Catholic Church Saved My Marriage

“The Catholic Church saved my marriage and, quite possibly, my life.” So begins David Anders in this remarkably forthright book. In it, David reports that by the early 2000s, his marriage was so painful he actually longed for death. It wasn’t simple incompatibility; he and his wife had just one thing in common: contempt for each other. Today, David and his wife are happy together – not because of marriage therapy, but because they came to know and fully embraced the Catholic Church’s teachings on marriage. Many people who encounter such teachings are shocked by their rigor. Yet the Church offers much more than rules about sexual restraint; she offers a way to make marriage into something supernatural, even mystical. Here Dr. Anders shares his personal discovery of the Church’s teaching on marriage and offers a robust defense of the Church’s most controversial teachings, including divorce, remarriage, gay marriage, and contraception. With the Church’s teachings and the writings of the saints as his guide, he also offers practical, time-tested ways to improve your marriage, such as how to live in peace despite an unhappy marriage, the value of suffering, and ways to overcome your reluctance to forgive grave offenses. In a culture that breaks apart marriages and undermines human dignity, Dr. David Anders offers a hope-filled alternative for those who live moral and spiritual lives in union with Christ and His Church.

Did you know that Catholic marriage is different from other marriages? Christ gave His Church the recipe to have a healthy, happy and holy marriage. When we follow the divine recipe, we have an amazingly strong marriage built on living real love for our spouse in a home filled with peace and understanding. But, when we change ingredients here and there, we end up with the wrong recipe, resulting in pain and frustration. Jesus' words of wisdom can help. If you are dating but have not found the right person, our book will help you find the kind of spouse who wants to live the divine recipe and grow in love with you as Jesus intends If you are engaged, our book will help you and your future spouse make the changes in your relationship that will serve you well in the years to come, so that you begin to live your love as Jesus intended If you have been married many years, grappling with the same issues, yet desire resolution together with the peace and happiness you had hoped for, you have the answer in your hands Over the years, while preparing couples for marriage, many couples have remarked to us, "Wow, I wish my parents knew the things you're teaching us. They are good parents, but I'm not sure they are very happy. You have shown us a better way. Thank You."

Winner of a 2015 Catholic Press Award: Gender Issues Category (First Place). In this first book from an openly lesbian and celibate Catholic, widely published writer and blogger Eve Tushnet recounts her spiritual and intellectual journey from liberal atheism to faithful Catholicism and shows how gay Catholics can love and be loved while adhering to Church teaching. Eve Tushnet was among the unlikeliest of converts. The only child of two atheist academics, Tushnet was a typical Yale undergraduate until the day she went out to poke fun at a gathering of philosophical debaters, who happened also to be Catholic. Instead of enjoying mocking what she termed the “zoo animals,” she found herself engaged in intellectual conversation with them and, in a move that surprised even her, she soon converted to Catholicism. Already self-identifying as a lesbian, Tushnet searched for a third way in the seeming two-option system available to gay Catholics: reject Church teaching on homosexuality or reject the truth of your sexuality. Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith is the fruit of Tushnet’s searching: what she learned in studying Christian history and theology and her articulation of how gay Catholics can pour their love and need for connection into friendships, community, service, and artistic creation.

When Ronda Chervin's son, Charles, ended his own life, he did so believing that it is pointless to endure inevitable suffering. In the wake of Charles's death, Dr. Chervin set out to discover some of the most basic - but all too often misunderstood - answers to why God allows us to suffer, and how we can bear it with perseverance and hope. She shares her discoveries in these pages, helping you understand that while there is no escape from pain, pain itself is the road into the heart of Christ where peace can be found. You'll be given encouragement and practical advice as you explore afflictions such as failure, fear, frustration, loneliness, loss, marital problems, physical pain, fatigue, and temptation. Dr. Chervin explains each affliction in detail and offers reflections on the lives of saints who suffered from the very same cross. Throughout each chapter you're given practical suggestions on how you can meet Christ in your particular pain. You'll draw wisdom from the lives and writings of saints who were addicted, depressed, exhausted, raped, and unhappily married. And among these saints, you'll discover within their responses a pattern that you can ponder and imitate. Avoiding Bitterness in Suffering will bring courage and hope that in Christ and in communion with his saints, you can - and will - triumph over every kind of adversity. You'll also learn: How you can overcome the pain associated with loneliness and isolationFive ways to overcome doubts about the FaithFour steps to liberation from the suffering of indecisionFive ways to meet Christ in the suffering of exploitationWhat St. Benedict teaches us about failure - and how it changed the worldHow to cope with failure and povertyFive ways you can transform fear into trust in ChristHow you can turn frustrations and anger into a Christian spiritHow you can respond in a holy way to marital discord, demanding spouses, physical abuse, psychological abuse, abandonment, and rageFour ways you can turn to Christ in times of temptation

Is God concerned about who you marry? Does God have someone in mind just for you for the vocation of marriage? Can you really know who God wants you to marry? The answer to all these questions is a joyful and resounding YES! The Exclamation: The Wise Choice of a Spouse for Catholic Marriage is a uniquely Catholic "how to" guide for making good and holy decisions about who to date, who to court seriously, and ultimately, who to marry. With so many people making the wrong choices in marriage today, The Exclamation is a godsend for avoiding a bad marriage decision and helping you to marry well within God ́s plan. Discover the scriptural basis for the concept that God has selected a holy spouse and helpmate just for you. How to know if you are even called to the vocation of marriage in the first place. Learn the Catholic Church ́s tried and true methods for discerning God ́s will in your life decisions. How to apply the principles of discernment when evaluating the people you meet and date. Ten Catholic speed dating techniques that will help you weed out and discover quickly those who are not your future spouse. The holy role sexual attraction plays in choosing the right person for Catholic marriage. Living out a chastity plan while discerning if someone is "the one." Avoiding hyper-perfectionism when seeking your Catholic spouse. How to really open your eyes to those God brings into your life, so you don ́t accidentally pass up the right person for you. Asking the right questions about someone you are considering for marriage. Using communal discernment as a couple to determine if you are called to marry each other. Marriage is the most important decision you will ever make. The Exclamation offers guidance for the Catholic who wants to do God ́s will in the sacrament of marriage and is an encouraging affirmation that God really does have a plan for your love life. This book can be the map that leads you to your greatest earthly treasure: your Catholic spouse.

David Currie was raised in a devout Christian family whose father was a fundamentalist preacher and both parents teachers at Moody Bible Institute. Currie's whole upbringing was immersed in the life of fundamentalist Protestantism - theology professors, seminary presidents and founders of evangelical mission agencies were frequent guests at his family dinner table. Currie received a degree from Trinity International University and studied in the Masters of Divinity program. This book was written as an explanation to his fundamentalist and evangelical friends and family about why he became a Roman Catholic. Currie presents a very lucid, systematic and intelligible account of the reasons for his conversion to the ancient Church that Christ founded. He gives a detailed discussion of the important theological and doctrinal beliefs Catholic and evangelicals hold in common, as well as the key doctrines that separate us, particularly the Eucharist, the Pope, and Mary.