Married Couples Evening of Renewal By Darlene & Mike McGovern

On Wednesday, November 30th, twelve couples took part in the Married Couples Evening of Renewal  Zoom Conferencing call. The theme was, “Generosity in Marriage.”

Jerry and Donna Wendelken spoke about how generosity is defined as small acts of kindness, displays of respect and affection, and a willingness to forgive one’s spouse. Generosity involves freely sacrificing time and emotional energy. They gave many examples of how spouses can show generosity to each other. Some examples are: give a compliment, hold hands, hand over the remote, go on a date, listen without interruptions, say thank you, kiss your spouse hello and goodbye. Those examples seem very simple but, without these gestures, marriage gets stale and leaves room for bitterness, miscommunication and frustration.

After Donna and Jerry spoke, we spoke about how the habit of generosity helps people move beyond their petty concerns, so they can give themselves more freely and cheerfully to each other. We shared personal experiences that we have dealt with during our marriage. Also, we spoke about extending grace and forgiveness in our marriage. The session ended with the words from Pope Francis, stating that we should say three things to each other daily: “Thank you. I am sorry. I love you.” The couples were encouraged to dance to the song, “Forever Like That,” by Ben Rector.

FYI: The next Married Couples Weekend will be held April 28-April 30, 2023, at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, NY. More details to follow.