The Ministry to the Separated, Divorced and Widowed of the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission held a reunion for participants of their weekend retreats on March 25. About 60 people – weekend retreatants and invited guests – attended the reunion at the conference hall of the Seminary of St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs, Mt St Benedict. A presentation on…
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What does God have to do with me now?
Being divorced, separated or widowed has a shattering effect not only on the individual but on entire families as well. But what is worse is that our confidence in self and trust in others reaches rock bottom. Can I trust anyone? What does God have to do with me NOW?
Vicar for Family Life, Msgr Robert Llanos, has described the graduating class of Common Sense Parenting (CSP) Programme trainers as “heroes”.
Speaking at the Nov 26 ceremony at the Seminary of St John Vianney and the Ugandan Martyrs, Mt St Benedict, Msgr Llanos told the 50-odd graduates that they were “all heroes for planting the seed from which – with God’ grace – something good can come forth in the future.”
He said the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC) believes that the family is the cornerstone of the society and that the relationship between couples, and in turn their relationship with their children, is important. He added that Republic Bank’s ‘The Power to Make a Difference’ Programme was the other hero, providing the necessary financial support without which the CSP programme “would be far more difficult to accomplish”.
The Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC) through the sponsorship of Republic Bank’s Power to Make A Difference programme has been saving families one at a time. Approximately 800 persons have participated in the Common Sense Parenting (CSP) programme sessions in government, private, primary, special education and secondary schools, parishes, communities, institutions across the country between July 2010 and August 2011.
Over the past two weeks (July 11-29), I had the humble honour of leading the Train the Trainer course offered by the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission where participants discovered, through Blessed John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, that the body’s primary purpose is to reveal God, who is eternal Love.
“This will hurt a little bit, but I will try to ease the pain.” Realistic, yet caring. Factual, but empathetic, all at the same time. Richard Kramer, a doctoral candidate at the Catholic University of America was launching his initial probe into the state of being of the 33 participants seeking knowledge and understanding of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (ToB). The 33 are engaged in an intensive reading and experiential pilgrimage to discover self.
In November 2008 Christopher West presented a seminar in Trinidad entitled “Created and Redeemed” in which he sought to explain the catechesis developed by Blessed Pope John Paul II known as the Theology of the Body (TOB). Twelve hundred persons attended the weekend seminar which was sponsored by the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission and since that time the AFLC has continued to present opportunities for further reflection and understanding of this crucial teaching which seeks to enlighten modern men and women on the goodness and beauty of God’s plan from the beginning when “God created man in his own image…male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27).
