Resources for Your Marriage
Place an Order for FREE Becoming One Cards
Becoming One is an initiative of the Office of Marriage and Family Life to inspire married couples to live out the sacrament of marriage through seeking God in prayer together.
This free resource walks a couple through a simple time of prayer that could be done at any point throughout the day. It is for couples at any stage in their marriage, and at any place in their relationship with God. The prompts guide a couple through sharing out loud to Jesus and to one another and the prayer time concludes with an opportunity for the couple to say their marriage vows to one another.
Praying with another person is an act of courage and vulnerability. It may feel awkward to pray as a couple if someone is not used to relating to their spouse in this way. Our Office encourages couples to practice this kind of prayer consistently. It may take time to grow in comfortability, but the most important thing is to try!
Ideas for Use/Promotion in a Parish Setting:
- Offer this resource as a gift for couples in preparation for Valentine's Day. Center homilies the weekend prior to Valentine's Day around the beauty of the sacrament of marriage and place the Becoming One card out in the pews for the couples to take with them after mass. Priests may even walk the parish through the prompts on the card during a homily.
- Those working with engaged couples in marriage preparation may find this card useful in encouraging couples to begin or strengthen their prayer life as they walk toward their married lives.
- Provide the card at Men's, Women's, and Mom's groups as a resource for building a culture of marriage in the parish.
- Set aside a "Marriage Sunday" at the parish. Have the card available and use this Sunday as a launching point for challenging couples to pray more. Consider having a special blessing for couples after each mass.
- Suggest "Becoming One" to be used as a Lenten challenge for parishioners, staff, etc.
- Use this card as an "Easter Giveaway" after all Easter masses and share, especially with all the visitors, of the hope in Jesus resurrecting our marriages.
- Gather FOCCUS couples and invite them to go through this card together and eventually invite their engaged couples to do the same.
- Launch a "30 Day Married Couples Challenge" in the parish and invite couples to use this card for 30 days straight. End the Challenge with a dinner celebration.
- Send the card to all school parents as a gift from the parish.