among those busy balancing work and family. Friends, even good friends, fade as the responsibilities of life get in the way. Marriage, no matter how deep the love, does as well without a conscious decision to make time for your partner. The week we spent driving to New Orleans, working incredibly hard next to each other, and driving back from New Orleans was planned time together enabling us to share a common experience. That experience brought us closer together not just due to time spent but by humbling each of us as to how much God has given us. How fortunate we are. And meeting those who have been devastated, those that have every opportunity to be bitter, but instead are filled with joy and appreciation for what God has given them is an awe inspiring experience. Helping the homeowner, Dorothy, gave both Wen Dee and me a sense of connection to our faith and fellow man that is very hard to recognize during the routine of day to day routines.
But in addition to bringing Wen Dee and I closer, our mission trip together helped ignite what became my conversion to Catholicism in 2010. Spending time with our members of our parish community made me more comfortable joining my wife at mass. I had attended the faith meetings each night during our mission in New Orleans. I was strictly an observer, sometimes impatiently waiting for it to end so I could grab my wife and get dinner. But during those meetings as well as during our work each day I saw that the people on this mission trip were people of sincere faith. Kind people with kind hearts that were truly interested in helping those we traveled so far to help, but also truly interested in the fellowship of the others (including me) on this trip. People that did not preach their faith to the non-Catholic in the group, but people demonstrating their faith through their actions. That example led me to become more involved with other families at school (our small children attend SJE) and in turn made me much more comfortable attending mass.
There was nothing wrong with our marriage back in 2005. This mission trip does, however, remain a memory that helps bind our marriage. All experiences that a couple share help in that regard. But this mission trip also helped bring us together as a family in Christ, and as a result our commitment to each other and to our marriage is stronger today than the day we were married.
-Mike Anderson
The parish, led by Helen Rutkowski, was planning a mission trip to help the rebuilding process in neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina a year earlier. I was proud of Wen Dee’s conviction to more fully live out her faith, committing her time and energy to helping others she had not met. I was also quite interested, but was drawn more by a work ethic and curiosity of the damage done to a great American city than any expression of faith. I was not Catholic or a regular churchgoer. My wife asked me to join her on the mission, but knowing that the mission would include faith meetings, mass, and two van loads of eager Catholics she did not expect me join her. Besides that curiosity, I decided to sign up simply to spend a week with my wife.
That week brought us closer together as a married couple, but it also brought us closer together as a family of faith. “Life gets in the way.” A common refrain among those busy balancing work and family. Friends, even good friends, fade as the responsibilities of life get in the way. Marriage, no matter how deep the love, does as well without a conscious decision to make time for your partner. The week we spent driving to New Orleans, working incredibly hard next to each other, and driving back from New Orleans was planned time together enabling us to share a common experience. That experience brought us closer together not just due to time spent but by humbling each of us as to how much God has given us. How fortunate we are. And meeting those who have been devastated, those that have every opportunity to be bitter, but instead are filled with joy and appreciation for what God has given them is an awe inspiring experience. Helping the homeowner, Dorothy, gave both Wen Dee and me a sense of connection to our faith and fellow man that is very hard to recognize during the routine of day to day routines.
But in addition to bringing Wen Dee and I closer, our mission trip together helped ignite what became my conversion to Catholicism in 2010. Spending time with our members of our parish community made me more comfortable joining my wife at mass. I had attended the faith meetings each night during our mission in New Orleans. I was strictly an observer, sometimes impatiently waiting for it to end so I could grab my wife and get dinner. But during those meetings as well as during our work each day I saw that the people on this mission trip were people of sincere faith. Kind people with kind hearts that were truly interested in helping those we traveled so far to help, but also truly interested in the fellowship of the others (including me) on this trip. People that did not preach their faith to the non-Catholic in the group, but people demonstrating their faith through their actions. That example led me to become more involved with other families at school (our small children attend SJE) and in turn made me much more comfortable attending mass.
There was nothing wrong with our marriage back in 2005. This mission trip does, however, remain a memory that helps bind our marriage. All experiences that a couple share help in that regard. But this mission trip also helped bring us together as a family in Christ, and as a result our commitment to each other and to our marriage is stronger today than the day we were married.
-Mike Anderson
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Resource Referral: Sacred Marriage
Looking for a book or DVD that you and your spouse can use on your own for marriage enrichment? Look no further than Gary Thomas' outstanding book..."Sacred Marriage: What if God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?" For those who have attended one of the CFI romantic dinners for couples at the Rectory, this resource will surely be familiar.
From Gary's website: "Scores of books have been written that offer guidance for building the marriage of your dreams. Yet, what if God’s primary intent for your marriage isn’t to make you happy...but holy? And, what if your relationship isn’t as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God? In this popular bestselling book, Gary Thomas uncovers how your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God and each other. You will learn how to:
-Turn marital struggles into spiritual and personal appreciation.
-Love your spouse with a stronger sense of purpose.
-Partner in the spiritual growth and character formation of your spouse.
-Transform a "tired" marriage into a relationship filled with awe and respect.
Your marriage is much more than a union between you and your spouse. It is a spiritual discipline ideally suited to help you know God more fully and intimately. Sacred Marriage shifts the focus from marital enrichment to spiritual enrichment in ways that can help you love your mate more. Whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God.
Everything about your marriage—everything from the history you and your spouse create, to the love you share, to the forgiveness you both offer and seek by turn—is filled with the capacity to help you grow in Christ's character."
Borrow the book Sacred Marriage or Gary's 4-hour seminar DVD from the CFI Lending Library in the church narthex. Or watch the first session of Gary's Sacred Marriage 6-session, small-group series online at YouTube.
From Gary's website: "Scores of books have been written that offer guidance for building the marriage of your dreams. Yet, what if God’s primary intent for your marriage isn’t to make you happy...but holy? And, what if your relationship isn’t as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God? In this popular bestselling book, Gary Thomas uncovers how your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God and each other. You will learn how to:
-Turn marital struggles into spiritual and personal appreciation.
-Love your spouse with a stronger sense of purpose.
-Partner in the spiritual growth and character formation of your spouse.
-Transform a "tired" marriage into a relationship filled with awe and respect.
Your marriage is much more than a union between you and your spouse. It is a spiritual discipline ideally suited to help you know God more fully and intimately. Sacred Marriage shifts the focus from marital enrichment to spiritual enrichment in ways that can help you love your mate more. Whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God.
Everything about your marriage—everything from the history you and your spouse create, to the love you share, to the forgiveness you both offer and seek by turn—is filled with the capacity to help you grow in Christ's character."
Borrow the book Sacred Marriage or Gary's 4-hour seminar DVD from the CFI Lending Library in the church narthex. Or watch the first session of Gary's Sacred Marriage 6-session, small-group series online at YouTube.
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