‘Daily Companion for Married Couples’

TOTOWA  Catholic marriage typically begins when a man and a woman exchange vows in a church during a wedding ceremony — a public “I do” that deserves a great celebration. Yet a marital union perseveres and blossoms through the joys and struggles, when a couple renews its lifetime commitment every day — a private “I do” that receives no fanfare — with the help of God’s grace through His Word and the Sacraments and also prayer.

To help facilitate much-needed prayer in marriage — as well as offer advice and encouragement, Catholic Book Publishing Corp here recently released ‘Daily Companion for Married Couples.’ The 192-page volume presents minute-long meditations on various aspects of marriage for each day that contain a Scripture quote or inspirational reading, a reflection and a prayer to help support the relationships of both engaged and married couples. The volume —which features a faux-leather cover and red and black type inside that resembles printing found in a lectionary — also makes a perfect gift for this current wedding season.

“Catholics take a view of the sanctity of the sacrament of marriage quite seriously. The union of man and woman speaks the language of the self-giving love of the Holy Trinity. In the grandeur and beauty of the union of spouses in marriage, symbolized by their physical union, which leads in a mysterious way to the creation of the new human person, we recognize God’s plan for man and woman in marriage,” Allan Wright, the author and academic dean of St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evan­gelization at Bayley-Ellard, Madison, writes in the introduction of “Daily Companion.” “The Catholic Church is truly the defender of the beauty, goodness and truth of God’s design for marriage, articulated through natural law and through the word God. While there is no perfect marriage, we all desire a healthy marriage where, come what may, we are assured of God’s presence on the journey and our spouse’s support each step of the way,” he writes.

Each of the book’s 366 entries — including an extra one for Feb. 29 of Leap Year — opens with an insightful quote relevant to its topic that are drawn from a variety of sources, including Scripture; Church documents; and Popes, saints and other notable Catholics, among them Bishop Serratelli and local faithful. Then, Wright offers a brief reflection on the topic, followed by a short, one-sentence prayer.

The first “Daily Companion for Married Couples” page speaks to the celebration of the wedding ceremony. The Jan. 2 entry examines the wedding at Cana in Scripture, where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine.

“This beautiful and miraculous act saved the bride and groom and their families from shame. Where Jesus is present, the party continues. He desires that our joy be complete,” Wright states, ending with a prayer, “Jesus, fill our marriage with joy and laughter; let our cups overflow.”

The book helps bring marriage back to its spiritual center for April 5 with a quote from Bishop Serratelli: “We can turn to God with our while life because God is turning to us in Jesus.”

“The sacrament of marriage is a mirror of the Holy Trinity. The love between the Father and Son is a model for us because they hold nothing back from each other and bear fruit in the Holy Spirit. The love of a husband and wife can bear fruit in new life. It’s foolish to hold back what we can’t keep in order to gain what we cannot lose,” Wright writes, ending with this prayer: “Mary, pray for us as we desire to do whatever He tells us to do.”

For Dec. 14, it quotes Trevor and Mary Jean Jones of St. Paul’s Young Adults Group: “As a young Catholic couple, we strive to entrust our marriage daily to the grace received through the Sacraments. Then we wake up and try it again.” In this entry, Wright speaks about the importance of couples renewing their commitment on a daily basis with the help of God’s grace in the Sacrament and ends with this prayer: “Loving Father, give us the daily grace to say “I do.’ ”

Wright ends his introduction with his hope “that these reflections may be a source of comfort and guidance and may even challenge you to grow closer to Jesus together.”

[To purchase a copy of “Daily Companion for Married Couples,” call (877) 228-2665 or visit www.catholicbookpublishing.com.