Love Connections From our House to your Home
MARRIAGE AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION It is no secret that the institution of Marriage all throughout the world is in a profound crisis. Today the marriage rate (just 51%) is the lowest ever recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau. Between 40 and 50% of all first marriages end in divorce, the majority of which are either unwanted by one spouse or are seen as the only solution to a hopeless situation by both of them. The number of unmarried, cohabiting couples has increased seventeenfold since 1960. And there is a well- organized, international effort to redefine the basic structure of marriage. The effects of this crisis have left not only children but the whole of society reeling. Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, the family is the basic cell of society, and as Blessed John Paul II would say “as the family goes, so goes society and so goes the whole world in which we live.” It is within the loving confines of the family that a person learns to use his superior faculties: intelligence and will, for
the pursuit of truth and goodness through the proper and virtuous use of freedom. The education and procreation of children is one of the ends of marriage, and the education of the children is also a duty and responsibility of the parents as the primary educators of their offspring. This end can only be achieved if we realize that “the family is not just the object (the recipient) of evangelization but also the subject (the actor) of evangelization, an entity called to evangelize in a unique and much needed way.”
Because we know that “God our savior wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2,4) we propose that if husband and wife are educated in the beauty, goodness and truth of God’s plan for Marriage they will be better equipped to evangelize in two vital respects. First, to teach their children what freedom in the context of marriage should look like “in a culture that rejects the indissolubility of marriage and openly mocks the commitment of spouses to fidelity.” (Familiaris Consortio 20) In addition, to bring hope to struggling marriages by building communities committed to valuing and protecting every marriage as sacred and permanent. To evangelize is to introduce others to truth, not just abstract truth but Truth Himself, Jesus Christ. Through our ministry we have come to understand that the only reason that people will listen is if they believe we understand them, if we meet them where they are, amidst their trials and pain. We have to earn the right to be heard and this is done through the sharing of our story; being a witness to the good news that others hunger for.
MARRIAGE AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION (CONT’D) The programs created by The Alexander House are meant to lead couples to discover the beauty, goodness and truth of God’s plan for marriage. Through the Covenant of Love Date Nights, the Marriage Disciples program, our workshops, retreats and our Made for Each Other radio show, we give couples who want to strengthen or restore their relationships the practical tools that will help them discover and live the Good News. Everything we teach the couples in all our programs is faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church; Evangelii Nuntiandi reminds us that this fidelity both to a message whose servants we are and to the people to whom we must transmit it living and intact is the central axis of evangelization. In keeping with the framework of the document we feel our programs answer these three burning questions, which the 1974 Synod kept constantly in mind: In our day, what has happened to that hidden energy of the Good News, which is able to have a powerful effect on man's conscience? To what extent and in what way is that evangelical force capable of really transforming the people of this century? What methods should be followed in order that the power of the Gospel may have its effect?
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Our entire approach to preparing, strengthening or restoring a marriage is always the same, because we know that God has only ONE plan for marriage. Whether we do a workshop, a retreat or one-on-one work with couples the information we give them is the same although the approach is different depending on the circumstances. This approach is simple and straight forward, we do not intend to give the couples who come to us a theological background but a practical understanding of how to put the beautiful and timeless teachings of the church to use in the vocation that God has called them to.
responsibility in the advancement of the New Evangelization. As Pope Paul VI reminded us in his Apostolic Exhortation “having been sent and evangelized, the Church herself sends out evangelizers. She puts on their lips the saving Word, she explains to them the message of which she herself is the depositary, she gives them the mandate which she herself has received and she sends them out to preach. To preach not their own selves or their personal ideas, but a Gospel of which neither she nor they are the absolute masters and owners, to dispose of it as they wish, but a Gospel of which they are the ministers, in order to pass it on with complete fidelity. And so…we have been sent.
“The family is not just the object of evangelization but also the subject of evangelization, an entity called to evangelize in a unique and much needed way.” We truly believe that the calling that we have as baptized Catholics to go and make disciples of all nations teaching all that was taught to us by Jesus is a call to all the faithful and this is why we feel accountable to God for all that he has given us; we know we have a great
Greg and Julie Alexander with their 7 children and 2 grandsons
Visit us at www.thealexanderhouse.org
OUR APOSTOLATE IS GROWING... “He must increase, I must decrease” John 3:30
My wife Diana and I are the Lead Cou-
We feel our call is to pave the way for
ple at Prince of Peace Catholic Church;
Jesus Christ to touch everyone that comes
with much prayer, planning, hard
into the parish hall.
work and anticipation we started our
There are couples of all ages, young and
Date Nights in February of this year.
old, people in wheelchairs, couples with
knew he was only a vessel to pave the
On our first Date Night (kickoff), the
and without children. All are hungry for
way for Jesus Christ. This is our calling
Holy Spirit brought 120 couples to our
love, Holy Love, that love that our Lord
as baptized Catholics, as lay leaders
parish hall; we even had a waiting list.
has for us and that love that Jesus has
and now as participants in the Cove-
In March He brought in 72 couples
commanded us to have for Him and for
nant of Love ministry; to be instru-
and at our April gathering there were
one another. Let us remember those
ments in God’s hands.
71 couples. May has a list of 25 RSVP's
words at the Altar, “for better or for
in one day!
worst, in good times and in bad.” That is
These are the words of John the Baptist who testifies to his followers that Jesus is the Messiah. John the Baptist
We know that this is possible only by God’s grace and our team understanding fully that “He must increase, I must decrease”. For sure, trials and tribulations have come our way, but that only Diana and Gil Montemayor
means we are doing something right.
the commitment that we made to each other, and that is the commitment The Alexander’s have made to this ministry, we believe that there is no secret to helping this ministry be fruitful... if we but allow Him to increase and ourselves to decrease.
… and we need your support My wife Cece and I have been friends with Greg and Julie Alexander since they moved to San Antonio 6 years ago. We have seen not only their dedication to the call they received but their trust in God, knowing that He will always provide what they need to continue their important mission. The Alexander House has been saving and strengthening marriages for over 12 years; as we were able to witness ourselves by participating in the Covenant of Love Date Night program at our parish.
The main goal of this apostolate is to assist couples in strengthening or restoring their relationships by learning what God's plan is for marriage. We learned so much during our Date Night sessions! We all know that our country's single biggest issue is the breakdown of the family. Most of the problems in our society today can be attributed to marriage failures. Teen pregnancies, school drop outs, youth violence can all in some way can be effected and re-
duced by having a strong marriage and family unity with two parents working together to raise their children. I ask that you consider becoming a partner for marriage with TAHA in their important work to improve our communities and in turn improve the morals and values in our society.
“A DOLLAR A DAY TO KEEP DIVORCE AWAY”
May God bless you abundantly for your generosity,
Barney Smith
THE TRUE MEANING OF STEWARSDSHIP: PARTNERS FOR MARRIAGE BARNEY AND CECE SMITH
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MADE FOR EACH OTHER Join Greg and Julie every Wednesday from 11 to 12 CT on the Guadalupe Radio Network as they discuss: Love, Relationships and Marriage We would love to have you as our guest so give us a call: (877) 211-3853 or send your questions/comments/suggestions to: radioshow@thealexanderhouse.org
WHAT COUPLES ARE SYAING ABOUT THEIR DATE NIGHTS... A year ago I, would have answered that God was in the center of our marriage. But now that we have been posed with the questions from attending the Covenant of Love, my husband and I both see that God is just on the surface and not at the heart of our marriage. We are working fervently to not only put Him there, but to keep Him there. - Randy and Sarah B.
The Alexander House Apostolate P.O. Box 592107 San Antonio, TX 78259
Remember us in your will Love Connections is the official newsletter of THE ALEXANDER HOUSE APOSTOLATE (TAHA) a 501(c)(3) organization Printing provided by Smith Print of San Antonio (www.smithprint.net)